When an American trucker named Malcolm McLean commissioned the first standard-sized metal boxes for transporting road and sea freight, he could not have foreseen the impact of his innovative idea. Firstly, his invention slashed loading and unloading times, substantially reducing the cost of handling. More significantly, he initiated the growth of a massive global industry. Today, his original batch of 58 steel storage containers seems somewhat less noteworthy, given that the total number now exceeds 17 million. While around 5 million of these are at sea at any given time, the vast majority are onshore. Some await loading at quaysides while others wait for dockyard cranes to unload them or haulage companies to collect them. However, the growing number of empty, unused units has inspired some to explore alternative uses for these iconic metal boxes in recent years. One of the simplest of the various available options is to repurpose them as storage containers. Depending on what one may wish to store and for how long, it may be unnecessary to make more than a few minor modifications, making this a much cheaper option than purchasing a purpose-built facility. Furthermore, these units are designed to withstand rough handling and extreme weather for 20 years or...

css.php