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“Our containers fold like an accordion , meaning they can be stacked anywhere on the ship ” chassis at off-terminal storage facilities , reducing chassis availability . ( A chassis is a trailer or undercarriage used to transport ocean containers by road ). This ‘ clogging up ’ then starves exporters of empties , which are at the wrong place at the wrong time .
The environmental price is steep for each move , as each non-productive activity is handled by fossil-fueled equipment .
As we move into the post-pandemic era , where there will be less commerce – port productivity should increase . This increase will , however , come at a price , as the cost of labour and fuel have skyrocketed , under the propulsion of global inflation . Empties are more expensive to reposition than ever before , so it costs more to move nothing around .
Q . ARE SHIPPING CONTAINERS OUTDATED ?
» The intermodal shipping container is 70 years old . Over the years it has been refined , but ownership costs have increased . For example , this year , the annual operating prices have ranged from $ 25,000 to $ 40,000 to reposition an empty container . Those costs are primarily labour , fuel , and land-use , and all are increasing at the rate of inflation .
Kochanowski pictured with vertical folding container
Q . HOW DOES YOUR SOLUTION HELP ?
» For 50 years , the repositioning of empty containers has had a negative financial effect and a severe environmental impact .
During this time , the only method of folding was a technology whereby the end walls collapsed onto the floor .
24 May 2023