Strikes on the US East Coast
Threat to shipping containers
Port worker strikes continue on the East Coast of the United States, which could have a significant impact on the global shipping container market. These potential strikes could disrupt the stability of supply chains and cause delays in shipping, which would have far-reaching consequences for the economy not only in the US, but around the world.
Reasons for the dispute
The main reason for the strike is a dispute over wages. Workers on the East Coast earn significantly less than their colleagues on the West Coast. This pay gap is leading to increased discontent among workers, who are now demanding a 77% pay increase over the next six years. The ILA union accuses employers of failing to meet long-term wage demands, escalating tensions between the two sides.
Potential impacts on supply chains
Closing East Coast ports could seriously disrupt the flow of goods, as these ports handle roughly half of all goods shipped in containers to and from the US. Any delays in shipments could result in increased shipping costs, which would then be passed on to end consumers. This could have a negative impact on the economy at a time when the US is trying to stabilise inflation.
Global impact on container transport
A potential strike could affect not only U.S. ports but also global container shipping. Ports on the East Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico are key to international trade, and any disruption to their operations could cause a domino effect in global supply chains. Experts warn that such a development could lead to delays in deliveries around the world, impacting many industries.
Government and corporate responses
The US government and business representatives are calling on both sides to reach an agreement. President Joe Biden has said he will not intervene in the dispute and that it should be resolved through collective bargaining. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg met with USMX representatives to encourage them to negotiate. Economists warn that a possible work stoppage could temporarily put more than 100,000 workers out of work in various sectors, with significant economic impacts.
Other container news...
Shipping container types
Roughly 80% of everything you own traveled to you inside a steel box. Shipping containers—also called cargo containers, ISO containers, or “conex” boxes—are the backbone of global trade, carrying about 90% of the world’s non-bulk cargo across oceans, rails, and highways. Yet a “shipping container” is not one single object. It is a family of specialized steel boxes, each engineered for a specific kind of cargo: some vent, some freeze, some open from the top, and some have no walls at all.
40 foot container storage uses
The 40 foot container has moved far beyond its original job of hauling cargo across the ocean. Today, the phrase “40 foot container storage uses” describes an enormous and still-growing field: everything from an extra garage behind a house to a full retail storefront, a mobile office, an indoor farm, or a temporary shelter. Because the 40 foot container is the most common size in global shipping, it is also the most abundant, the most affordable, and the most widely converted for storage and building purposes.
How tall is a 20-Foot shipping container?
A 20-foot shipping container stands 8 feet 6 inches (8′ 6″) tall on the outside, or 2.59 meters. Inside, the usable height is slightly less — roughly 7 feet 9–5/8 inches (2.39 m) — because the floor, roof panels, and corner castings consume several inches of the total height.
That is the short answer. But “how tall” hides important nuance: the number changes depending on whether you are measuring a standard unit or a high cube unit, whether you are measuring the exterior or the interior, and whether you actually need to fit something through the door opening, which is the shortest vertical dimension on the entire box.
Shipping container wheel movement kits
A shipping container wheel movement kit is a bolt-on (or twist-lock) hardware system that lets a single person attach wheels to the corner castings of a 20 ft or 40 ft shipping container and reposition it — often without a crane, forklift, or flatbed truck. Instead of hiring a heavy-haul trucker every time you want to nudge a container a few feet on your property, the right wheel kit turns a 4,000–10,000 lb steel box into something a pickup truck, skid steer, or a couple of strong backs with a come-along can move.