Container forecasting typically focuses on its intermodal nature, container sizes and port container terminals. This leads to a commodity-blind approach to container forecasting, where the twenty-foot-equivalent is the forecasting output. The standardized unit is also increasing into many non-standard forms, indicated by the three main container market segments. This research deconstructs these segments and provides methodological and actual commodity-based container forecasting results for South Africa where intermodal solutions are still in its infancy and investments need to be made based on accurate forecasting