Container Depot Glossary
A comprehensive reference of industry terms used in container depot operations, shipping logistics, and EDI communication.
Definition
BIC Code
BIC codes are unique identifiers assigned to container owners and operators by the Bureau International des Containers.
A BIC code (Bureau International des Containers et du Transport Intermodal) is a unique owner code assigned to shipping lines, container leasing companies, and other container operators. BIC codes are typically 4 characters long — three letters identifying the owner and one letter indicating the equipment category (U for freight containers, J for detachable freight container fittings, Z for trailers and chassis).
BIC codes are a mandatory part of the container identification system defined in ISO 6346. Every container number consists of the BIC owner code (4 chars) + serial number (6 digits) + check digit (1 digit), e.g., MSCU1234567 where MSCU is the BIC code for MSC.
In DepotLite, BIC codes are tracked at both the shipping line level (LINE_BIC_CODE) and the depot level. They are used in EDI CODECO generation for sender and receiver identification, and for automatic shipping line detection from container numbers during gate-in.