5 Things You Didn’t Know About Ocean Freight

When people think of global trade, they often picture planes, trucks, or trains. But here’s the truth: over 90% of the world’s goods travel by sea. Ocean freight is massive, fascinating, and full of facts that don’t make the headlines. Here are five you might not know:

The biggest ships can carry over 23,000 containers. Imagine stacking those end-to-end, they’d stretch more than 130 kilometers.

It’s greener than you think. Shipping emits far less CO₂ per ton than air freight, making it one of the most eco-friendly options for long-distance transport.

Containers changed the world. Before standardized shipping containers were introduced in the 1950s, loading a ship took weeks. Now it takes hours.

The oceans are crowded highways. At any given moment, nearly 50,000 merchant ships are sailing worldwide, carrying everything from toys to oil.

Delays ripple globally. One ship stuck in the Suez Canal in 2021 disrupted billions of dollars in trade, a reminder of how connected we all are.

Next time you sip coffee from Colombia or type on a laptop made in Taiwan, remember, it probably came by sea. Ocean freight is more than shipping, it’s the unseen network powering our daily lives.