The Way It Was

containerisation, or unitisation as it was known once, is not as recent as we would like to think. Unitisation, as containerisation is sometimes called, is the breaking down of goods into standardised units that can be handled by mechanised and frequently, automated equipment. As break-bulk, drums of paint, cement bags, machine tools and so on all have to be packaged, crated and handled in different ways and stowed differently in the ships themselves. But all can go into containers, which can be handled in one standardised manner no matter what is inside them.

The first steps to unitisation were very tentative. Probably the first containers ever built and to reach ship were the brainchild of IK Brunel, who introduced them on the Vale of Neath railway in 1841.

Cubical iron boxes 1.42 metres inside, containing about 2.5 tons of coal, were used and four fitted in each rail truck and the whole scheme was introduced to a large scale in order to carry friable coal to Swansea Docks. At the docks, machinery was provided to lower each box into the hold of the ship. The iron box was not left in the hold, as the bottom of the box was opened and deposited the coal. This example though primitive, nevertheless illustrates how cargo can be unitised and how standardisation of the transport and lifting plant can make for speedier loading onto ships.

This system of unitised coal handling was used in Brisbane in 1875. At the South Brisbane Railway coal handling wharves - coal from the mines at Ipswich was loaded from rail trucks into sailing vessels destined for the UK. (picture from Premier’s Dept) The introduction of the true unitisation is probably due to the credit of the United States Government, which organised the use of small containers during WW11. However they overlooked the need to standardise these containers with land transport. British Railways introduced containers

not long before WW11, however these had rounded tops and were more like demountable railway wagons than stackable unitised containers.

The Danes pioneered containerisation in 1950, with two small ships of 550 tons DWT offering a door to door service via Copenhagen to other ports. But the necessity for standardised land infrastructure was not readily available so the venture was limited in its development.

Perhaps the true father of containerisation was a truckie from the USA. Malcolm MacLean was not a ship owner but a highway trucking operator, who had a vision for providing a service door to door in the truest sense. The standard method that most transport operators used for delivering goods in the east of the United States was to haul the trailer with a prime mover (tractor as they call it) from the point of manufacture to the customer. This was labour intensive and expensive, and led MacLean to ultimately purchase a steamship to fit in the entire freight chain. MacLean used this ship to carry the trailers loaded on the ship to their final destination and to be picked up by a subcontractor tractor operator at the other end. He saw the ship as merely a floating bridge in the highway system between two points, and a movable link in the transport chain. This probably was the beginning of the first of the roll on roll off ships.

MacLean was instrumental in introducing the first container ship Gateway City to the container trade in 1956-7. The ship had a capacity of two hundred and twenty six 35 ft containers of 27 ton each and could turn around in a fraction of the time compared to conventional break bulk cargo handling vessels.

Other shipping operators followed soon after including Matson and Grace Line.

However each line had its own size of container and was self- contained and independent. Interchangeability between lines was out of the question and shore facilities to handle these containers (lifting cranes, transport.) in many ports were non-existent. International standardisation was to follow.

Today containerised or unitised cargo is handled at 27- 30 TEU’s per hour and ships of 3-4000 TEU are rarely in port more than 24 hours. Forty foot containers (FEU’s) are common, as are sophisticated refrigerated containers, containers for bulk liquid and dry goods, and all configuration of container all within the ISO standard size, and all interchangeable between shipping lines.

“My old Boss in Melbourne remembers the first container carrying ship in that port which worked at Appleton Dock and wharfies standing around as the first lift was slowly and laboriously brought ashore saying ‘it will never catch on’. This was the early 60's”.

(National Stevedore Operator- April 2002).

Those were the days and that was “the way it was!”! Our special thanks and acknowledgement of the following references: Corlett, Ewan. “The Ship” 1981. National Maritime Museum, London. Dyson, John. “Spirit of Sail”1987. David Bateman Ltd, Buderim Qld, Australia. Morrissey, David. “A History of Water Transport in Australia” 1998. MacMillan, South Yarra. Qld Dept of Harbours & Marine. “Port & Harbour Development in Qld from 1824 to 1985”. 1986. Dept of Harbours & Marine, Brisbane.