The history of the shipping container is directly tied to many developments in modern modes of transportation. Though there were precursors to modern containers, the first recognizable shipping containers were available in the 1920s. The advantage of these containers was that they could easily be transferred from ships to truck to trains and cargo aircraft and so on and so forth. The cost and time savings were enormous. However, it was not until the 1970s that a shipping container standard was implemented. Today standard shipping containers greatly contribute to ensuring international trade goes smoothly.