While the standard dry box container is not designed for loading in bulk, specialized container stuffing companies, concentrated at Port locations, fit these containers with temporary grain doors to permit the loading of product in bulk. Such commercial stuffing operations also provide liner bags for the container to help preserve the integrity of the product. Country shippers who choose to source-load in bulk in a standard dry box container should be prepared to install such temporary bulkheads and liner bags as part of their loading operation. Finally, for shippers contemplating investment in their own containers, it should be noted that the management of containers, particularly to off-shore destinations, is a major commercial enterprise. Large international shipping companies have made significant investments in sophisticated tracking mechanisms to ensure that their containers are not lost and are moved around the world in the most efficient manner possible.
Containers also require periodic maintenance and repair.
The need to allocate resources to ensure these crucial container management functions are carried out properly must be kept in mind. This is particularly true for rates originating at major Canadian ports. For example, data provided by a prominent freight forwarder shows that the nominal cost of moving a container from Montreal to Naples, Italy decreased by about 36 percent, and the cost of shipping from Montreal to La Guaira, Venezuela decreased by 17 percent in the past 5 years. Ocean freight rates are heavily influenced by the carriers' need to position containers in areas of high demand. For example, rate indications for service between Montreal and Santos, Brazil dropped by 24 percent in 1997-98.