CONPDS CHECKER

Container Inspection Criteria and the Evidence Standards That Support Them

The inspection criteria are the industry's. The evidence standard is yours. ConPDS is the photo documentation layer that turns any inspection regime — IICL-6, UCIRC, CIC, CCW, or CSC — into a defensible, container-linked record.

A reference guide to the major container inspection criteria — IICL-6, UCIRC Rev 3, CIC, cargo-worthy criteria, and CSC examination — and the structured photo evidence each one requires for defensible compliance.

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ISO 6346 validated

Continuous audit trail

GDPR compliant

What Are Container Inspection Criteria?

Container inspection criteria are the industry-recognised standards that define what gets checked during a container inspection — including IICL-6 (Institute of International Container Lessors), UCIRC (Unified Container Inspection and Repair Criteria, jointly prepared by BIC, ICS, and WSC), CIC (Common Interchange Criteria from the Container Owners Association), cargo-worthy criteria for export readiness, and CSC examination under the International Convention for Safe Containers. Each standard governs the inspection scope, repair tolerances, and pass-fail thresholds for the inspection type or container class it covers — but none of them defines how the resulting photo evidence should be captured, structured, or retained.

ConPDS is a container inspection photo documentation platform that captures, organises, and distributes structured photo records for container depots, reefer technicians, wash stations, and stuffing operations — linked to container numbers, fully offline-capable, and built for compliance and claims support. ConPDS does not define inspection criteria — IICL, BIC, ICS, WSC, and IMO do. ConPDS is the structured evidence layer that supports compliance with any of those criteria by producing container-linked, ISO 6346 validated, timestamped, audit-ready visual evidence.

See the main container inspection types and the documentation each one requires

Read how to maintain an audit trail for container inspections with full traceability

Container numbers verified against ISO 6346 standards before any photo is saved

Centralised archive searchable by container number across every inspection regime

Why Container Inspection Criteria Demand Structured Photo Evidence

A container inspection that meets IICL-6, UCIRC, or cargo-worthy criteria is only as defensible as the evidence behind it. A depot processing 80 containers per day generates 480+ inspection images daily. Without container-linked, timestamped capture, the documentation collapses under the first serious challenge — and the inspection itself becomes effectively unprovable.

What the Standards Don't Specify

How photo evidence is captured, named, or container-linked

Where inspection records are stored and retained over time

How GPS, timestamp, and capture metadata are preserved

How the inspection record is distributed and accessed

How modifications to the record are tracked over time

Where Compliance Breaks Down

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Photos in WhatsApp threads with stripped metadata

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Inspection records on personal devices, no central archive

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Manual file naming creating phantom container records

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No retrievable distribution log when compliance is questioned

With manual methods, an IICL-6 off-hire inspection passes the physical check but the photo record cannot be reconstructed twelve months later when a damage claim arises. With the structured container inspection evidence layer, every inspection event — regardless of which criteria apply — is captured against a validated container number, retained centrally, and presentable on demand as a complete chain of evidence.

How to Document Inspections That Meet Container Inspection Criteria

A single, consistent documentation workflow supports compliance with every major inspection regime. The criteria define what to check; ConPDS structures how the evidence is captured, retained, and proven.

Map to the Applicable Criteria

Validate Against ISO 6346

Capture With Metadata

Store, Distribute, Audit

STEP 01

Map the Inspection to the Applicable Container Inspection Criteria

Identify which inspection criteria apply to the inspection event — IICL-6 for lessor handover and depot inspections, UCIRC Rev 3 for steel general purpose containers at interchange points, CIC for general-purpose dry freight, cargo-worthy criteria for export readiness, or CSC examination for periodic safety. The same ConPDS workflow captures evidence in a way that supports any of them.

STEP 02

Validate the Container Number Against ISO 6346 Standards

AI-powered OCR reads the container number at capture and validates it against ISO 6346 standards (owner code, serial number, and check digit validation). Records with invalid codes are rejected at source — preventing the most common compliance failure under any inspection regime, which is an inspection record filed against a phantom or mistyped container number.

STEP 03

Capture the Required Photo Set With Preserved Metadata

Photos, short video clips, and notes are captured against the validated container record. The ConPDS Checker app operates fully offline, with GPS location and capture timestamp preserved from the moment of inspection through to the central archive — the metadata that makes evidence defensible if it is later challenged in a damage claim, lease dispute, or audit review.

STEP 04

Store, Distribute, and Audit Every Action

Inspection records are stored centrally and accessed through the ConPDS guest portal — a secure, simplified login scoped only to the container records each external party has been granted permission to view. Rule-based automated distribution dispatches records to defined recipients via email, FTP, SFTP, or API. Every photo capture, distribution event, and access action is logged in the audit trail.

The Major Container Inspection Criteria and What Each One Governs

Each container inspection criteria standard defines a different inspection scope — from on-hire lessor handover through to periodic safety examination. ConPDS supports the photo evidence requirement common to all of them.

IICL · Lessor

IICL-6 Inspection Criteria

Sixth-edition inspection guide from the Institute of International Container Lessors, implemented worldwide on 1 August 2016

Used primarily for on-hire and off-hire inspections of lessor-owned containers

Dry van structural inspection criteria, tolerances, and repair methods

Top side rails, front frames, corner posts, roof, and floor coverage

Stricter tolerances than CCW or WWT classifications

BIC · ICS · WSC

UCIRC Inspection Criteria (Rev 3)

Unified Container Inspection and Repair Criteria for steel general purpose containers

Jointly prepared by BIC, ICS, and WSC for use at all container interchanges

Acceptable damage and wear-and-tear definitions across main components

Rails, headers, sills, posts, floors, doors, and panel criteria

Pest contamination inspection added in Rev 3 (July 2023)

COA

CIC Inspection Criteria

Common Interchange Criteria from the Container Owners Association

Originally aimed at eliminating unnecessary repairs and reducing depot costs

General-purpose dry freight container scope

Repair-method guidance to minimise unnecessary work

Harmonised with IICL-6 from August 2016 onwards

Export Readiness

Cargo-Worthy Criteria (CCW / CWO)

Condition standard for whether a container is structurally suitable for ocean cargo

Assessed on structural soundness, not cosmetic state

Wind- and water-tight integrity

Floor condition and capability to support full stack-load on a vessel

Requires a valid CSC plate for international shipping

IMO · CSC

CSC Inspection Criteria & Safety Examination

Periodic safety examination required under the International Convention for Safe Containers (1972)

First examination within 5 years of manufacture, then at intervals not exceeding 30 months

Periodic Examination Scheme (PES) with NED on plate

Approved Continuous Examination Program (ACEP)

CSC plate condition, legibility, and structural safety verification

Reefer · IICL

Reefer-Specific Inspection Criteria

IICL inspection guides covering refrigerated containers

PTI procedures and tolerances for the unit's mechanical and structural condition

Reefer unit performance verification

Insulation and structural inspection

Replaced-part documentation for warranty and pre-trip log retention

Manual Compliance vs. Structured Evidence Under Container Inspection Criteria

The same five compliance touchpoints determine whether an inspection holds up under challenge — across every regime, the failure mode is documentation, not the physical inspection itself.

Compliance Requirement	Manual Method	Structured Documentation
IICL-6 off-hire condition record	Photos taken on personal device, sent in a chat thread, no container-link	OCR-validated container number with all six exterior sides linked and timestamped
UCIRC pest contamination check	Inspection performed but photo evidence cannot be retrieved later	Capture-side photos retained centrally with GPS and timestamp preserved
CCW export readiness evidence	Wind-and-water-tight assertion with no defensible photo backup	Structured photo set linked to the container number and CSC plate reference
CSC ACEP examination record	Inspection assumed during repair, but photo trail unsearchable	Continuous, retrievable per-container inspection history accessible in seconds
Distribution proof to leasing company	Email sent, no log of receipt or counterparty access	Distribution event recorded in the audit trail with channel, recipient, and time

What Structured Evidence Adds to Any Container Inspection Criteria

Whatever the inspection regime, the same operational gains apply — the criteria define what to check; ConPDS structures the evidence that proves you did.

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AI-Powered Container Number Recognition

AI-based OCR reads container numbers at capture and validates them against ISO 6346 standards — eliminating phantom container records that compromise compliance under any inspection regime.

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Fully Offline-Capable in Port and Depot

OCR, capture, and container linking all run without an internet connection. Photos sync automatically on reconnection — operational in container yards, terminal areas, and remote depot zones.

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One Container, One Compliance History

Every inspection event — IICL-6, UCIRC, cargo-worthy, CSC — builds the same container's permanent compliance record. Find any inspection by container number in seconds.

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Continuous, Locked Audit Trail

Every photo capture, distribution event, and access action is timestamped and logged automatically. The audit trail cannot be modified without trace — no manual logging required at any stage.

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Rule-Based Automated Distribution

ConPDS rule-based distribution dispatches inspection records to defined recipients — shipping lines, leasing companies, agents — immediately after each inspection event, with every dispatch logged.

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Connects to DMS and M&R Systems

Integrates with existing Depot Management Systems (DMS) and Maintenance & Repair systems via REST API, FTP, SFTP, and email — the photo evidence layer your current stack is missing.

ISO 6346 Validation GDPR Compliant 256-bit HTTPS Role-Based Access Continuous Audit Trail Geo-Tagged Capture

Evidence Standards That Hold Across Every Inspection Regime

ConPDS does not replace inspection criteria — it makes the evidence layer that supports them defensible. Every photo capture, distribution event, and access action is timestamped and logged automatically.

Container numbers validated against ISO 6346 standards (owner code, serial number, and check digit) at capture — invalid codes rejected at source rather than discovered in a later compliance review

GPS location and capture timestamp preserved from the moment of inspection through to the central archive — the metadata that makes evidence defensible under any inspection criteria

Continuous audit trail recording every photo capture, every distribution event, and every guest portal access — locked against modification without trace

GDPR compliant throughout — encrypted on-device, encrypted in transit, encrypted at rest; configurable retention periods; no inspection data on personal devices after upload

External party access through a scoped guest portal — leasing companies, surveyors, and shipping lines see only the container records they have been granted permission to view, every action logged

Aligned with the chain-of-custody expectations regulators, leasing companies, and insurers apply to inspection records — the same evidentiary standards already required in damage claims, audits, and compliance reviews

Frequently Asked Questions About Container Inspection Criteria

What are container inspection criteria? ▾

Container inspection criteria are the industry-recognised standards that define what gets checked during a container inspection — including IICL-6 (Institute of International Container Lessors), UCIRC (Unified Container Inspection and Repair Criteria), CIC (Common Interchange Criteria), cargo-worthy criteria for export readiness, and CSC examination under the International Convention for Safe Containers. Each standard governs the inspection scope and repair tolerances for the inspection type or container class it covers.

Does ConPDS replace IICL-6 or UCIRC inspection standards? ▾

No. ConPDS does not define inspection criteria — IICL, BIC, ICS, WSC, and IMO do. ConPDS is the structured photo documentation platform that supports compliance with any of those criteria by producing container-linked, timestamped, audit-ready visual evidence. The inspection standard tells you what to check; ConPDS structures the evidence that proves you did.

What is the difference between IICL-6, UCIRC, and CIC? ▾

IICL-6 is the sixth-edition inspection guide from the Institute of International Container Lessors, used primarily for on-hire and off-hire inspections of lessor-owned containers. UCIRC Revision 3 (July 2023), prepared jointly by BIC, ICS, and WSC, is the unified inspection and repair criteria for steel general purpose containers at interchange points and includes pest contamination provisions. CIC (Common Interchange Criteria) was developed by the Container Owners Association for general-purpose dry freight containers and was harmonised with IICL-6 from 2016.

Is photo documentation required for CSC periodic examination? ▾

The International Convention for Safe Containers requires that containers be examined within five years of manufacture and at intervals not exceeding 30 months thereafter, under either the Periodic Examination Scheme (PES) or an Approved Continuous Examination Program (ACEP). The Convention itself does not mandate photo documentation, but in practice photo evidence linked to the container number and the CSC plate makes the inspection record defensible — particularly under ACEP, where examination is deemed to take place during routine repair and inspection events.

Does container inspection documentation software work offline in port and depot environments? ▾

Yes. ConPDS Checker is fully offline-capable — AI-powered OCR, container number validation, and photo capture all run on-device without an internet connection. Records sync automatically once connectivity is restored, with GPS and timestamp metadata preserved from the moment of capture.

How does an audit trail support compliance with container inspection criteria? ▾

An audit trail records who captured which photos, when, where, and how the resulting inspection record was distributed and accessed. Under any inspection regime — IICL-6, UCIRC, CCW, or CSC — a continuous, locked audit trail is what allows a depot, leasing company, or operator to demonstrate to a regulator, surveyor, or counterparty that an inspection actually took place and the evidence has not been altered.

What happens if we cannot produce photo documentation under IICL-6 or UCIRC? ▾

The inspection itself may pass — but any subsequent dispute, claim, or audit becomes difficult to defend. Without timestamped, container-linked photo evidence, leasing companies, shipping lines, and regulators may treat the inspection record as unverifiable. Structured documentation closes that exposure by making every inspection retrievable and traceable on demand.

Make Your Evidence Layer as Strong as the Inspection Criteria You Comply With

The criteria define what gets checked. The evidence layer determines whether your compliance is defensible. Whatever inspection regime applies — IICL-6, UCIRC, CIC, CCW, or CSC — without structured photo documentation, the inspection itself is the only thing on record, and the gap shows under pressure.

What Happens Without Structured Inspection Evidence

✗ IICL-6 challenge unanswered. A leasing company queries an off-hire condition decision and the depot cannot produce the timestamped, container-linked photo set — the dispute moves in the lessee's favour by default.

✗ UCIRC pest record missing. A pest contamination case is raised against a depot's outbound dispatch and the inspection-side photo record cannot be located — the depot has no evidence the check was performed.

✗ CCW export rejected. A cargo-worthy assertion is challenged at port and the supporting photo evidence sits in three different inboxes — the export window closes and demurrage starts.

✗ CSC ACEP audit gap. A regulator reviews the continuous examination record and the depot cannot demonstrate which inspections fired against which containers in which interval — the ACEP approval comes under review.

✗ Audit trail unprovable. A surveyor asks for the full inspection trail across a fleet by container number and the records sit on personal devices, in chat threads, and in shared folders that have since been cleared.