In an article published in 1981 in American Shipper magazine, a Bethlehem Shipyard case focuses attention on a maritime problem as old as the “master’s gratuity,” according to a former company official who was charged with bribery at the time.

A dockworker strike in 1977 caused major losses to container lines at the time. Their response was to impose a 10% surcharge. But shippers did not take it lying down.

Oil spills, groundings and collisions were the subject of continuous news coverage in 1976 and 1977. There were so many maritime disasters that it piqued Americans’ interest in foreign maritime dealings.

In 1976, an investigation into rate rebating and malpractice by carriers did not put a similar spotlight on freight forwarders. An article in American Shipper at the time questioned whether that was fair.

A story from 1976 shows a battle between a shoe manufacturer and a shipper over what the former believed was an “unreasonable rate.” The company-versus-company drama exhibits the complexity of international trade.

In March 1976, the Mississippi River was logjammed for eight straight days, causing massive shipping losses with an estimated 100 towboats and 900 barges stuck by the riverbank. The event spurred serious reform for operation on this vital route.

A story reported in the January 1976 issue of American Shipper tells of a prepaid shipment headed for Bordeaux, France, that ended up stuck in Jacksonville, Florida, causing the fertilizer cargo to rot.

snapshot of ports in 1991 reveals the importance of a new radio-frequency technology launch at the time, when a terminal in Honolulu first received the tech.

In an article published in 1992, American Shipper details the first use of barcodes for shipping Chrysler vehicles.

Pricing in ocean shipping was done much differently in the 1970s compared to today. To simplify things, a group of executives created a game around the concept for workers to play.

The famous Norwegian Cruise Line of today got its start transporting ice and coal between Norway and Great Britain. This article from American Shipper in 1975 describes the company’s beginnings and its success in the cruise industry at the time.

An article published in the July issue of American Shipper in 1975 tells the stories of two steamships when they ruled the seas. The stories are full of adventure, mishaps and big wins, giving a glimpse into the life of a sailor in the late 1880s.

Two ships in 1975 traveled between Mediterranean and U.S. ports on a fixed 14-day schedule. But they also caught attention because they were able to carry different types of cargo, including containers as well as liquids.

One shipment of grapefruit to Japan threatened the future of the Florida citrus industry after Caribbean fruit fly larvae were discovered. Japan enacted an embargo on all Florida citrus to protect its own citrus groves in the southern islands. The embargo was lifted after Florida’s sector worked tirelessly to eradicate the larvae.

In 1975, the shipping industry was grappling with the growth of rebating, an illegal strategy that could upend fair competition. Ultimately, one carrier created newspaper ads saying the practice had become the norm and another faced a lawsuit.

In 1975, a dredge capsized in the Miami Harbor with 3,600 barrels of oil onboard. But the fast-acting employees of the port allowed it to reopen within 11 hours and prevent what could have been an ecological disaster.

Growing interest in containerization drove speed and optimization in the transport industry and overtook previous methods of shipping over time. In 1975, United States Lines resumed containerized cargo service, reducing transit time between Savannah, Georgia, and Northern Europe to just eight days.

LASH carriers were the predecessors to today’s container ships. In 1974, soon after they hit the scene, a record number of the ships were built.

The second part of this account of Revolutionary War naval hero John Paul Jones includes a dramatic battle on the seas and how Catherine the Great and Benjamin Franklin fit into the story.

Naval officer John Paul Jones’ story sounds like a scene from “Pirates of the Caribbean,” but the true story of the “Father of the American Navy” includes its share of amusing twists and turns.

In 1975, two identical ore/bulk/oil (O/B/O) ships underwent efficiency experiments. During one of these experiments, a new propeller concept broke midjourney, but the ship continued its duty with no changes in performance and the crew had no idea until it reached its destination.

A collision on the seas involving an American shipping company sparked a heated letter exchange about who was responsible. This fight surprisingly led to the mending of U.S. and China maritime trade.

American Shipper in May 1974 took a look at charges for the handling of freight, which were largely unrecorded if they existed at all before the Civil War.

A page from American Shipper’s archives exhibits how shippers felt in 1978 through an eye-catching speech.

Today, automation can mean launching a fleet of autonomous robots that can unload shipping containers without human intervention. In 1974, a remote-controlled “bow boat” was considered a major launch.

In 1977, news of the looming threat of a strike by a union of dockworkers was prevalent in the pages of American Shipper magazine. The publisher at the time ended the April issue that year with an opinion piece discussing the threat.

In 1975, American Shipper originally covered the launch of the “catamaran-tug,” which completed its maiden voyage to Port Everglades with a 42,000-ton cargo of gasoline for Shell Oil Co.

2004: The capsizing of two vessels rocks the project cargo industry.

1994: Those involved in response to the 600,000-gallon spill reflect on their efforts.

NASA hauls the longest heavy cargo delivery; Reefers run food to the Bahamas; Submarine cables connect the Virgin Islands.

1971: Londoners are able to buy American melons for the first time after test shipments to the U.K. proved successful.

We take a look back at the state-of-the-art technology that streamlined trucking in 1961.

1992: 2-D bar codes provide an almost infinite variety of codes, which could prove especially useful in international shipping.

2000: World container port throughput increased 7.8% last year to about 201 million TEUs — the first time volume exceeded 200 million TEUs.

1974: They may be the last hurdles in the way of renewed trade between the
United States and Cuba. An embargo failed to work and indirect business
has begun.

1991: The new system allows automobiles to move in regular intermodal containers instead of the multilevel railcards that now are the industry standard.

1999: eBay ushers in e-commerce’s most dramatic distribution channel disruption in decades.

Nike has remained a popular shoe brand for decades (Photo: AP File/Matt Rourke)

A massive eight-day backup of barge traffic at Locks and Dam 26 on the Mississippi River in 1976 resulted in shipping losses estimated as high as $500,000 a day.

1996: The FAA says it’s ready to start testing new designs of air cargo containers built to withstand terrorist bombs, but the industry worries the new containers could add weight, be expensive and reduce available cargo space.

The “trapped” crews found many ways to pass the time, including holding their own Bitter Lake Olympiad, in celebration of the Tokyo Olympics of 1968.

1986: Liberia fights to remain a leading flag of convenience as competition increases.

1991: In-transit damage used to be a major problem for Ford, but the automobile manufacturer has amped up its hauling standards.

2002: The Port of Oakland gears up intermodal capabilities to catch up with in-state rivals Los Angeles and Long Beach.

1974: Administration opposes HR-8193, but House sub-committee gives it an OK. Mountainous Bolivia asks 50% for its ships; others get 100% share of their own trade.

1978: More than a decade ago, someone accepted the measurement given in a manufacturer’s advertisement at face value. The figure has been used since then to compute ocean freight rates on certain chemicals. Who is liable? The shipper or the carrier?

2001: Several shipping lines are close to ordering the first container ships of 8,000- to 9,000-TEU capacity, but others in the industry are warning of the associated risks.

1992: U.S. Customs is contracting with a Massachusetts-based company to design and construct an X-ray unit that can examine the cargo inside a standard container in about three minutes.

2006: Istanbul-based freight forwarder Advance International has made use of international agency plans to re-establish reliable landbridge routes between the two continents.

1981: Plans to use offshore vessels for the generation of electricity by use of ocean water temperature differences could develop into a “good market” for the nation’s shipyards, according to an industry spokesman.

1997: “Comparing our project to the Panama Canal is to confuse an apple with an orange,” New York lawyer Don M. Bosco said. “Our competition won’t be the canal. Instead, we intend to take significant business from the 3,000-mile U.S. landbridge system.”

As part of Women’s History Month, FreightWaves spotlights the first American woman to make it to the top at sea.

1996: At 1,044 feet (318.2 meters) long, the new Maersk ships are longer than the Eiffel tower, but they are still capable of a high speed of 25 knots.

2002: “It’s a myth that we are out of land,” said Jim Larson of the NY/NJ Port Authority, discussing the airport’s cargo possibilities.

1988: The U.S.-Far East container trade will undergo a significant drop in growth over the next few years, according to a study recently completed by the research firm of Temple, Barker & Sloane Inc.

1999: To avoid the costs and delays of processing stowaways at destination ports, some ships’ crews have been known to shove stowaways overboard and set them adrift at sea.

“Not only are we at the height of the Christmas season, but we’re at the height of the Y2K concern as well. Importers and major trading houses are trying to move their goods now to beat any chance of problems with the changeover to the new millennium.”

1994: Despite its effectiveness in catching contraband, Customs pulls the plug on X-ray procedures at Tacoma.

2000: UPS Airlines has signed an agreement with Boeing Co. to take delivery of 13 MD-11 widebody freighters over the next four years.

1971: Security at Miami International Airport will be increased with a move aimed at protecting precious cargo as well as travelers.

1961: The first of a complete line of lightweight, compact, heavy-duty diesels for the over-highway trucking industry by Caterpillar, the 1673 has been tested on some 200 trucks throughout the nation.

1975: C-5 cargo plane carries 6 marine containers from Nashville to Oakland.

1992: Textiles and trucking are among industries with the most at stake in the North American Free Trade Agreement.

1998: The Surface Transportation Board has approved the division of Conrail between Norfolk Southern and CSX, which will be left in control of most railroad traffic in the eastern half of the United States.

1971: The round-up of all imported autos into Jacksonville is near conclusion as the latest arrival of 785 Chrysler Colts enters the Port.

1966: Seventy thousand American gallons of frozen concentrated orange juice were imported into the United Kingdom from Florida in 1965. This quantity represents nearly two million cans, retailing at about 32 cents for 6 fluid ounces, appreciably higher in fact than the American price.

1970: After 123 years of Hapag history and 113 years of Lloyd history the first page of Hapag-LIoyd AG history will be written in 1970. The new company has a staff of 11,500 of whom some 5,000 are sea-going personnel.

1981: Civic pride and more than a little politicking have scuttled — at least temporarily — a controversial proposal to study whether the competing Puget Sound ports of Seattle and Tacoma should cooperate and, ultimately, merge.

1964: The Whopper Hopper is the most advanced design of any freight car fabricated from USS Tenelon stainless steel. In a single trip it can transport 135 tons of bulk material and enough sugar to sweeten 30 million cups of coffee.

1973: This will be Sea-Land’s 2nd container crane at Jacksonville and the 3rd in operation at the port.

1971: Jacksonville, Savannah and Charleston duke it out for Southeastern port crown.

1963: Trucks have moved into the lead as the primary mode of transportation for Florida’s half billion dollar citrus and vegetable crops.

1969: The system will cut baggage delivery time by at least 50% while protecting luggage from loss and damage.

1963: NASA will employ a specially enlarged aircraft to aid in the transport of the Saturn S-IV rocket from California to Florida.

The walk-through feature makes it possible to handle cargo within both containers without removing either from the chassis.

The new unit can pass over stacks of boxes four high (48 feet) and five wide (plus a truck lane, a total of 69 feet).

1972: Tropicana is now exporting around 70,000 shipping tons annually with 90% going to Western Europe.

Shipments of 3,000 to 4,000 pounds of Florida strawberries make their way to Germany via Boeing 707 jets.

Piper Executive Victor C. McCollum outlined how improvement in containerization could further benefit his company and its distributors abroad.

One Florida hatchery credits modern innovations and personal overseas visits to customers for its continued success.

The SS Tropicana routinely hauls 650,000 gallons of orange juice from Florida to New York every eight days.

17 years ago, the SARS outbreak topped the list of concerns for the international shipping industry.

An overflow of West Coast-bound vehicle shipments characterized one of the largest mini-bridge operations ever assembled for a single movement.

Forced out by Castro, some offshore Florida farmers look to grow their produce elsewhere.

America’s mission to put a man on the moon draws one step closer to reality.

News that made a splash 56 years ago.

Dive into this week’s flashback from 54 years ago.

Florida’s top port news 50 years ago this month.