Answers:
Container ships are cargo ships that carry their entire load in
truck-size intermodal containers, in a technique called containerization. They
are a common means of commercial intermodal freight transport and now carry
most seagoing non-bulk cargo.
Container ship capacity is measured in twenty-foot equivalent
units (TEU). Typical loads are a mix of 20-foot and 40-foot (2-TEU)
ISO-standard containers, with the latter predominant.
Container vessels eliminate the individual
hatches, holds and dividers of the traditional general cargo vessels. The hull
of a typical container ship is a huge warehouse divided into cells by vertical
guide rails. These cells are designed to hold cargo in pre-packed units –
containers. Shipping containers are usually made of steel, but other materials
like aluminum, fiberglass or plywood are also used. They are designed to be
entirely transferred to and from trains, trucks or trailers. There are several
types of containers and they are categorized according to their size and
functions.
Today, approximately 90% of non-bulk cargo worldwide is
transported by container, and modern container ships can carry up to 16,020
twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) (CMA CGM Marco Polo). As a class, container
ships now rival crude oil tankers and bulk carriers as the largest commercial
vessels on the ocean.