I fully endorse your valuable comment.

A lot of cargo is indeed containerised and if only a small percentage of that is bulk it is still a lot of cargo: and high value at that!

Although container handling is very advanced in terms of bar-coding identification, laser alignment and the like the equipment used to stuff and unstuff bulk is marginally primitive and both labour and machine intensive. A session on You-tube is always useful to prove this point.

I suggest that a new topic "Containerisation" should be introduced in the Storage of Powders and Bulk section of the forums. This would interact with Packaging etc.

There is a hill to climb with this one since the boxes are so standard in terms of size and lifting attachments. A major challenge along that climb is the dunnage across the back doors. Improve the dunnage and we're halfway there. Special containers for bulk are an unfortunate and silly European idea which does not hold water.Ho;Ho;Ho. Putting in 3 top manholes to enable top filling introduces 3 extra seals to place and which must then be examined and read at arrival. The paperwork doesn't have space to record the seal numbers and who wants to climb aloft to inspect the seals in winter? So, yes there is definitely a need for expert discussion on Containerisation.

Thank you again for raising the issue. ■

If this thread bears fruit please spell containerisation correctly. English is the official language. Some Yankee dictionaries offer the correct spellings as a 'British' version just to further insult by revealing that they can't even get the right name for the language. So, it's Independence Day and congratulations, apart from the measuring system and the spelling.

Containers were invented by a British rail operator back in the 1930's, 9m variants were used but had a quick retirement until taken over by an American haulier much later. However, containerisation is not confined to the USA and the thread fruit should acknowledge and respect the correct original spelling.

Thank you and enjoy your turkeys. ■