Standardized boxes transformed global trade. A container ship is a vessel designed specifically to carry intermodal containers in cellular holds and on deck, stacked and secured for ocean passage.

Cellular guides allow rapid loading and discharge by shore cranes. Capacity is measured in twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). The largest ships now exceed 20,000 TEU and trade on fixed schedules between major hub ports. Smaller feeder ships connect secondary ports to the hubs.

Stability, stack weight limits, and lashing strength constrain how containers are stowed. Reefers need power; hazardous containers need segregation. The efficiency of container shipping depends on port crane productivity as much as on the ships themselves.

• Ship built to carry standardized intermodal containers
• Uses cellular holds and deck stacking
• Capacity measured in TEU
• Operates in scheduled liner services