The Newark Star-Ledger just published a story on the 50th anniversary of the container: http://www.nj.com/business/ledger/index.ssf?/base/business-2/114153971628060 .xml&coll=1.
> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of Philip S Hall > Sent: Monday, March 06, 2006 4:03 AM > To: U.S. Metric Association > Subject: [USMA:36196] RE: Australia; shipping containers > > Imagine how much simpler life would be for people in the industry if there > was a single system of measurement. Look at the clutter in the container > specs on this site: > > http://www.freightraders.co.nz/containerspecs.html > > They even have to include conversion tables just overcome the ambivalence > of > it all. > > Phil Hall > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Carleton MacDonald" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2006 10:42 PM > Subject: [USMA:36195] RE: Australia; shipping containers > > > > The reason they are those sizes is that a US company (SeaLand) was the > > first > > to really start using them (in the 1950's) - and the concept also was > born > > in the US, in the 1930's. Of course the US developers of containers > would > > design them in wombat. Once they came into wide use the whole > > infrastructure of handling them had been set in stone - ships, trucks, > > rail > > cars, cranes - and then the size was locked in. > > > > > > > > Same reason we fly at feet altitudes and not meters - the US helped > > redesign > > the European airway system after World War II and of course used its > > particular measurements. > > > > > > > > cm > > > > > > > > _____ > > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf > > Of Han Maenen > > Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2006 16:54 > > To: U.S. Metric Association > > Subject: [USMA:36194] Australia; shipping containers > > > > > > > > And even though we have gone metric here in Oz we still stay 20', 40', > 48' > > and 53' for shipping container lengths.... > > > > > > > > These shipping container sizes are an international standard. ISO worked > > on > > an metric standard for transport systems, but I have not heard about > this > > for some years. > > > > > > > >
