Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

ISO Container Manufacturing and Leasing glossary

The container-manufacturing and leasing vocabulary: container variants (A60 fire-rated, dry freight), ACEP and the CSC plate with its ACEP number, corrugated end-wall construction, and the build-specification and leasing terms. Grounds each term in the ISO container standard or the leasing-and-maintenance process it belongs to.

378 defined terms.

Showing 250 on this page (page 1 of 2).

A

A60 Class Container: Insulated container variant rated for fire resistance under SOLAS A60 panel standards, used for hazardous stowage on certain offshore vessels.
ACEP: Approved Continuous Examination Programme for CSC container inspection.
ACEP Number: Identifier assigned by a flag administration to an owner's approved examination program, marked on the CSC plate.
Aft End Wall: Rear corrugated steel wall opposite the door end of a dry freight container.
Air Vent: Small ventilator fitted to dry containers to equalize internal and external pressure during transit.
Alpha Code: Three-letter owner prefix portion of the four-letter BIC code under ISO 6346.
Aluminum Container: Specialty box with aluminum panels instead of corten steel, occasionally used for domestic US 53-foot units to reduce tare weight.
Anchor Lashing: Fitting cast into corner posts or rails of flatracks and platforms for securing breakbulk cargo.
APL Owner Code: Historic BIC prefix family used by American President Lines and successor CMA CGM container fleet.
Approved Continuous Examination Program: ACEP plate on CSC container indicating ongoing inspection regime acceptable for IMDG carriage.
Architectural Drawing: Manufacturer's general arrangement drawing submitted with type approval applications.
Arrival notice: Carrier notice to consignee of cargo arrival.
As-Is Sale: Secondary market sale of a used container without grade certification or repair.
Asphalt Tank Container: Heated tank for bitumen and asphalt products, fitted with steam or electric tracing.
Attestation of Conformity: Document issued by a notified body confirming a container meets ISO and CSC requirements.
Auction Container: Box sold by a depot or lessor through public auction at end of useful life.
Australian Quarantine Treatment: Pre-shipment inspection and treatment of container exteriors and timber floors required by Australian biosecurity rules.
Auto-Connect Reefer Plug: Standardized reefer power plug compliant with IEC 60309 32A four-pin used across the global container fleet.
Axle Load: Load transmitted by a chassis axle to the road surface, regulated nationally for road transport of laden containers.
Axle Spread: Distance between chassis axles, governing permissible gross combination weight in many jurisdictions.

B

Back Door: Industry term for the cargo end of a dry container as opposed to the front end wall.
Backhaul Container: Empty or laden box repositioned against the dominant trade direction.
Base Rail: Longitudinal structural member running along the bottom of a container between the corner castings.
Beacon Intermodal Leasing: Container leasing company owned by Mitsubishi UFJ Lease and Finance and headquartered in Boston.
Bertschi: Swiss bulk logistics company operating one of Europe's larger ISO tank container fleets for chemicals.
BIC code: Four-letter owner prefix issued by BIC, ending in U, J, Z, R, or others by equipment category.
Bitumen Tank: ISO tank container insulated and heated for the carriage of bitumen and similar high-viscosity products.
Block stowage: Carrying cargo of one shipper or destination in a contiguous block.
BOC Isotainer: Industrial gas branch of Linde formerly known as BOC, operating cryogenic and compressed gas ISO tanks.
Bohai Leasing: Chinese parent company of Florens Container Services and Avolon, listed in Shenzhen.
Bolster: Container support structure on flat racks that must accommodate proper IMDG securing of dangerous goods.
Bottom Side Rail: Lower longitudinal frame member of a container.
Box Operator: Common-carrier line or shipper operating containers under their own prefix.
Box Year: Production year stamped on the CSC plate and used in fleet age statistics.
Branding Panel: Flat panel on side or door of a container reserved for owner logo and SCAC.
Breakbulk Flatrack: Flatrack container configured for project cargo with reinforced base and high payload rating.
Bridge fitting: Steel piece linking the tops of two adjacent containers for athwartship stability on deck.
Bulk Container: IBC, freight container or portable tank used for dangerous goods in bulk, with IMDG types BK1, BK2, BK3 for solids.
Bundi Cap: Protective cap fitted over reefer machinery during ocean voyage on certain integral units.
Bureau International des Conteneurs: Paris-based authority registering BIC codes under ISO 6346.

C

CAI International: Container lessor acquired by Mitsubishi HC Capital in 2021 and folded into Beacon Intermodal Leasing.
Cap Floor Coating: Bituminous coating applied to the underside of plywood container floors for moisture resistance.
Carbon Steel Corner Casting: Cast steel fitting at each of the eight corners of an ISO container conforming to ISO 1161.
Cargo Worthy: Inspection grade indicating a used container is suitable for the carriage of cargo, abbreviated CW.
Cargo Worthy Survey: IICL inspection certifying a container meets the cargo-worthy standard.
Carrier-Owned Container: Container owned by an ocean carrier, distinguished from a leased or shipper-owned unit.
Cattle Container: Specialty container with ventilation slats and pen fittings for the transport of live cattle.
CCS Class Notation: China Classification Society certification for offshore container units.
Cellular container ship: Container ship with cell guides.
Census Date: Reference date used in publication of the global container fleet census by Drewry and others.
Center Post: Vertical structural member of a flatrack with collapsible ends.
Chassis pool: shared chassis fleet operated under cooperative arrangements such as TRAC Intermodal or DCLI.
Chassis Provision Charge: Surcharge for the use of a marine chassis on US intermodal moves.
CIMC: China International Marine Containers, manufacturer of dry, tank, and reefer containers including 20-foot and 40-foot high-cube reefer units.
CIMC Dalian: CIMC dry container plant in Dalian, Liaoning Province.
CIMC Nantong: CIMC plant in Nantong producing dry boxes and specialty containers.
CIMC Ningbo: CIMC dry container plant in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province.
CIMC Qingdao: CIMC dry container plant in Qingdao, Shandong Province.
CIMC Reefer: CIMC business unit at Qingdao producing integral reefer containers.
CIMC Shenzhen: Original CIMC plant at Shekou in Shenzhen, established in 1980 as a joint venture.
CIMC Tank: CIMC subsidiary manufacturing ISO tank containers and swap tanks.
CIMC Tianjin: CIMC dry container plant in Tianjin.
CIMC Vehicles: CIMC subsidiary producing chassis, trailers, and specialty road equipment.
CIMC Xinhui: CIMC plant at Xinhui in Guangdong Province producing dry containers and specialty units.
CIMC Yangzhou: CIMC reefer manufacturing plant at Yangzhou.
Class A Swap Body: Swap body of class A under EN 283 with dimensions optimized for European intermodal road and rail.
Class C Swap Body: Smaller class C swap body widely used in continental European combined transport.
Closed Container: Generic term for fully enclosed dry freight containers.
CMA CGM Container Fleet: Owned-container pool of the French shipping line operating under the GLDU and CMAU prefixes.
Coil Tank Container: ISO tank with external heating coils carrying high-melt-point cargoes.
Cold Treatment Container: Reefer container used to satisfy phytosanitary cold treatment protocols for fruit imports.
Collapsible Flatrack: Flatrack container with hinged end walls that fold flat to enable empty stacking.
Combined Transport Document: Transport document covering carriage by more than one mode including container leg.
Conduit Bracket: Fitting on the inside of a reefer container guiding power and data wiring to the unit.
ConGlobal Industries: US container depot and maintenance operator providing repair and storage services.
Container Census: Annual industry count of containers in service worldwide, published by Drewry and others.
Container Construction Material: Materials used in container shells, typically corten weathering steel for walls, aluminum for some specialty boxes, and 28 mm tropical hardwood plywood for floors.
Container Corner Casting: Cast steel fitting at each of the eight corners of an ISO container conforming to ISO 1161.
Container Depot: Facility for storage, inspection, and repair of empty containers.
Container Fleet: Total population of intermodal containers operated by a carrier or owned by a lessor.
Container Identification System: Owner-prefix and serial-number marking system standardized in ISO 6346.
Container Insurance: Cover for marine and intermodal containers, often written on Institute Container Clauses, including Time and Voyage versions.
Container Leasing: Business of leasing intermodal containers to ocean carriers under long-term, short-term, or master lease agreements.
Container Manufacturer: Builder of new ISO containers, with capacity dominated by Chinese plants of CIMC, DFIC, and CXIC.
Container Marking: Owner code, serial number, check digit, and ISO size and type code applied per ISO 6346.
Container Repair Manual: IICL-published manual setting standard methods and time guides for container repair.
Container Services International: Container depot operator known by the initials CSI.
Container Tare: Empty weight of a container, marked on the door and CSC plate.
Container Trading Company: Dealer in used and one-trip containers, often holding inventory at port depots.
Container Weighing: Pre-shipment weighing required under SOLAS Verified Gross Mass rules.
Conversion Container: Used box converted to office, storage, or living modules outside its marine service life.
Corner post: Vertical structural member at each corner of a container.
Cornering: Forming and welding of the corrugated panel to the corner post during container manufacture.
Corten Steel: Weathering steel grade SPA-H used for sidewalls, end walls, and roof of intermodal containers.
CSC Plate: Container Safety Convention safety approval plate; verified on container surveys.
CSC Reissue: New CSC approval following major structural modification of a container.
Cube Out: Loading condition in which a container reaches its volumetric capacity before its weight limit.
Cube Tank: ISO tank container with cubic frame instead of cylindrical shell, used for low-density gases.
CXIC: China International Marine Containers competitor formally named China CXIC Group Container Industries Company.
Cylindrical Tank: Cylindrical pressure vessel inside an ISO tank frame, the dominant tank container configuration.

D

Dalian Plant: CIMC dry container plant in Dalian, Liaoning.
Damage Code: IICL alphanumeric code describing type, location, and severity of container damage during inspection.
Damage Protection Plan: Lessee plan with a leasing company capping repair charges at off-hire.
Dangerous Goods Tank: Portable tank approved for the carriage of dangerous goods under IMDG and ADR.
Dead Reefer: Refrigerated container shipped without power connection for use as a dry box or for unit testing.
Deck Stow: Container stowage above the hatch covers, secured by twistlocks, lashing rods, and turnbuckles.
Defective Container: Box with damage exceeding cargo-worthy criteria pending repair.
Depot Maersk: Maersk's global depot management platform operating empty container depots.
Depot Out-Gate: Release of an empty container from depot to a road haulier.
DFIC: Dong Fang International Container Holdings, a major Chinese container manufacturer with plants in Shanghai, Qingdao, Ningbo, and Tianjin.
Dimensional Tolerance: Manufacturing tolerance on container length, width, and height permitted under ISO 668.
Discharge Fitting: Bottom or footvalve assembly on an ISO tank container for product discharge.
DNV Certified Offshore Container: Container approved under DNV 2.7-1 for offshore lifting operations.
Domestic 53-foot Container: 53-foot intermodal container used in US domestic rail intermodal service, outside ISO size series.
Dong Fang International Container: Full English name of DFIC.
Door End: End of a dry freight container where the two doors are hinged.
Door Gasket: Rubber gasket between container door and door header providing weather seal.
Door Lock Bar: Vertical bar on each door locked top and bottom into corner castings.
Door Stiffener: Horizontal pressing on the container door panel providing stiffness against deflection.
Drop-Frame Chassis: Chassis with depressed center for over-height containers on US domestic routes.
Dry Box: Industry colloquial term for a general purpose dry freight container.
Dry Cargo Container: General purpose ISO container for unitized dry cargo, the most common container type.
DV20: Common marketing abbreviation for a 20-foot dry van container.
DV40: Common marketing abbreviation for a 40-foot dry van container.

E

EAOS: Estimated arrival on station, a planning notion used in container repositioning forecasts.
Edge Protector: Plastic or metal cover protecting container corner castings during land transport.
Empty Repositioning: Movement of empty containers from surplus to deficit ports to rebalance fleet supply.
EN 283: European standard for swap bodies covering class A, C, and other variants.
End Frame: Welded steel frame forming the front or rear end of a container.
End Wall: Corrugated steel panel forming the closed front end of a dry container.
Enhanced Reefer Box: Trade name for higher-capacity reefer containers, including 40-foot high-cube reefers from CIMC and MCI.
Equipment Interchange Receipt: Document recording the condition of a container at each interchange between parties.
Equipment Pool: Shared pool of containers or chassis used by alliance members.
Equipment User Code: Subfield of ISO 6346 prefix denoting equipment category, set as U for freight containers.
EUR Container: Generic term for European market containers, often pallet-wide variants.
Expansion Joint: Welded joint allowing for thermal expansion of large flat panels on reefer container insulation.

F

Factory Acceptance Test: Acceptance testing of new containers at the manufacturer's plant before delivery to lessor or carrier.
Falsework: Temporary structure used to support container panels during welding at the plant.
First Trip Box: New container released for a single laden trip from manufacturer plant to first destination.
Five-Year Inspection: First periodic examination of a container at five years from manufacture under CSC.
Flatrack: Container with collapsible or fixed end walls and no sides or roof.
Flexitank: Bladder fitted in standard container to carry bulk liquids.
FlexiVan: US intermodal chassis lessor and pool operator.
Float Switch: Component in some tank designs relevant to ullage and overfill detection on portable tanks.
Floor Plywood: Laminated tropical hardwood floor typically 28 mm thick conforming to manufacturers' specifications.
Florens Container Services: Container leasing company based in Hong Kong and controlled by Bohai Leasing.
Foam Insulation: Polyurethane foam injected between inner and outer reefer container walls.
Foaming Plant: Manufacturing line at a reefer container plant for in-situ polyurethane injection between liner and shell.
Folded End Flatrack: Flatrack container with end walls folded down in empty stack position.
Forklift pocket: See fork pocket.
Frame Container: Container consisting of a base frame and corner posts only, used for project cargo.
Front End Wall: Closed end wall opposite the door end of a dry freight container.
Front Wall Stiffener: Vertical pressing reinforcing the front end wall against racking loads.
Fuel Tank Container: ISO tank container for diesel and other fuels, often deployed for remote operations.
Full container load: FCL.
Full Service Lease: Container lease in which the lessor takes operational risk on positioning and repairs, less common than master lease.

G

Galvanized Hinge: Hot-dipped galvanized hinge assembly on container door for corrosion resistance.
Gas Container: ISO container designed for the carriage of compressed or liquefied gases under T50 or T75 specifications.
General-purpose container: GP, standard dry-cargo box.
Genstar Container Corporation: Historic container leasing company, predecessor of present-day Triton International.
Geodis Container Repair: Container repair and depot services provided by Geodis Logistics at several global hubs.
Geographic Constraint Clause: Lease clause restricting the regions where a leased container may operate.
GL Approval: Approval mark issued by Germanischer Lloyd before its merger into DNV for container type approval.
GLDU Prefix: BIC owner code historically associated with CMA CGM container fleet operations.
Global Container Fleet: Total global stock of intermodal containers, around 50 million TEU at end of 2023.
Gooseneck Chassis: Marine chassis with depressed front section accommodating the gooseneck tunnel of a 40-foot container.
Gooseneck tunnel: Recessed channel in the underside of 40 ft and longer containers to seat on gooseneck chassis.
Grade A Repair: Repair undertaken to original equipment manufacturer specification using new components.
Gross Mass Limit: 30,480 kg for a standard 20-foot dry container and 32,500 kg for a standard 40-foot dry container.
Gross Weight: Maximum permissible total weight of a container and contents marked on the CSC plate.
Ground Coil: Tank container coil installed in or under the vessel for heat transfer.
GRP Panel: Glass-reinforced plastic panel used in some reefer container liners.

H

Half Height Container: Open-top container at half the height of a 20-foot box, used for dense cargoes such as ore.
Handover Inspection: Inspection at on-hire or off-hire between lessor and lessee.
Header: collection pipe at tank terminal manifolds.
Heated tank: Bunker tank fitted with steam or thermal-oil coils to maintain residual fuel pumpability.
Heavy Tested Container: Container that has passed payload tests above standard 30,480 kg.
High cube: Container with 9 ft 6 in external height, code suffix HC.
High Cube 40 Reefer: 40-foot high-cube integral reefer container, the dominant reefer size in service.
High Pressure Tank: T75 portable tank for liquefied gas under pressure.
Hinge Lug: Welded lug receiving the hinge pin of a container door.
Hoyer Global: German operator of one of the largest fleets of ISO tank containers for chemicals and gases.
Hutchison Logistics: Depot and container services unit of CK Hutchison's port-related logistics group.
Hyundai Translead: US chassis and trailer manufacturer headquartered in San Diego, building intermodal chassis for the North American market.

I

IICL: Institute of International Container Lessors.
IICL Repair Manual: IICL publication setting out standard repair methods, time, and material guides.
IICL-6 Standard: IICL-published criteria for cargo-worthy container condition, the de facto on-hire and off-hire standard.
IMO 1 Tank: Older IMO designation for a portable tank for hazardous liquids, superseded by UN T11 and similar codes.
IMO 5 Tank: Older IMO designation for a portable gas tank, superseded by UN T50 and T75.
Inland container depot: ICD or dry port.
Insulated Container: Container with insulated walls but no refrigeration unit, designated IN or RV codes.
Integral reefer: Container with built-in refrigeration unit and standardized power connection, dominant modern design.
Intermodal Chassis: Road chassis designed to carry an ISO container between port, rail terminal, and shipper.
International Institute of Container Lessors: Full name of IICL.
ISO 1161: Corner fittings standard for series 1 containers.
ISO 1496-1: The international standard specifying the structural design, testing, and rating requirements for general-purpose freight containers.
ISO 1496-2: Specification for thermal containers, defines structural and insulation requirements.
ISO 1496-3: International standard for tank container testing.
ISO 1496-4: International standard for non-pressurized dry bulk container testing.
ISO 1496-5: International standard for platform and platform-based containers.
ISO 3874: Standard for handling and securing of Series 1 freight containers.
ISO 6346: ISO standard for container coding and marking.
ISO 668: ISO standard for container classifications and dimensions.
ISO 9897: International standard for the container equipment data exchange CEDEX codes.
ISO Tank Container: Stainless steel cylindrical tank in 20' ISO frame for liquid bulks.
Isotainer: Trade term for an ISO tank container, especially in industrial gas service.
ITCO: International Tank Container Organisation, the trade body of tank container operators and depots.

J

Jack Leg: Removable support leg on chassis or flatrack used during loading and unloading.
Joint Survey: Inspection attended by both load and discharge interests.
JR Container: Class of containers used by Japan Freight Railway, including 12-foot and 20-foot domestic boxes.

K

Kanban Container: Industry colloquial term for containers used in cyclic factory supply runs.
KGT: Kogene Technology, a Korean manufacturer of specialty containers and offshore units.
Kingpin: Connector on the front of a chassis or trailer that locks into a tractor's fifth wheel.
Knock Down Flatrack: Folding flatrack supplied disassembled for return as flat panels.

L

Laden Repositioning: Repositioning of containers in laden moves rather than empty.
Lashing Bar: See Container Lashing Bar.
Lashing Plate: Welded pad-eye in hold or on deck.
Leasing Master Agreement: Framework contract between lessor and lessee setting commercial and operational terms.
Lessee: Carrier or shipper taking containers on lease from a leasing company.
Lessor: Container leasing company that owns and leases out containers and chassis.
Lift-on lift-off: lo-lo, vertical container handling mode.
Linde Isotainer: Portable ISO tank fleet operated by Linde for industrial and medical gases.
Liner Bag: Disposable polymer liner placed inside a dry container for the carriage of granular bulk cargo.
Live Reefer: Refrigerated container shipped under power with cargo temperature setpoint.
LL Container: Lessor-owned container leased to a carrier and operated under the carrier's prefix on charter terms.
Load Centre: Designated lifting centre point of an offshore container for safe handling.
Logistics Depot: Combined storage, repair, and stuffing depot for container traffic.
Long-Term Lease: Lease of containers for a fixed period, often five to eight years, with defined per diem.
Low Profile Chassis: Chassis with lowered deck height for over-height container loads.

M

MAERSK Container Industry: Subsidiary of A. P. Moller Maersk, manufacturer of Star Cool reefer container machinery and dry containers, headquartered in Denmark.
Magellan Maritime Services: Container leasing company with a focus on specialized equipment.
Major Container Inspection: Comprehensive inspection of a container every five years under non-ACEP CSC regime.
Marine Chassis: Intermodal chassis designed for port operations rather than long-haul over the road.
Marine Grade Aluminum: Aluminum alloy used for the panels of certain specialty intermodal containers.
Master Lease: Lease format allowing flexible movement of containers between geographic regions with payment based on actual use.
MCI: Common abbreviation for Maersk Container Industry, the Star Cool manufacturer based at Tinglev and Qingdao.
Mexico Plant Closure: 2024 closure of the MCI San Antonio dry container plant, leaving CIMC and CXIC as the dominant builders.
Mid-Gate: Internal wall in a 53-foot domestic container dividing it into two 28-foot bays.
MOL Logistics: Container logistics arm of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines providing depot and inland services.
Mounted Reefer Generator: Clip-on diesel generator powering a reefer container on road or rail moves.

N

NACS: National Container Services, a US container depot and repair operator.
Nantong Plant: CIMC container manufacturing site in Nantong, Jiangsu Province.
New-Build Container: Newly manufactured container being delivered from plant for first deployment.
Newport Tank: Newport Tank Containers, a US-headquartered operator of ISO tank containers for chemicals.
Ningbo Plant: CIMC and DFIC container manufacturing site in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province.
No Damage Out-Gate: Out-gate of an empty container after off-hire survey with no repair charges.
Non-Operating Reefer: Reefer container with refrigeration unit disabled or removed, sold or used as a dry box.

O

Off-Hire: Period under a time charter during which hire ceases due to specified events.
Off-hire survey: Joint survey at redelivery.
On-Hire: Release of a container from depot to a lessee under a lease contract.