THE GEOGRAPHY OF TRANSPORT SYSTEMS
| Year | Name | Capacity (TEU) | Yard | Length (m) | Width (m) | Draft (m) | Speed (knots) |
| 1956 | Ideal X | 58 | US | 174.2 | 23.6 | ? | 18.0 |
| 1968 | Elbe Express | 730 | B&V | 171.0 | 24.5 | 7.9 | 20.0 |
| 1981 | Frankfurt Express | 3,430 | HDW | 271.0 | 32.3 | 11.5 | 23.0 |
| 1991 | Hanover Express | 4,407 | Samsung | 281.6 | 32.3 | 13.5 | 23.0 |
| 1995 | APL China | 4,832 | HDW | 262.0 | 40.0 | 12.0 | 24.6 |
| 1996 | Regina Maersk | 6,700 | Odense | 302.3 | 42.8 | 12.2 | 24.6 |
| 2001 | Hamburg Express | 7,506 | Hyundai | 304.0 | 42.8 | 14.5 | 25.0 |
| 2003 | OOCL Shenzhen | 8,063 | Samsung | 319.0 | 42.8 | 14.5 | 25.2 |
| 2005 | MSC Pamela | 9,200 | Samsung | 321.0 | 45.6 | 15.0 | 25.0 |
| 2006 | Emma Maersk | 14,500 | Odense | 393.0 | 56.4 | 15.5 | 24.5 |
Source: adapted from F. Mewis and H. Klug (2004) "The Challenge of Very Large Container Ships: A Hydrodynamic View", 9th Symposium on Practical Design of Ships and Other Floating Structures, Luebeck-Travemuende, Germany.
Since the introduction of the first containership, the growth of their design size followed the principle of economies of scales. Design constraints are now limited by the capacity of port channels to accommodate their draft and well as the availability of cranes large enough to unload them. In addition, they cause additional pressure on inland transport systems to accommodate the large volume of containers they can transship. A threshold of about 25 knots has been reached speed wise as energy consumption would forbid higher operational speeds.