A fascinating documentary from the BBC on the history of the cargo container box and how it’s revolutionised Britain’s trade and industry since it’s introduction forty years ago.
Amazingly it costs more to transport a flat screen TV by lorry from store to the buyer than it does to ship it from half way around the world. Prior to shipping containers introduction, transport costs were at one time averaging 70% of a products retail price, today it’s closer to 1%. Then again perhaps that’s not so that surprising when, for example, Whisky manufactures expected (and accepted) to loose a third of their freight in transit.
Roger Magog’s narration is pitch perfect too, never too sentimental but still providing enough empathy with those effected by the changes this box brought in. Some lovely camera work too.
On iPlayer here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00scpzn/The_Box_That_Changed_Britain/