Malcolm Purcell McLean was an American entrepreneur and transportation pioneer who revolutionized the shipping industry by inventing the modern intermodal shipping container. His innovation drastically reduced the cost of freight transportation and is credited with fueling the globalization of trade in the 20th century.

McLean started his career as a truck driver during the Great Depression. In the 1930s, he founded McLean Trucking Company, which grew into one of the largest trucking fleets in the U.S. by the 1950s. His eureka moment came when he realized that loading entire truck trailers onto ships would be more efficient than manually loading loose cargo. This led to his development of standardized containers that could be easily transferred between ships, trucks, and trains.

In 1956, McLean launched the first container ship, the Ideal X, marking the birth of modern containerization. His company Sea-Land Service became a global leader in shipping. A fascinating anecdote tells how McLean personally supervised the first container shipment, even helping to load the containers himself to ensure the concept worked.

Later in life, McLean continued innovating, developing "double-stack" rail transport and founding Trailer Bridge, Inc. His containerization system reduced shipping costs by over 90% and shipping time by 84%, transforming global commerce. The World Shipping Council estimates that about 90% of world trade is carried by sea, with 60% of that (by value) moving in containers.