Malcom McLeanBorn 14 Nov 1914; died 25 May 2001 at age 86.Malcom Purcell McLean was an American businessman and inventor who from 1956 developed the metal shipping container which is now used to transport goods on ships, trains and motor freight. The standardized containers are strong enough to stack several layers deep on ships, and greatly simplify handling of cargo by cranes, with great cost savings over the labour of loading and unloading goods in larger numbers of smaller units of crates and bags. From driving a single truck hauling materials in his early years, he founded the McLean Trucking Co., which became the second-largest in the U.S. When he realized that a truck and its cargo body could be separated, he expanded into secure handling of containers that could be stacked for bulk transport.« |
