If containerships are the cheapest way to transport cargo, why aren’t we using canals instead of railways and highways to transport goods over land?

Question

If containerships are the cheapest way to transport cargo, why aren’t we using canals instead of railways and highways to transport goods over land?

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Answer 1

Costs beyond the ships themselves.

1. The oceans and large rivers were already there. They didn’t cost money to build.
2. Canals are expensive to maintain. There has to be a specific cost-benefit ratio to make them worth it.
3. Rivers can’t transport up and over mountains. Roads can cut through.
4. We would need *far* too many canals to match the road infrastructure that ships good around the continental USA for example. Let alone entire continents. Roads are just cheaper and easier and more adaptable.