Secret Lives of Containers: Evidence from Texas

In 2000, the Texas Department of Transportation contracted with the Center for Transportation Research (CTR) at the University of Texas, Austin, to analyze containerized freight movements in Texas. Although aggregate data are available on the container sector and global movements, including data on container manufacturing, steamship companies, container routes, vessel capacities, and costs and supply chains, little information is available on container movements in the United States. To shippers and those directly involved in the container sector, some data on container movements in the United States—including route choice—are available. However, for those involved in freight planning at the state level, such information remains somewhat of a mystery. To fill this void, the CTR research team sought the assistance of various transportation stakeholders involved in containerized freight movements in an effort to characterize and gain a better understanding of this important and growing component of the freight sector. A total of 31 telephone interviews were conducted, involving 3 major ocean carriers, 12 trucking companies, 8 freight forwarders, 7 container leasing companies, and 1 railroad representative. Questions addressed container ownership, liability at different stages of a movement, benefits of different types of leases, container tracking (state of practice), transfer costs, security risks, and the outcome of a container at the end of its useful life. This study provides planners and those outside the industry with information on this dynamic sector and likely future changes.