Standards for sea freight containers

Last time we saw that the arrival of containers revolutionised the carriage of goods by sea. There is also a series of standards for sea freight containers. They allow freight transport to run at its best.

The main ISO standards for freight containers

ISO = International Organization for Standardization

An international standard is a technical standard developed by one or more international standards organisations. International standards are available for consideration and use worldwide. The most prominent such organisation is the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO).

The main ISO standards for freight containers are:

• ISO 668:2020 – Series 1 freight containers – Classification, dimensions and maximum gross masses

This standard establishes a classification of series 1 freight containers based on external dimensions. It specifies the associated ratings and, where appropriate, the minimum internal and door opening dimensions for certain types of containers. These containers are intended for intercontinental traffic. This document summarises the external dimensions and some of the internal dimensions of series 1 containers. The dimensions of each type of container are defined in the appropriate part of ISO 1496. That is the authoritative document for
internal container dimensions.

• ISO 1161:2016 – Series 1 freight containers – Corner and intermediate fittings – Specifications

Since all the stresses borne by a container pass through the corner fittings, this standard is also crucial. It establishes the basic dimensions and the functional and strength requirements of corner and intermediate fittings for series 1 freight containers, that is, containers that conform to ISO 668 and ISO 1496.

• ISO 1496-1:2013 – Series 1 freight containers – Specification and testing –

Part 1: General cargo containers for general purposes. This standard establishes the basic specifications and testing requirements for
series 1 freight containers of the totally enclosed general purpose types and certain specific purpose types (closed, vented or open), which are suitable for international exchange and for carriage by road, rail and sea, including interchange between these forms of transport.

• ISO 3874:2017 – Series 1 freight containers — Handling and securing

This standard specifies the methods of handling and securing series 1 freight containers built and tested to comply with ISO 1496 (all parts). Methods of handling and securing are described for both loaded and empty containers.

• ISO 6346:1995 – Freight containers — Coding, identification and marking

The standard provides a system for general application for the identification and presentation of information about freight containers. It specifies an identification system with mandatory marks for visual interpretation and optional features for automatic identification and electronic data interchange. It is also a coding system for data on container size and type.

• ISO 9897:1997 – Freight containers — Container equipment data exchange (CEDEX) – General communication codes – Technical Corrigendum 1

This standard provides all the information relating to the codes (Cedex), to be used so that the various players in the transport chain, such as ports, depots, repair workshops, etc., can communicate with one another.

ISO standard containers have been customised to meet the requirements of exporters and importers in international trade.

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