| The use of steel containers by the freight | | | | |
| shipping industry is having a significant | | | | The use of steel containers by freight |
| affect on transportation costs and practices. | | | | shippers grew by a staggering 54% in South |
| | | | Africa between 1998 and 2005. It is estimated |
| Steel containers are fast becoming the | | | | that the use of steel containers for freight |
| preferred option for shipments of cargo | | | | shipping will continue to increase by around |
| around the world. As they can be stacked | | | | 15% each year between 2010 and 2015 in South |
| easily they have helped to reduce freight | | | | Africa. |
| shipping costs. Furthermore the products that | | | | |
| they contain are more secure because they are | | | | The reliance on steel containers by other |
| sealed prior to being shipped and are only | | | | freight shipping nations is also set to |
| opened once they have arrived at their | | | | increase. Analysts predict that the global |
| destination. | | | | use of steel containers will increase by 6% |
| | | | year on year between 2015 and 2015. |
| These containers are being used to ship a | | | | |
| variety of different goods across the globe. | | | | The reason for the heavy reliance on steel |
| From food products to personal care items and | | | | containers for freight transport seems to be |
| machinery, the freight shipping industry is | | | | attributable to a number of factors. For |
| increasingly using steel containers to | | | | instance the use of steel containers makes |
| transport freight. | | | | the shipment of products cheaper and easier. |
| | | | Whilst the emergence of the European Union as |
| The ability to move large volumes of freight | | | | an important trading block has accelerated |
| easily and cheaply is vitally important for | | | | international trade. |
| countries like South Africa that are | | | | |
| experiencing huge growth in freight traffic. | | | | The use of containers has been critical to |
| Indeed, in the case of South Africa, traffic | | | | the growth of global trade and the freight |
| has exceeded the 20 year growth forecasts 14 | | | | shipping industry. It is likely to continue |
| years early! | | | | to be important for many more years to come. |