Standards and certification
Institute of International Container Lessors (IICL)
The Institute of International Container Lessors is the trade association of the marine container leasing and chassis provider industry. It was organized in 1971 as a Delaware corporation. It sets equipment inspection and repair standards, publishes manuals and supports inspector certification and training.
Why it matters
IICL is a different group from NPSA. Its members lease marine containers to ship operators and others, while NPSA serves companies that rent, sell or lease portable storage. Portable storage operators still meet IICL work often. Used containers come from the leasing world, and many sellers describe condition with IICL terms. The IICL repair manual and inspection guide are common references for depots and surveyors. IICL also keeps a directory of certified inspectors. A common mistake is to read IICL as a certification of the container itself. It is the name of the institute and its standards, so ask what a seller means by the term and what documents back it up.
Read: Buying containers wholesale: A buyer's guide for operators
Definition source: iicl.org
Related terms
IICL 5
IICL 5 is the common short name for the IICL Repair Manual for Steel Freight Containers, fifth edition. It gives recommended repair procedures for steel containers, with photos, safety notes, materials and tools. Depots and repair shops use it as a reference for fixing containers.
IICL 6
IICL 6 is the common short name for the IICL Guide for Container Equipment Inspection, sixth edition, published in 2016. It gives criteria for deciding when damage to a container needs repair. It also simplifies container inspection steps at depots around the world.
container inspection
A container inspection is a check of a container's outside, inside, doors, floor and roof for damage, leaks and wear. Buyers do it before purchase. Operators do it when units go out and come back. It can be a quick look or a formal review to a standard.
container repair
Container repair is work that fixes damage to a container, such as holes, dents, floors and doors. The IICL repair manual says the purpose of any repair is to restore structural integrity so the container can work safely in intermodal transport. Methods include straightening, welding, patching, inserting and replacing parts.
one-trip container
A one-trip container is a container that has made a single cargo voyage from the factory before being sold or rented. It is close to new. It usually has clean lines, solid floors and doors that work smoothly. Sellers use the term in slightly different ways.
Approved Continuous Examination Program (ACEP)
An Approved Continuous Examination Program is one of two container safety examination schemes allowed under the CSC. A national administration approves it if the owner shows it gives a standard of safety not below the periodic scheme. The container is inspected as part of normal operation instead of on a fixed calendar.
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