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SPOTLIGHT

ISO's container standards are


nothing but good news
Containers standards help remove
technical barriers to trade
By Michael Bohlman, Chairman ISO/TC 104, Freight Containers

ISO/TC 104’s stan-


dards have fostered
the growth, over the
past 40 years, of an
entirely new system
of freight trans-
portation, one that
has revolutionized
the transportation
industry. In fact,
the work of TC 104
has been so success-
ful, so widely
adopted and imple-
mented, that the
senior members at
TC 104 were begin-
ning to question if
there was any need
for TC 104 to con-
tinue! However,
world trade contin-
ues to grow and
freight containers
are, and are
expected to remain,
the most economi-
cal balance
between cargo secu-
rity, transportation
costs and speed of
delivery for the
majority of pack-
12 ISO BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 2001
aged cargo. Similarly there ● electronic tagging and identification %, from 40 850 676 to 171 528 276 con-
of containers and their contents; tainers (TEUs) and annual growth in the
is increasing economic pres-
● electronic container seals; TEU population continues at 6 to 7 % a
sure driving traditional year. This is a direct reflection of the bene-
bulk commodities into con- ● power line transmission of data relat-
fits that containerization has and contin-
ing to electrically powered containers
tainerized transport. such as refrigerated containers;
ues to offer. Containerization has reduced
Developing technologies and ● electronic data interchange message
the time and cost of moving goods across
the oceans to market by 84 % and 35 %
their application to con- formats; and
respectively. ISO freight containers have
tainerization are helping ● container markings. helped remove technical barriers to trade,
this economic push to con- and have helped open markets in various
tainerization for an increas- ISO's standards have fostered regions of the world. The work of ISO/TC
the growth of a new system of
ing number of commodities. freight transportation
104 is a vital part of the current trend of
globalization of the world economy. These
ISO/TC 104, Freight Containers, is one of TC 104's standards have fostered the ISO standards permit free inter-change of
ISO's most successful technical commit- growth, over the past 40 years, of an transportation assets among users on a
tees. This is perhaps a very biased opinion entirely new system of freight transporta-
worldwide basis. Containerization has
since it belongs to the author, TC 104's tion, one that has revolutionized the trans-
greatly reduced pilferage and theft in the
Chairman, but it is also one with some portation industry. In fact, the work of TC
transportation of goods and led to enor-
significant basis. 104 has been so successful, so widely
adopted and implemented, that the senior mous improvements in the safety and
The history of TC 104 is rich in the tech-
members at TC 104 were beginning to health of transportation workers. ISO/TC
nical give-and-take that surrounds any
question if there was any need for TC 104 104 standards have even helped harmo-
healthy debate. It is also rich in successes
– witness the large family of widely used to continue. Perhaps its work was done; nize national and regional standards.
and referenced standards that TC 104 has perhaps the committee could rest on its
produced and maintained. TC 104's offi- laurels, and watch the industry it helped “Containerization has
cial scope is “Standardization of freight create continue to grow without any need reduced the time and
for further standardization. But, as with
containers, having an external volume of
many mature industries, containerization
cost of moving goods
one cubic meter (35,3 cubic feet) and
has not become stagnant in its maturity. across the oceans to
greater, with regard to terminology, classi-
fication, dimensions, specifications, han- Rather the industry continues to push its market by 84 % and
dling, test methods and marking.” Within operational envelope and this has provided 35 % respectively.”
this broad scope, TC 104 has developed TC 104 with fertile ground for on-going
standards for six distinctly different con- standards refinement and development. ISO's freight container standards are rec-
tainer types, and the supporting handling, World trade continues to grow and ognized worldwide by many national gov-
securing, marking and nomenclature freight containers are, and are expected to ernmental bodies and major international
standards. remain, the most economical balance organizations, with which ISO/TC 104 is in
TC 104's objective is to provide current between cargo security, transportation liaison. These run from United Nations bod-
standards that continue to define inter- costs and speed of delivery for the majority ies such as the International Labour
modal freight containers and related of packaged cargo. Similarly there is Organization (ILO) and International
equipment and technology applicable to increasing economic pressure driving tra- Maritime Organization (IMO) to Non-gov-
the intermodal, containerized movement ditional bulk commodities into container- ernmental organizations (NGOs) like the
of freight. Specific areas of expertise codi- ized transport. Developing technologies International Cargo Handling Co-ordination
fied or being codified in TC 104's series of and their application to containerization Association (ICHCA) and the International
standards includes: are helping this economic push to con-
Chamber of Shipping (ICS), and
tainerization for an increasing number of
● design and testing of all types of International governmental organizations
commodities.
intermodal freight containers; (IGOs) such as the European Commission;
In excess of 90 % of world trade in non-
and Trade associations as, for instance, the
● terminology; bulk goods moves in ISO freight contain- Asian Packing Federation (APF).
ers. The total number of Twenty Foot ISO/TC 104 has 32 Participating (P)
● equipment to secure freight containers
Equivalent Units (TEU) traded annually is members and 23 Observer (O) members.
to vessels and other conveyances;
approximately 1,7 billion. Container So what's new and what's potentially con-
● container handling equipment; Growth from 1981 to 1999 has been 319,9 troversial?

ISO BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 2001 13


TC 104 has identified an on-going issue 2.45 GHz bands are in use. To resolve this DIS (Draft International Standard). This
with available radio frequencies for trans- issue TC 104 has reached out to the ITU DIS addresses the lack of standardization
portation applications such as automatic (International Telecommunication Union), in the area of calculating the stability of
container identification (AEI), “intelligent” IEC (International Electrotechnical straddle carriers and seeks to implement a
uniform approach to this issue. It will
container seals and other applications that Commission), and ETSI (European
enable purchasers and operators of these
are being pursued to allow wireless transmis- Telecommunications Standards Institute) huge container-handling machines to
sion of data between containers and various with a request to standardize on a universally identify the parameters within which
systems. The problem, simply stated, is that recognized frequency band for logistics pur- these machines can be safely operated
different regions of the world assign certain poses. Preliminary responses from these without tipping over.
frequency bands for these types of applica- organizations have been positive. Vertical Tandem Lifting (VTL), the
tions and the bands assigned are different in practice of lifting two or more vertically
connected containers as a single lift, is
different regions of the world. This effectively “ISO/TC 104 stan- beginning to see acceptance in the con-
precludes, for example, an application that
dards permit free tainer industry. TC 104 recognized the
works in Asia from also working in the United
States or Europe, unless the extra circuits and
inter-change of trans- need for guidance on this practice so that
portation assets it could be carried out safely without
components are built into the device to sup-
exceeding the structural capabilities of the
port dual or triple frequency range capabili- among users on a containers, their components or the gear
ties. This approach, although possible, worldwide basis.” used to couple the containers together.
greatly raises both the costs of each applica- After extensive deliberations and testing,
tion and the probability that the device will TC 104's joint work with ISO/TC 110, TC 104 determined that a maximum of a
fail prematurely in service. Currently the Industrial trucks, on Straddle Carrier three-high stack can be vertically coupled
433.92 MHz, 862-928 MHz, 902-928 MHz and Stability is currently being circulated as a together to form a VTL unit. TC 104 also

14 ISO BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 2001


established that twistlocks and latchlocks ments. (ISO 1161:1984, Series 1 freight ● thermal containers (WG 1), and
used in VTL operations must comply with containers – Corner fittings –
● tank containers (WG 4);
ISO 3874, Series 1 freight containers - Specification)
I'll defer to the reader as to any contro- Under Subcommittee 4: chair-
Handling and securing, and have a
man, Dr. Christoph Seidelmann,
load carrying area or engagement area versy attached to these items. TC 104
with secretariat functions being
(the contact area between the face of the believes each are worthy of our time and
handled by the DIN Deutsches
twistlock head or latchlock latch and the standardization efforts.
Institut für Normung:
corner fitting face surrounding the fit- It has become clear that the work of TC
ting's aperture) of at least 800 mm2. The 104 continues to be of importance to the ● visual markings and their
total mass of the VTL unit cannot exceed industry. As a committee we are uniformly coding (WG 1),
20 000 kg. And, the twistlocks or proud of our accomplishments and ready ● Automatic Equipment
latchlocks used for the VTL operation to continue our efforts to improve the safety Identification (AEI) for con-
must be certified for lifting with a Safe and effectiveness of containerization. tainers and container related
Working Load (SWL) of at least 10 000 kg. equipment (WG 2), and
TC 104 also recognized that there can ● communication and terminol-
be operational issues that are not ade- How the committee
ogy (WG 3).
quately addressed by technical standards divides out the work
that describe structural criteria. For this ISO/TC 104 is organized as a tech-
reason they reached out to ICHCA's nical committee (TC) with three
International Safety Panel (ISP) to initi- subcommittees (SC) and eight
ate an effort to develop Operational working groups (WG). The subcom-
Guidance for Safe VTL Operations. The mittee structure was established to
ISP has graciously accepted this challeng- concentrate the development efforts
ing task and is well on its way towards along specific lines of expertise:
developing a finished document. They ● freight container structure,
hope to be finished at the same time as TC handling and securing (SC 1),
104 completes our balloting process and ● special purpose freight con
publishes our Vertical Tandem Lifting tainers such as refrigerated
work as an amendment to ISO 3874 (the and tank containers (SC 2), About the author
TC 104 Standard on container handling and Michael T. Bohlman joined CSX Lines,
and securing). LLC (then known as Sea-Land Service,
● electronic data exchange, and
marking and registration of Inc.) in 1975. In his current position
“In excess of 90 % containers (SC 4). as Director of Marine Services, he is
of world trade in non- Working groups currently estab-
responsible for the establishment of
policy and procedures for the opera-
bulk goods moves lished and their areas of expertise
tion of CSX Lines' commercial fleet of
in ISO freight are:
16 vessels. For this fleet he has pri-
Under Subcommittee 1: Chairman,
containers.” Mr. Michel Hennemand, with secre-
mary responsibility for safety, environ-
mental protection, Customs, ship-to-
tariat functions being handled by
Coincident with the work on VTLs, TC the Association française de nor- shore communications, crew manage-
104 also recognized the need for greater malisation (AFNOR): ment/labor relations and regulatory
specificity and standardization in the area compliance. In addition, he has over-
● general cargo containers (WG 1),
of twistlocks, latchlocks, and securing fit- all responsibility for CSX Lines' third
tings. The recent amendment to ISO 3874 ● handling and securing (WG 2), party fleet management programme.
(Twistlocks, latchlocks, stacking fittings and Mr. Bohlman is presently Chairman of
and lashing rod systems for securing of ● freight container straddle car ISO/TC 104, Freight Containers, and
containers) that introduced the industry's rier stability (WG 3), which is Chairman of the USA's Technical
first comprehensive International a joint working group with Advisory Group for ISO/TC 104.
Standards for these handling and securing TC 110/SC 2. Mr. Bohlman holds a Bachelor of
fittings was further modified to ensure that Science degree in Engineering and a
Under Subcommittee 2: chairman,
all fittings used for lifting have the mini- Master of Science degree in Chemical
Mr. Edmund Brookes, with secre-
mum bearing area required for safe opera- Engineering.
tariat functions being handled by the
tions. This enhancement to the standard is
British Standards Institution (BSI):
being balloted along with the VTL amend-
ISO BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 2001 15

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