How the owner register works
BIC, based in Paris, has published the register of container owner codes since 1970, and ISO adopted it into ISO 6346 in 1972. A company that owns or operates containers applies for a code, and BIC confirms the letters are not already taken before registering them. Carriers and lessors often hold several codes for different fleets. BIC also publishes the register online and lists codes that were recently created or cancelled.
The U, J and Z category letters
The fourth letter is the equipment category, not part of the owner code. U marks any freight container, J marks detachable container-related equipment such as clip-on generator sets, and Z marks trailers and chassis. A chassis marked this way carries a Z in that position, so its ID can pass for a container number at a glance. Reading the fourth letter first saves a dispatcher from searching for a chassis as if it were a box.
Limits of a prefix lookup
A registered code tells you who owns or principally operates the box. It does not tell you which carrier holds the current booking, who owns the cargo or where the container is. Leased boxes move under many carriers' bookings during their life, and shipper-owned containers may carry a code no carrier recognizes. Use the prefix to start a question, then confirm the carrier from the B/L or booking.
Example
A depot clerk who finds a box with an unfamiliar prefix looks it up in BIC's online register to see which company the code is registered to before arranging its return.
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Official sources
Questions
What does BIC Code (container owner code) mean?
A BIC code is the four-letter prefix that starts a container number: a three-letter owner code plus an equipment category letter, as in MSCU. The Bureau International des Containers (BIC) registers these codes so each owner's prefix is unique worldwide.
Is a BIC code the same as a SCAC?
No. BIC registers container owner codes and NMFTA assigns SCACs to transport companies. Some lines use the same letters in both systems, but many do not, so check which field a form is asking for.
Who needs to register a BIC code?
Any company that owns or operates containers marked for international transport, including carriers, leasing companies and shippers or forwarders with their own boxes. BIC states that only registered prefixes may serve as unique identity marks in international transport and customs documents.