“Shipping container,” “ISO container”… what’s the difference, anyway? The container industry is full of overlapping terminology. So much so that in 1981, the International Organization for Standardization created a standard to bring consistency to the language we use: ISO 830.
In this guide, we’ll walk through what ISO 830 is, the language it standardizes, and why that standardization matters.
Jump to section:
- What Is ISO 830?
- Why Is ISO 830 Important?
- Shipping Container Names
- Shipping Container Types
- Related ISO Standards
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is ISO 830?
ISO 830 is an international standard that unites the world of containers with a common language. First published in 1981 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the regulation acts as a glossary of standardized terms for describing container types, components, and characteristics. It also standardizes language around container handling—critical for documenting loading and unloading procedures and protecting all those involved.
Why is ISO 830 important?
The common language of ISO 830 keeps the global supply chain efficient, ensures safe handling, and maintains the universality of containers. Without it, there’d be far less clarity around which containers are suitable for intermodal transport, moving bulk goods, shipping liquids, and so on. This ambiguity would be costly at its best—and dangerous at its worst.
It also helps categorize containers throughout their manufacturing and quality assurance lifecycle. For example, it distinguishes between a freight container (which meets a basic set of physical characteristics) and a Series 1 freight container, which has been verified to meet ISO 668’s dimensional requirements and tested in accordance with ISO 1496.
Shipping Container Names (as defined by ISO 830)
ISO 830 first provides a very clear definition of what a container is, straight from the International Convention of Safe Containers (CSC): a strong, permanent piece of transport equipment that facilitates the movement of goods.
It then provides the following sub-classes of container.
- Freight containers: A container that can be easily filled, handled, and moved by at least one mode of transport without repacking. Also known as a shipping container.
- Intermodal containers: A container that can be moved via multiple modes of transport to another without being repacked.
- ISO containers: A container manufactured to all relevant ISO freight container standards.
- Series 1 Freight Containers: An ISO container that complies with ISO 668 and has been tested in accordance to ISO 1496.
- Smart containers: A container fitted with trace and trace or monitoring systems.
Shipping Container Types (as defined by ISO 830)
ISO 830 groups shipping containers based on the product categories they’re designed to move. Here are some of the most common container types listed in the standard.
General Cargo Containers
General cargo containers move goods that don’t need special atmospheric controls (like pressurization, extra ventilation, or temperature control). They are not intended for air travel.
General cargo containers can be further subcategorized as follows:
- General-purpose cargo containers: Containers that have at least one set of end-doors and can transport a wide variety of cargo. A 20ft standard container would be considered a general-purpose cargo container, for example.
Shipping Container Types
General-Purpose Cargo Containers
- Specific-purpose cargo containers: Containers manufactured with additional unloading points to facilitate packing and unpacking. Both open-tops and hard-tops are types of specific-purpose cargo containers.
SHIPPING CONTAINER TYPES
Specific-Purpose Cargo Containers
Specific Cargo Containers
Specific cargo containers have been manufactured with extra features to transport specific categories of cargo. They can be further subcategorized as follows:
- Thermal containers: Insulated for atmospheric control. This could include refrigerated containers, heated containers, or simply a container with insulation on its walls, roof, doors, and floor.
- Dry bulk containers: Constructed to facilitate the movement of bulk goods, such as grain or ore.
- Tank containers: Engineered to move large quantities of liquid or gas.
- Named-cargo containers: Designed to transport one specific type of cargo, such as vehicles or livestock.
Shipping Container Types
Specific Cargo Containers For Sale
Here’s an overview of the different cargo container types, with examples:
Shipping Container Components
In addition to container names and types, ISO 830 also defines key terms related to the manufacturing, quality assurance, and movement of freight containers. This includes:
- Components: E.g., Side walls, forklift pockets, and corner castings.
- Characteristics: E.g., External dimensions, internal dimensions, door opening.
- Ratings and masses: E.g., Rating, tare mass, payload, floor loading capacity.
- Handling: E.g., empty container, packed container, mobile center of gravity.
What ISN’T COVERED BY ISO 830?
While ISO 830 is extensive, it doesn’t include every shipping container name in casual use, such as nicknames and out-of-date terms. Below is a short overview of other, non-standard container names you may come across.
- Conex box: Originates from the U.S. military’s “Container Express” program in the 1950s. The term once referred to a smaller, specialized unit, but is now used interchangeably with “shipping container.”
- Sea can: Also called a “C-can” or “C container.” A Canadian slang term for a shipping container.
- Sealand container: A reference to Sea-Land, the U.S. company founded by Malcom McLean, who is widely credited with inventing the modern intermodal shipping container.
- Storage container: Used to describe containers intended for domestic storage or units not eligible for intermodal transport (such as small containers).
ISO 830:2024 and Related Standards
The latest edition of the standard, ISO 830:2024 (3rd Edition), was published in 2024. Other relevant ISO container standards include:
- ISO 668: Freight Containers — Dimensions
- ISO 1161: Series 1 Freight Containers — Corner Fittings — Specification
- ISO 6346: Freight Containers — Coding, Identification and Marking
- ISO 17712: Freight Containers — Mechanical Seals
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an ISO container?
An ISO container is a freight container built to comply with all applicable ISO standards, including classification, dimensions, coding, identification, and testing. Those that meet ISO 668 and have been tested according to ISO 1496 are also known as Series 1 freight containers.
What is an intermodal container?
ISO 830 defines intermodal containers as any containers manufactured for use across multiple modes of transport—without the need to unload and reload them. For example, an intermodal container can travel by road, rail, and sea.
What is the difference between a freight container and an intermodal container?
A freight container is built for at least one method of transport, while an intermodal container is built for multiple. In other words, not all freight containers are intermodal—but every intermodal container is a freight container.
What is a smart container?
ISO 830 defines a smart container as any container equipped with a tracking or monitoring system—either built in or retrofitted. These systems can be permanent or temporary. Smart containers feed valuable real-time data back to their owners or lessors. This could include their location, estimated arrival time and, when applicable, their temperature setting.
