While visiting the NC Transportation Museum, I noticed a display about shipping containers. Malcom McLean, a North Carolina native, is credited as the inventor of the idea to ship goods in containers that can be easily transfered to other modes of transportation. This one development revolutionized the World economy. Read his fascinating story:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_McLean
You can also find some interesting uses for these containers, such as building homes and shelters. Just google “shipping container homes.”