Freight containers

Containers are undoubtedly the most successful innovation in the freight transport sector in the last thirty years. More than twenty million freight containers (26 000 000 TEUs) are now in service throughout the world. This became possible principally through the international standardization. ISO work with regard to freight containers began in 1961. To date, over twenty International Standards have been developed. They cover terminology, classification, dimensions, specifications, test methods of series 1 freight containers (including containers for general purposes, thermal containers, tank containers for dry bulk, platform and platform-based containers) and of air/surface (intermodal) general purpose containers. The standards also deal with the handling and securing of containers, their coding, identification and marking, information related to containers on board vessels, container equipment data exchange (CEDEX), etc.

A list of freight container standards is available on ISO Online.

ISO has also published a standards handbook on freight containers.

• Codes for freight containers now available Online on the Web site of the Bureau International des Containers et du Transport Intermodal (BIC)

Articles and news on the subject

• ISO-conforming RFID tags for freight containers ready for the worst (March 2009)
• ISO offers systematic approach to container security tracking (August 2007)
• A truck driver who changed the world (June 2007)
• ISO's container standards are nothing but good news (ISO Bulletin, September 2001)