Ever wondered how a simple steel box reshaped global trade? The journey of the modern #shipping container is more dramatic than most people realize. Loading Break-bulk Cargo, Port of New Orleans, early 20th Century 1️⃣ Before Containers (Pre-1950s): Ports were chaotic. Cargo moved as break-bulk—bags, crates and barrels handled manually. Loading a ship took days, sometimes weeks. Nearly half the shipping cost was just labour and handling. Malcolm McLean at Port Newark, 1957