Melbourne’s inner west is a busy hub for shipping container transportation, with 10,000 containers transported daily by trucks to and from container parks and the Port of Melbourne.

The container parks are a sight to behold, with stacks of containers reaching several storeys high. The bright colours of blue, green, red, and orange represent some of the world’s largest shipping lines and their brands, making them highly visible and easily recognizable. Shipping leasing companies prefer brown and maroon containers due to their ability to age well, making them easier to trade between shippers.

Each container is assigned a unique identifier known as a container number or container identification number, which is used for all commercial and legal purposes related to the container or consignment. The container also has other operational markings on it, including its maximum weight and the weight of an empty container.