intermodal container
Enable an AI agent to recognise an intermodal container, assess its readiness for a proposed movement or use, and identify permitted actions and unresolved constraints.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
Researched by: Codex + Grok
Purpose and description
Enable an AI agent to recognise an intermodal container, assess its readiness for a proposed movement or use, and identify permitted actions and unresolved constraints.
A reusable, weathertight freight box whose external dimensions, corner fittings, stacking strength and markings are standardized so that the same sealed unit can be transferred among cellular ships, rail wagons and road vehicles without unpacking the cargo.
It can be Identify the unit and reconcile physical markings with its records.; Evaluate suitability for specified cargo, loading access and containment needs.; Check a proposed lift, transfer, securing or stacking operation against interfaces, limits and condition.; Determine whether loading, unloading or opening can proceed under the recorded constraints.; Inspect the unit and route defects or missing evidence for assessment, cleaning or repair.; Connect and monitor configuration-specific services when compatibility and operating authority are established..
Distinguishing features
The unit is intended to retain its cargo while transferring between transport modes; packaging intended to travel inside another freight enclosure does not qualify on that basis alone.
The cargo-carrying unit separates from its carrying vehicle; an integral truck body is not treated as the same thing.
The unit has identifiable interfaces for lifting or transferring and securing it as a freight unit; external resemblance to a steel box is insufficient.
Its documented type and interface arrangement distinguish it from a swap body, aircraft unit load device or detachable trailer body; ambiguous cases require an explicit scope decision.
A tank or open-frame configuration may qualify through its freight-unit function and interfaces; rigid walls and a roof are not required recognition tests.
Scope
+ Container identity, type and evidence of intended intermodal use
+ Dimensions, capacity and container-specific mass limits
+ Structural condition, closures and cargo containment
+ Lifting, securing and stacking interfaces
+ Inspection evidence, restrictions and readiness for a proposed operation
+ Container-specific equipment and its operating condition
- Cargo identity, commercial value and intrinsic hazard classification
- Ships, rail wagons, road chassis and their independent operating limits
- Terminal equipment, infrastructure and workforce scheduling
- Shipment contracts, customs declarations and transport itinerary ownership
- Detailed maintenance procedures and repair-work execution
- Buildings or installations created through permanent container conversion
Characteristics
- Container identity
- Observed identifier, identifier scheme and verification status Connects the physical unit to inspection, ownership and movement records without assuming its markings are authentic or current.
- Equipment configuration
- Dry enclosed, refrigerated, open-top, platform or flat-rack, tank, other documented configuration, unresolved Determines which containment, handling and service requirements apply.
- External envelope
- Length, width and height in mm, including relevant projections Supports checks against carrier positions, handling equipment and clearance limits.
- Usable loading envelope
- Internal and access-opening dimensions in mm; usable volume in m³ where applicable Distinguishes cargo that fits inside from cargo that can actually pass through the loading opening.
- Mass values and limits
- Tare mass, current gross mass, rated maximum gross mass and applicable payload limit in kg, each with evidence and date Separates measured load from equipment ratings and supports checks for overloading.
- Transfer and securing interfaces
- Interface arrangement, dimensions, approved engagement methods and relevant restrictions Determines compatibility with lifting equipment, carrier restraints and stacking arrangements.
- Structural and containment condition
- Observed defects by component, assessed functional consequence, assessment date and unresolved areas Makes readiness depend on the affected function rather than a single undifferentiated condition label.
- Examination and approval status
- Applicable regime, supporting record, examination status, restrictions and unknowns Supports an operation-specific eligibility judgment without treating a plate alone as proof of readiness.
- Current carrier or placement
- Linked carrier position, stack position or ground placement, with attachment status Establishes which restraints, neighbouring units and support conditions matter before movement.
- Special equipment readiness
- Installed equipment, required services, operating status, alarms and latest functional check Captures configuration-specific dependencies such as refrigeration power or tank closure integrity.
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 5 bundles · 9 layers · 16 findings · 31 questions.
Identity and equipment boundary Establish which freight unit is present and which container configuration the model must assess.
A mistaken identity or equipment classification can apply the wrong limits, inspection history and handling assumptions.
Unit identification
Relate observed container markings to evidence about the individual unit.
Markings and record continuity
Record identifying markings, their legibility and any conflict with associated equipment records.
- What identifier and identifier scheme are physically marked on this container? definition
- Which records connect those markings to this unit, and do any identifiers conflict? provenance
Configuration and boundary
Determine the freight-unit type and whether alterations affect its inclusion or intended use.
Documented intermodal configuration
Establish the unit's configuration from physical evidence and documentation, including modifications.
- What configuration is present, and what evidence establishes its intended transfer between transport modes? definition
- Does the unit fall within this model or an adjacent class such as a swap body, aircraft unit load device or permanent conversion? boundary
- Which modifications have changed its original equipment classification or operating assumptions? provenance
Cargo fit and containment Describe the space, load limits and containment functions available to a proposed cargo.
Cargo suitability depends on access, load distribution and configuration-specific containment, not nominal container size alone.
Loading envelope and capacity
Capture usable space and the limits relevant to loading the unit.
Cargo access and load fit
Evaluate the proposed cargo against entry geometry, usable space and supported loading limits.
- What are the usable dimensions and access openings in the container's current configuration? measurement
- What evidence establishes tare mass, maximum gross mass and any floor or concentrated-load limits? provenance
- Can the proposed cargo be loaded and supported within those limits, including its planned weight distribution? action
Containment and internal restraint
Assess boundaries, closures and attachment points that retain or protect cargo.
Cargo retention condition
Record the condition and limitations of relevant walls, floor, roof, tank shell, closures and internal securing points.
- Which components provide containment and internal restraint for this configuration, and what defects or missing components are observed? measurement
- What evidence supports the required resistance to leakage, weather ingress or cargo movement for the proposed use? provenance
- Which containment or restraint deficiencies must be resolved before accepting the proposed cargo? action
Transfer, securing and stacking Establish how the container can be supported, moved and restrained as a complete freight unit.
Intermodal operation depends on compatible interfaces and adequate load paths across different carriers and handling arrangements.
Handling interface compatibility
Relate the unit's actual fittings and handling provisions to a proposed transfer method.
Permitted transfer method
Identify usable handling interfaces and evidence supporting the intended lift or transfer.
- Which lifting fittings, pockets or other transfer interfaces are present, and what is their observed condition? measurement
- Which handling methods are supported for this unit in its current loaded or empty state? provenance
- Is the proposed handling equipment compatible with the interface arrangement, actual gross mass and recorded restrictions? action
Support and external restraint
Assess the container side of carrier attachment and stacking arrangements.
Placement and stack eligibility
Connect support points, restraint engagement and structural limits to the proposed placement.
- Which container support and securing points will engage in the proposed carrier or stack position? boundary
- What documented stacking limits and observed structural defects constrain that placement? provenance
- Can the unit be placed or released from restraint given its support condition and the linked carrier or stack constraints? action
Service readiness and release Combine examination evidence, present condition and equipment dependencies into a decision about a specific operation.
A container may be identifiable and physically compatible while remaining unsuitable for a particular movement or cargo service.
Examination and restrictions
Track applicable approval evidence, examinations and unresolved defects.
Evidence-based operating eligibility
Distinguish recorded approval from current fitness and identify evidence missing for the proposed operation.
- Which approval and examination requirements apply to this container for the proposed movement? boundary
- What plates, examination records and repair assessments were checked, and what restrictions or gaps remain? provenance
- Do current defects or missing examinations require the operation to be held pending assessment? action
Configuration-specific service
Assess installed equipment, residual contamination and access conditions relevant to the next use.
Equipment and access readiness
Record service dependencies and evidence needed to operate equipment or open the container.
- What installed equipment and external services are required, and what checks establish their present operating state? measurement
- What cleaning, previous-use, seal or atmosphere records are available to assess contamination and access constraints? provenance
- What conditions must be satisfied before connecting services, opening closures or releasing the unit for its next use? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Kinds and varieties
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- General-purpose closed dry van (the ordinary 20 ft and 40 ft GP/DC box)
- High-cube dry van (typically 40 ft or 45 ft at 9 ft 6 in external height)
- Integral refrigerated container (reefer), with an end-mounted machinery unit
- Open-top, for over-height cargo loaded through a tarped roof
- Flat-rack and platform, with collapsible or no ends, for out-of-gauge and heavy cargo
- Tank container (ISO tank / tanktainer), a pressure vessel in an ISO frame for liquids and gases
- Pallet-wide inland box, built so two EUR-pallets sit side by side (Europe)
- North American 53-foot domestic container, used on rail and truck but not as a standard deep-sea ISO box
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of intermodal container this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Wikidata - Q1061219 - Item commonly used for the intermodal / ISO freight container.
- ISO 6346 identification (BIC code) - [A-Z]{3}U[0-9]{6}[0-9] - Three-letter owner code registered with the Bureau International des Containers, category letter U for a freight container, six-digit serial, then a check digit. Letters J and Z mark related equipment, not the box itself.
- ISO 6346 size/type code - four-character code (e.g. 22G1, 45G1, 45R1, 22T6) - First two characters encode length and height; last two encode type group (G general purpose, R reefer, T tank, U open-top, P platform/flat, and others).
- ISO 668 type designation - 1AAA, 1AA, 1CC, 1EEE, … - Series-1 classification by length and height; 1CC is the common 20 ft × 8 ft 6 in box, 1AAA the 40 ft high-cube.
- CSC Safety Approval Plate - approval reference plus ACEP or next-examination date stamped on the plate - The plate is the in-service identity that a box is approved under the CSC.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of intermodal container this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- ISO 668 - classification, dimensions and ratings (International Organization for Standardization)
- ISO 1496 series - specification and testing by container type (ISO)
- ISO 1161 - corner fittings (ISO)
- ISO 6346 - coding, identification and marking (ISO)
- ISO 3874 - handling and securing (ISO)
- International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC), 1972, including ACEP examination (International Maritime Organization)
- SOLAS Chapter VI, Regulation 2 - verified gross mass of packed containers (IMO)
- Customs Convention on Containers, 1972 (United Nations / UNECE)
- AAR M-930 - North American domestic intermodal containers, including 53 ft practice (Association of American Railroads)
- UIC/IRS leaflets on intermodal loading units for European rail (International Union of Railways)
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of intermodal container this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Deep-sea liner trades: the standard unit in which manufactured goods move through cellular containerships, gantry cranes and marine terminals.
- Intermodal rail: stacked on well cars (North American double-stack) or carried on pocket/spine wagons in Europe.
- Road haulage on a skeletal chassis between terminal, warehouse and consignee, still sealed under one bill of lading or CIM/SMGS note.
- Cold chain: integral reefers on ship reefer points, then gensets or clip-on units ashore for fruit, meat, pharma.
- Bulk liquids and gases in tank containers between chemical plants, food processors and tank terminals.
- Secondary lives as site storage, pop-up retail, and modular buildings - uses that often leave the CSC transport regime.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of intermodal container this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- external length - 6.058 (20 ft) or 12.192 (40 ft); also 13.716 (45 ft) and about 16.15 (53 ft domestic) - m
- external width - 2.438 (ISO); pallet-wide and some domestic boxes up to about 2.50-2.59 - m
- external height - 2.591 (8 ft 6 in standard) to 2.896 (9 ft 6 in high-cube) - m
- maximum gross mass (rating) - 24000-30480 on most ISO plates; some designs 32500-36000 - kg
- tare mass - about 1900-2400 for a 20 ft dry box; about 3500-4200 for a 40 ft / high-cube dry box - kg
- payload - about 21000-28200 depending on size, tare and the plate rating - kg
- internal volume - about 33 (20 ft) to 67 (40 ft standard) to 76 (40 ft high-cube) - m³
- stacking test load on corner posts - 192000 is the long-standing ISO 1496 figure for series-1 general-purpose boxes - kg
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of intermodal container this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Corner-post, corner-casting or racking damage that takes the box out of the stacking line and can collapse a stow.
- Corrosion, pinholes and failed door gaskets that break weathertightness and wet or contaminate cargo.
- Misdeclared or unverified packed mass, leading to stack collapse, crane overload or incorrect lashing.
- Loss overboard in heavy weather when lashings, twistlocks or the box structure fail.
- Reefer plant or power-supply failure and the resulting spoilage of temperature-controlled cargo.
- Internal condensation ('container rain') on cargo that was packed warm or wet.
- Cargo shift that blows the door end or side wall, especially with poorly blocked bulk or liquid-leaning loads.
- Tank-container leak, overpressure or corrosion under insulation.
- Fumigant residues and undeclared dangerous goods on stuffing.
- Use of a transport box as an occupied building without a valid structural and fire assessment.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of intermodal container this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- North America runs a large fleet of 53 ft domestic containers on rail and truck; marine terminals still work ISO 20/40/45 ft boxes, and double-stack well cars set the height limit.
- Europe makes heavy use of pallet-wide 40/45 ft boxes and competes with swap bodies on rail; loading gauge largely blocks North American-style double-stack.
- East-West deep-sea dry trades are dominated by the 40 ft high-cube; 20 ft boxes remain common for dense cargo (metals, bagged product).
- Japan and some other East Asian domestic systems historically used 12 ft boxes alongside ISO 20 ft units.
- Cellular-ship fittings and twistlock practice are global; inland identification can add ILU codes (Europe) beside or instead of a pure BIC marking.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of intermodal container this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- swap body (Wechselbehälter) - An inland European loading unit with bottom fittings and often grappler pockets; it is usually not designed for cellular-ship stacking on ISO corner posts. Identify by EN 13044 / ILU marking and the absence of a full ISO 668 stacking rating.
- aircraft unit load device (ULD) - Shaped to an aircraft hold contour and coded under IATA / ISO 8097; it will not sit in ship cell guides or take ISO stacking loads.
- offshore container - Certified to DNV-ST-E271 or EN 12079 with pad-eyes for sling lift over the side of an installation; treat as an ISO freight container only if it also carries a CSC plate and ISO 668 ratings.
- dry-van semi-trailer - An integral road-vehicle body on running gear, not a detachable ISO box with corner castings for ship and rail stacks.
- site cabin / converted storage box - May reuse container geometry but often has no valid CSC plate, cut-in windows or doors, and is not in the transport fleet.
- TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) - A capacity statistic, not a physical object: one 20 ft box is 1 TEU, one 40 ft box is 2 TEU.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of intermodal container this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Sources
- ISO 668: Series 1 freight containers - Classification, dimensions and ratings - External sizes, type designations (1CC, 1AAA, 1EEE and so on), and maximum gross mass ratings that define the ISO box.
- ISO 6346: Freight containers - Coding, identification and marking - The owner-code-plus-serial identification, check digit, size/type code, and marking layout used on the box.
- ISO 1496-1: Series 1 freight containers - Specification and testing - Part 1: General cargo containers for general purposes - Structural tests (stacking, racking, floor, lifting) that a general-purpose container must pass.
- International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC), 1972 - Safety Approval Plate, examination regimes (including ACEP), and the rule that an internationally moved box must remain structurally fit.
- SOLAS Chapter VI, Regulation 2 - Verified gross mass of packed containers - The shipper's duty to declare a verified packed mass before a packed container may be loaded on a SOLAS ship.
- Intermodal container - Overview of sizes, types, handling practice, and the distinction from related units such as swap bodies.
What the second pass must settle
- Does the registry intend this entry to include swap bodies and other non-ISO intermodal freight units, or should those be linked neighbouring models?
- Which authoritative standards and equipment documents should establish type codes, interface dimensions and handling limits for each included configuration?
- Which approval and examination regimes apply across the intended jurisdictions and transport modes, and what evidence establishes current compliance?
- How much detail for refrigerated, tank and collapsible configurations belongs here versus linked specialist models?
- What assessment criteria and decision authority should translate observed damage, contamination or missing records into operation-specific restrictions?