Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman AURA K. DUNN
District 25 (Morris and Passaic)
Assemblyman WILLIAM B. SAMPSON, IV
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Commemorates 70th anniversary of sailing of SS Ideal X.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution commemorating the 70th anniversary of the sailing of the SS Ideal X.
Whereas, Malcom McLean and Keith Tantlinger developed the modern intermodal shipping container for the purpose of storing goods transported by sea and efficiently transporting goods from a ship to a train or truck; and
Whereas, McLean fitted a former World War II tanker with equipment to carry shipping containers on deck and rechristened the ship the SS Ideal X; and
Whereas, On April 26, 1956, the SS Ideal X set sail on her first voyage from Port Newark, New Jersey to the Port of Houston, Texas, carrying 58 shipping containers; and
Whereas, The SS Ideal X was the first commercially successful container ship, marking the beginning of the containerization era; and
Whereas, The rise of containerization revolutionized the transportation of goods at the Port of New York and New Jersey and around the globe and gave rise to the proliferation of container ships like the SS Ideal X; and
Whereas, According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, seaborne trade makes up over 80 percent of goods traded worldwide by volume; and
Whereas, The Port of New York and New Jersey is the busiest container cargo gateway on the East Coast; and
Whereas, April 26, 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the first sailing of the SS Ideal X; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House commemorates the 70th anniversary of the sailing of the SS Ideal X.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the Governor.
STATEMENT
This resolution commemorates the 70th anniversary of the sailing of the SS Ideal X. The SS Ideal X was the first commercially successful container ship, which set sail out of Port Newark on April 26, 1956. In the decades since, the transportation of goods via container ships has become a significant component of international trade, with seaborne trade making up over 80 percent of goods traded worldwide by volume. New Jersey has continued to play a key role in the industry, with the Port of New York and New Jersey being the busiest container cargo gateway on the East Coast.