Billboards on Boxes

The gazilllion cargo containers that exist in the world today (no one knows how many but 65 million seems to be one popular estimate) usually show the owner's company name in some way - often with initials, or a company logo. 

The Mediterranean Shipping Company uses its initials, with a wave shaped symbol, and a distinctive putty colour or rusty red, to distinguish its cointainers.
 

Containers also display the reporting marks assigned by Bureau International des Containers et du Transport Intermodal (Bic-Code). Originally developed by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) similar indentifiers are carried on railway rolling stock.  

Some containers, like rental containers, carry only the ISO reporting marks, as the company has no particular significance to the general public. Shipping lines and trucking companies however tend to use their name and company colours more prominently as a form of advertising. 

Recently some shipping lines have begun to use slogans or other text as a more overt form of advertising and self-promotion. It is not widespread yet, but it is bound to expand.

A tyical example is Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd (ZIM), which uses its acronym and seven stars logo to identify its boxes.

 (Yes the ship has no anchors in the photo. It lost them both in high winds while anchored off Halifax February 17-19, 2022

For a year or more ZIM has also been using their containers to promote the company's remote monitoring system. ZIMonitor tracks temperature controlled containers and can send an alert if there is a deviation from the required internal conditions.

 

ZIM also owns Gold Star Line, an Intra Asia carrier, but it does not advertise monitoring.

Temperature controlled containers, usually reefers, are painted white to reflect heat and appear identical no matter the owner. 

 ZIM has also recently begun to advertise in a more general way using the "Z Factor" slogan on their dry cargo boxes to promote the quality of their service.

 

Other lines such as CMA CGM advertise their environmental sensitivity by noting the use of fast growing bamboo for container flooring for their own containers. Leased containers from companies such as Seaco apparently use less responsible flooring.

 
 Container leasing companies such as Triton and Florens use more understated identification.

 CMA CGM however does seem to be at the forefront of environmental slogans.

China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) prefers a cute panda nibbling on bamboo to convey its message - no translation necessary.

 

A typical container, such as this apparently brand new TEU from Hapag-Lloyd, do take on a bit of wear and tear, so are often painted in more easily maintained colours. But then they will not stand out as Hapag-Lloyd's do.

 No matter the condition or the company colour choices, container ships working for the various alliances certainly make for a colourful display.

 

The APL Esplanade sailing from Halifax February 25, 2025 for the Ocean Alliance, presents a colourful patch work, even though it is displaying only a small proprtion of its 13,500 TEU capacity.

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