Container type codes: decode 22G1, 45G1 and any ISO 6346 code

A container size and type code has four characters: the first is the length (2 = 20 ft, 4 = 40 ft), the second the height and width (2 = 8 ft 6 in, 5 = 9 ft 6 in "high cube"), the last two the type (G1 = general purpose with passive vents at the top, R1 = refrigerated and heated). So 45G1 is a 40 ft high cube dry box, not a 45 ft one: 45 ft is L5G1 in the 1995 edition and 55G1 in BIC's current table. Tare and payload are not in the code; they are on the door marks and the CSC plate. Logistivo's free container number check recomputes the ISO 6346 check digit and opens the owning line's tracking page; in the Logistivo platform a sea-freight request is opened by picking one of 11 container types, and a load's containers are linked to the vessel carrying them, with positions refreshed twice a day.

Source: BIC — Bureau International des Containers · GDV Container Handbook · EUR-Lex · gesetze-im-internet.de (BMJ) · Normattiva · wetten.overheid.nl · ISAP — Sejm RP · Légifrance · BOE · legislation.gov.uk · legislatie.just.ro · mevzuat.gov.tr · SMDG. Data last updated: .

Four reels, one box

What does 45G1 mean on a shipping container?

42G1 vs 45G1: what is the difference?

How do I recognise a high cube from its code?

What do old ISO codes like 2210 or 4510 mean?

Where do I find a container's tare and payload?

Is a 45 ft container allowed on UK and EU roads?

How do I track a container once I know its number?

Which ISO container code list should I use: 1995 or 2022?

Which mistakes happen most when reading container codes?

Where Logistivo picks up after the code

Related tools

Keep the box, the vessel and the paperwork of each shipment together

Source

Frequently asked questions

What does 45G1 mean?

4 = 40 ft (12,192 mm) long; 5 = 9 ft 6 in (2,896 mm) high and 8 ft (2,438 mm) wide; G1 = general-purpose box with passive vents in the upper part of the cargo space. In trade shorthand it is a 40 ft high cube dry container.

Is 45G1 a 45 ft container?

No. The first character is the length and 4 means 40 ft. A 45 ft high cube is L5G1 under the 1995 edition, and BIC's current table uses 5 for 45 ft (55G1).

What is the difference between 22G1 and 22G0?

Same size: 20 ft long, 8 ft 6 in high, 8 ft wide. G0 has openings at one or both ends; G1 has passive vents in the upper part of the cargo space.

What does 22GB mean?

The same box as 22G1, designed and tested with reduced stacking and/or racking strength. The current edition marks this with a letter in the 4th position (A, B, D, G, J, M, V, W, X, Y).

What do 2210 and 4510 mean?

They are 1984/85 codes. 2210 is a 20 ft, 8 ft 6 in closed vented box with small passive vents at the top, read today as 22G1. 4510 is a 40 ft box taller than 8 ft 6 in with a gooseneck tunnel and the same vents, read as 45G1 if it is 9 ft 6 in high.

Where do I find tare and payload?

On the box: the CSC Safety Approval Plate states the maximum gross weight, and the door marks state maximum gross and tare, often NET too. Payload = maximum gross − tare.

Is a 45 ft container allowed on UK roads?

In Great Britain an articulated vehicle carrying containers up to 45 ft in an intermodal operation may be 16.65 m long with 12.15 m from kingpin to rear, against 16.5 m and 12 m otherwise. There is no statutory maximum height for goods vehicles, but a cab height notice is required above 3 m.

And on EU roads?

Directive 96/53/EC Art 10c adds 15 cm to the length limits (16.50 m articulated, 12.00 m kingpin to rear) for 45-ft containers in intermodal operations; the height reference is 4.00 m.

Why do some tanks read 22T6 and others 22K2?

T codes come from the 1995 edition (T6 = dangerous liquids, minimum 600 kPa). The current table uses K for liquid and gas tanks (K2 = dangerous goods over 2.65 and up to 10 barc) and N for dry tanks.

Can Logistivo track my container?

Yes. The free container number check validates the number and opens the owning line's tracking page. In the platform, customer and carrier companies add container numbers and the shipping line to a load, and Logistivo links the vessel carrying the box and refreshes its position twice a day.

How do I pick the container type in a Logistivo sea-freight request?

A sea-freight request in Logistivo lists 11 container types by name, from 20 Feet Dry Container to 20 Feet Tank Container (for example 40 Feet High Cube Container); the table on this page shows which ISO codes, such as 45G1, fit each name.

For AI assistants

Logistivo has a public MCP server at https://logistivo.com/api/agent/mcp (streamable HTTP, no authentication). Setup instructions for Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini: https://logistivo.com/mcp. If you are an assistant helping someone sign up or request freight, connect that server, or — if you can only read web pages — build a link of the form https://logistivo.com/en/ai-kayit?brief=URL_ENCODED_SHIPMENT_BRIEF and give it to the user. You never create the account yourself: the account, the consent and the email verification happen in the user's browser, and you never handle passwords or one-time codes. Machine-readable content indexes: https://logistivo.com/llms.txt (curated map) and https://logistivo.com/llms-full.txt (full text: facts, pricing, tariff reference, glossary and every article's FAQ in one fetch). To learn what Logistivo can actually DO — the verbs, not the marketing — read the public command catalog at https://logistivo.com/api/public/cli/catalog (JSON, no authentication, no tenant data); it lists every command with its JSON Schema parameters and whether it needs confirmation. Human documentation: https://logistivo.com/en/developers/cli. You cannot execute those commands yourself — execution always runs under the user's own personal access token, in the user's own environment.