A startup based out of New Jersey thinks it has a solution to historic congestion at some of the largest ports in the US.
Staxxon is planning to sell shipping containers that can fold and shrink to about one-fifth the size of a typical container. The company said it plans to begin commercial manufacturing within the year and already has an option for buyers to pre-order the invention with a $100 deposit per container.
One of the first updates to shipping containers in decades could be the result of Staxxon's design being adopted by major carriers. The first container was patented in the year 1956 by Malcolm McLean, the owner of one of the largest trucking companies in the US. The containers were standardized by the International Maritime Organization.
It was a major innovation for the industry, allowing it to become more seamless. The industry has not deviated from the design.
The recent supply-chain crisis has forced major carriers and retailers to rethink how they transport goods.
Over the past two years, standardized shipping containers have caused a lot of problems. Insider reported last year that empty containers could be seen from as far away as 80 miles away. Insider reported that over 100,000 empty containers were taking up space in the largest ports in Southern California.
It comes at a cost when moving empty containers. About 20% of the 20-foot equivalent shipping containers that passed through the world's ports were empty last year, according to a report.
According to a lecturer at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, carriers could save up to 57% in inland transportation costs by using foldable containers.
George Kochanowski said that carriers could fit five of his company's folded containers in the space of one.
Kochanowski said in a demo video that the container is designed to look like a container, act like a container, and fit into the system.
Staxxon is not the only company that wants to use foldable shipping containers.
A Dutch company called 4Fold said it is creating a container that will save up to 37% in costs and emissions. A company in the Netherlands called Delft has been testing containers that can be folded in about one-forth their size, according to a report in December.
While congestion at Southern California ports has declined in recent months, ports on the East Coast are seeing an increase. Ahead of the fall season, the ports are bracing for peak shipping demand. It comes at a time when retailers are still struggling to recover from the impact of the Pandemic.
Staxxon CFO Richard Danderline said there was an opportunity to increase capacity, increase velocity and save money.
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