Before the age of containerization, freight was moved on and off ships with extensive manual labor, and the longshoreman's hook was the basic tool of the dockworker. The hook became an emblem of the longshoreman's profession in the same way that a hammer and anvil are associated with blacksmiths, or the pipe wrench with pipefitters, sprinklerfitters and plumbers.
Before containerization, freight was moved using substantial manual labor, and the longshoreman's hook served as the fundamental tool of dockworkers. The hook became a symbol of the longshoreman's profession in the same way that a hammer is associated with blacksmiths or a pipe wrench is used by pipefitters, sprinklerfitters, and plumbers.