“Container Inspection Criteria” Not all Shipping Companies, Leasing Companies, Container Owners have separate inspection criteria or cleaning and repair standards, therefore, various inspection and repair standards have been created and implemented in the past for the container Industry. Depending on the requirements of customers different inspection criteria and repair guidelines can be seen on container industry.
Table of Contents
What are the inspection criteria or cleaning and repair standards available in industry.
- IICL 6 : Container Equipment Inspection Criteria
- Common Interchange Criteria (CIC)
- Criteria for Cargo-Worthy (CCW)
- Maersk Container Inspection Criteria (MCIC)
- Unified Container Inspection and Repair Criteria (UCIRC)
IICL 6 : Container Equipment Inspection
The International Institute of Container Lessors (IICL) provides industry-standard criteria for the inspection of shipping containers such as dry, reefer, and flat racks. In this article, we are mainly focusing on dry van/standard containers. Container inspections are necessary to ensure that containers meet safety and quality standards for transporting goods around the world. The IICL criteria cover various aspects of container inspection, including structural integrity, cleanliness, and overall condition. Earlier containers were inspected under the IICL 5 criteria; the IICL Technical Committee (TC) has updated and harmonized several inspection criteria and processes that had developed over recent years, and the “IICL 6” criteria was implemented worldwide on August 1, 2016.
You can get a clear picture of how the Dry Van Inspection Comparison Table was updated by reviewing the criteria listed below.
Technical Bulletin TB 013 IICL 6 Inspection Criteria
Components of Shipping Containers criteria have recently been changed
- Flat bar top side rail
- Front headers
- Front & rear corner posts
- All roof panels ( upward )
- End frame (ISO tolerance) – Corner posts ( corner fitting side face)
- Side panels – outward
- Front panel – outward
Criteria for unchanged Shipping Containers Components
- Rear headers
- Door panels
- Flooring height difference
- End frame (ISO tolerance) – Corner posts (corner fitting end face)
Common Interchange Criteria (CIC)
The Container Owners’ Association developed this edition of CIC in August 2008, and it applies to general purpose dry freight containers, which aims to eliminate unnecessary repairs and thus reduce costs, Later in June 2020, they changed the edition with revisions to align with IICL-6.
TG-05: COA Guidelines for Container Interchange Criteria CIC-1
TG-06: COA Guidelines for Container Interchange Criteria CIC-2
Criteria for Cargo-Worthy (CCW)
Cargo-worthy containers are seaworthy shipping containers that are strong enough to transport cargo, and “cargo-worthy” is based on the structural soundness of the container. However, it does not mean that the container has valid CSC plates, stickers, or surveys that are required to ship them overseas. You must find out about completing an updated CSC survey if you are transporting the container abroad.
Most of our CW-grade containers meet the following criteria:
- Most cargo-worthy containers meet the following criteria:
- The container is wind- and water-tight.
- Interior and exterior panels have wear and tear, including scratches, improper welds, improper repairs, paint contamination, minor dents, and rust.
- The floor may be stained, splintered, gouged, peel-off, or delaminated, and the floor improper repairs.
Maersk Container Inspection Criteria (MCIC)
MCIC is the criteria that Maersk Line uses to perform inspections on their own containers. However, this criteria is not applicable to in-service and on-off-hire survey inspections or leasing companies.
Maersk Container Inspection Criteria (short version)
Unified Container Inspection and Repair Criteria (UCIRC)
The Unified Container Inspection and Repair Criteria (UCIRC) for Steel General Purpose Containers has been prepared by the Bureau International des Containers (BIC), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), and the World Shipping Council (WSC). However, this criteria is not applicable to in-service and on-off-hire survey inspections or leasing companies. and recently the third revision has been modified to make inspection for and removal of visible pest contamination an integral part of the container inspection and dispatch process.
Unified Container Inspection and Repair Criteria (UCIRC)
Special Note :- Users of this document should carry out their own risk assessment and ensure any guidance is fit for their purpose and the container is safe and reliable for transport and in accordance with regulations applicable in the region of use.
Disclaimer: The views expressed by the authors in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CONTAINER SURVEYOR. Data and charts, if utilized, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. The author and CONTAINER SURVEYOR do not claim it to be accurate nor accept any responsibility for the same. The views constitute only the opinions and do not constitute any guidelines or recommendation on any course of action to be followed by the reader.
