Throughout history some of the greatest inventions and innovation have been born out of frustration.
The Archimedes screw pump was purportedly devised to remove the somewhat more than annoying problem of water leaking into the huge ships being built in Archimedes home town of Syracuse in Sicily.
Alexander Fleming’s frustrations at what he believed was the incorrect use of antiseptic during WW1, resulted in his famous investigations into antibacterial substances and the ‘accidental’ discovery of penicillin in 1928.
John Boyd Dunlop, who frustrated at watching his son struggling to ride his solid wheeled bicycle over the cobbled streets of Victorian Belfast, developed the first pneumatic tyre.
Innovation in shipping, freight and logistics
All industries have their own mother of inventions and the shipping industry is no different.
By the mid 1930’s US haulier Malcolm Mclean was employed delivering export cargoes to New York port.
After being involved with this for about 20 years, the frustrated McLean decided to do something to address the inefficiencies and delays caused by loading non-standardised crates.
Early attempts to containerise cargo hadn’t been successful because of the inability to stack the containers or attach them to vehicles securely.
Simple and effective solutions for the shipping industry
Mclean’s innovation to resolve this was as simple as it was brilliant.
His invention of the container ‘fitting system ‘ enabled containers to be shipped, lifted and fixed to vehicles quickly, safely and efficiently.
Loading costs plummeted and the age of container automation had begun.
To capitalise on his invention Mclean started his own container shipping line, which he named Sea-Land Service, pioneering the shipment of his new standardised containers and eventually becoming part of AP Moller’s Maersk group.
What makes TCB Group different to other shipping companies?
Part of what makes TCB Group different to other shipping, logistics and freight forwarding companies is the fact that we are a solutions-focused business.
In arguably one of the fastest paced industries in the world, it is easy to get caught up in the ‘doing’ rather than the ‘listening.’
At TCB Group we listen to our customers to fully understand their pain points and frustrations and from that we are able to develop new and innovative solutions to help streamline supply chains and to put control back to our clients and their transport teams.
TCB Group specialise in problem solving
Over the last 11 years we have adapted and refined technology to help with information flow and real-time shipping management
From our unique customer web portal and real time information systems, to our Supplier Financing and Consolidation services and our non-resident, remote inventory solutions.
At TCB Group, we listen to understand, to problem solve and to make the impossible possible.
Supply chain solutions is our passion.
To find out how we can add value to your business contact us here.