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The Institute of International
Container Lessors (IICL) was organized in 1971 and presently maintains its headquarters in
Washington, DC. The Institute is a Delaware
(USA) corporation and is governed by a board of directors elected annually by the
membership.
IICL’s membership engages in
leasing marine cargo containers and chassis to ship operators and others on a broad international
basis. Members own or manage approximately 90% of the leased container fleet, roughly half
of the world container fleet. As well as own and lease a high percentage of the U.S.
chassis fleet.
IICL is active in governmental,
regulatory, customs, tax, educational, technological and environmental fields. The
Institute conducts activities by means of, among others, a Technology Committee and a Tax
and Legal Committee comprised of representatives from member companies and through its
staff at IICL headquarters.
Governmental,
Regulatory & Other Projects . . .
IICL was instrumental in the development of
the International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC), the international agreement for
maintaining containers in safe condition, the Approved Continuous Examination Programmes (ACEP), and of the Harmonized Interpretation of the CSC
with the International Maritime Organization. In the United States, the Institute worked
with the U.S. State Department and Coast Guard in formulating the CSC regulations and the
U.S. Safe Container Act that implemented the convention. Through the Tax and Legal
Committee, IICL worked closely with the U.S. Treasury in preparation of the Model Double
Taxation Treaty that seeks to avoid multiple taxation of containers in many countries. The
Committee has dealt with customs issues around the world to ensure that containers
continue to move freely as an instrument of international trade. This activity has
included monitoring developments under the Customs Conventions on Containers (1956 and
1972) and regulations in the U.S., the E.U. and other countries.
IICL has taken a leadership role in the
container standards activities of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
and its national affiliates, most recently in development and maintenance of codes used in
electronic and transmission of maintenance and repair of containers. The Institute enjoys
consultative status in the IMO, the UN Economic and Social Council and the UN Conference
on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Port planning is another area where
IICL has taken a lead by working with port authorities around the world to plan ahead for
the increased container fleets foreseen for the future.
Promoting Equipment
Quality & Safety . . .
IICL has been proactive in promoting
equipment quality and safety through development and publication of container and chassis
inspection criteria, sponsorship of examinations and courses and advocacy of interchange
efficiency. IICL’s efforts in these areas are credited with contributing to cost
savings throughout the container and chassis industry.
Publications
IICL’s technical publications have
received worldwide acceptance. Nearly 100,000 copies of 43 titles have been published
since 1971 and distributed to over 4,000 companies in more than 75 countries throughout
the world.
The publication that has been in the
most demand over the years is the Guide for Container Equipment Inspection, now in a fifth
edition and revised in 2006, is known
popularly as the "IICL-5". The Guide is based in part on IICL’s ground-breaking
container testing program, undertaken in 1984 in cooperation with HLA Engineers, Inc., a
consulting firm, and the University of Texas as Arlington. Developing a mathematical model
of a container in a computer, IICL and its consultants used finite element analysis to
determine the capacity of each basic container component to withstand damage, and
subjected its findings to physical tests. In preparing the IICL-5, IICL also
incorporated the experience of both the shipping and leasing industries in their
recommendations.
Other manuals used by depots, surveyors
and other container personnel around the world include the Repair Manual for Steel Freight
Containers, a fifth edition, published in 1999 (revised in 2006); the Supplement on Container
Inspection and Repair: Gray Areas, also published in 1999 (revised in 2003); the Guide for Container
Damage Measurement, published in 1997 (revised in 2006); the Guide for Container Cleaning, a second edition, published in 2000; the Guide for Flatrack Container Inspection, published in 2003; and the Guide for Open Top Container Equipment Inspection, which was published in 2007.
IICL has also contributed to
maintenance of refrigerated containers with publication of a General Guide for
Refrigerated Container Inspection and Repair, now in its 3rd edition, published in 1996 (revised in 2005); and the Guide for Chassis Inspection and Maintenance, 4th edition published in 2006. Other
publications on containers include the CSC pamphlet (2002) explaining the provisions of
the CSC.
Chassis roadability and compliance with
U.S. requirements on chassis are always an important part of IICL’s focus on
equipment quality: the chassis guide has recently been revised and now incorporates both the inspection and maintenance of chassis.
Examinations
The IICL Inspectors’ Certification
Programs were developed in cooperation with Educational Testing Service of Princeton, New
Jersey, to encourage high standards of inspection in the container and chassis industries.
Beginning in 1983 with the worldwide Container Inspector’s Examination, the program
was expanded in 1991 to include a U.S. Chassis inspector’s Examination. Both tests
are given annually, with the Container Inspector’s Examination held in approximately
65 cities in 26 or more countries around the globe, and the Chassis Inspector’s test
offered in the U.S. or neighboring countries only. Over 7,600 container and chassis
inspectors have been certified since 1983, with certification valid for a five year period.
Benefiting the
Industry since 1971 . . .
IICL has undertaken many projects
benefiting the container and chassis industry over the years. Floor manufacturers were invited to meet with
leasing companies in an initiative aimed at encouraging development of alternatives to
tropical wood flooring and the establishment of an audit program to monitor plywood manufacturers.
IICL posts its annual leased container
and chassis survey with information on fleet sizes, including breakdowns of equipment
types and sizes, and other information on its website. To provide inexpensive service and
up to date information to our worldwide readers, IICL’s website continues expanding
as more and more of our information is transferred to electronic formatting.
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