Episode Details

Why can't a shipping container fit on a plane? In this episode, we explore the three incompatible worlds of freight — air cargo ULDs, ISO containers, and standard pallets — and the brutal geometry, physics, and history that keep them separate. We look at military experiments like the tri-wall container, the failed ISO one-C proposal from the 1990s, and emerging air-land pallet hybrids that try to bridge the gap. For high-value, time-sensitive goods, eliminating cross-dock transfers might finally justify a new multimodal standard.