The world economy runs on sea trade . We trace ocean shipping from the first ever container vessels to today ’ s super bulk-carriers
TIMELINE
A HISTORY
OF THE EVOLUTION
OF MODERN SEA TRADE
The world economy runs on sea trade . We trace ocean shipping from the first ever container vessels to today ’ s super bulk-carriers
1929 1931
First sea containerisation In 1929 , Seatrain Lines carried railroad boxcars on its sea vessels , to transport goods between New York and Cuba . Although containers had been used before on locomotives , ships allowed them to be hauled over much further distances , far more economically .
First container ship The first ever container ship — the Autocarrier , owned by Southern Railway UK — was launched . It had 21 slots for railway containers . From the late 1940s , T2-class oil tankers were converted into container ships , because there was a surplus of tankers following the end of World War II .
14 March 2022