In a container repair estimate from a depot, the lines often look like RB2N PAA DT GS. These letters are not random: they are CEDEX codes, the common language of container maintenance and repair. This guide shows how to read a damage line piece by piece and lists the most common codes.
What is CEDEX?
CEDEX stands for Container Equipment Data Exchange. The codes are defined in the ISO 9897 standard and are meant for communications about container transactions: the owner, the lessee, the depot and the repair shop describe the same damage with the same code. The current text dates from 1997; ISO is working on a new edition. The registration authority for the code lists is the Bureau International des Containers (BIC) in Paris.
What is in a damage line?
In a repair estimate written to CEDEX, each damage is a separate line. Every piece of information in the line comes from its own code list:
- Location code (4 characters) — where the damage is on the container.
- Component code (3 letters) — the damaged part: panel, corner post, cross-member…
- Damage code (2 letters) — the type of damage: dent, hole, crack…
- Repair code (2 letters) — the work to be done: straighten, patch, replace…
- Size — the size of the repair (length only, or length × height or width) and its unit; for example
MMTmillimetres,CMTcentimetres. - Responsibility code (1 letter) — whose account the repair is for.
The standard also defines a two-digit work scale that reflects how easy or difficult the work is: 10 is standard time, 05 is work 50 per cent easier than standard, 15 is 50 per cent over standard time. Labour time and price themselves are not part of CEDEX; they come from the owner’s or lessee’s repair tariff.
An example line
The line below is an example; the location and component codes are taken from the examples in ISO 9897.
| Field | Code | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Location | RB2N | Right side (R), bottom half (B), 2nd section from the door end (2), single section (N) |
| Component | PAA | Panel (all types, complete) |
| Damage | DT | Dent |
| Repair | GS | Straighten |
| Responsibility | U | For the user’s (lessee’s) account |
The location code: the address of the damage
The location code has four characters and identifies the smallest area that contains the whole damage.
1st character — face. D door end, F front end, L left side, R right side, T roof, B floor, U understructure, I interior, E exterior, X whole container. For a refrigeration unit M is used, for a generator set G, for a tank container A and for a chassis C.
2nd character — part of the face. On the side and end walls, T is the top half, B the bottom half, H the upper main component area and G the lower main component area (such as the rails). On the roof, floor and understructure, L is the left half and R the right half (viewed from the door end). X means both halves together.
3rd and 4th characters — section. The sides, roof, floor and understructure are divided into sections of about 1.2 metres (4 ft): five on a 20-foot container and ten on a 40-foot container, numbered from the door end (on a 40-foot container the tenth section is shown as 0). If the damage is within one section, the third character is the section number and the fourth is N. If it spreads over several adjacent sections, the first and last sections are written; XX is used for the full length of the face. The front end and the door end are divided into four vertical sections: viewed from the door end, 1 is the left corner post, 2 the left half, 3 the right half and 4 the right corner post.
A few examples from ISO 9897:
RT24— right side, top half, sections 2 to 4.TXXX— the whole roof.UX1N— understructure, both halves, first section from the door end (a cross-member in the standard’s example).DX2N— door end, left half, top and bottom halves together (a locking bar on the left door in the standard’s example).
There are general codes for work that covers several faces: IXXX for the interior in general (e.g. steam cleaning), EXXX for the exterior in general (e.g. removing stickers) and XXXX for inside and outside together (e.g. examinations, complete refurbishing).
The most common damage codes
ISO 9897 defines 66 damage types, including tyre and chassis damage. The ones most often seen on a container body are:
| Code | Damage |
|---|---|
DT | Dent |
BT | Bent |
BR | Broken/split |
CK | Cracked |
CW | Cracked weld |
CU | Cut |
HO | Holed |
PH | Pin holes |
CO | Corroded/rusty |
GD | Gouged |
DL | Delaminated, usually a wooden component |
LO | Loose |
MS | Missing/lost |
CT | Contaminated by chemicals or cargo residue, unsuitable for cargo |
DY | Dirty |
OS | Oil stains |
IR | Improper repair: not to the owner’s requirements or industry standards |
WT | Wear and tear: unavoidable deterioration under proper use |
The most common repair codes
A repair code defines the method as well as the work. For example, a patch, an insert, a section and a full replacement of a wall panel are different jobs in the standard:
| Code | Repair |
|---|---|
GS | Straighten |
RS | Straighten and resecure |
GW | Straighten and weld back into position |
WD | Weld |
PT | Patch: part of the cross-section, over only part of the component’s length or width; overlapped and fillet-welded |
IT | Insert: part of the cross-section, over the component’s entire length or width; butt-welded |
SN | Section: the complete cross-section, over part of the component |
RP | Replace: the complete cross-section, over the entire length and width |
RE | Resecure: reapply or tighten fasteners on a loose component |
SE | Seal/reseal: apply sealant |
RR | Remove and refit after repair |
SC | Steam clean |
WW | Water wash |
CC | Chemical clean |
DO | Deodorize |
MV | Remove unwanted markings, labels and logos |
PA | Paint |
TR | Temporary repair: restore cargoworthiness until a permanent repair |
The responsibility code: whose account?
Every line carries a one-letter code showing whose account the repair is for: O owner, U user (lessee), D depot, S terminal, T third party, H manufacturer, W manufacturer’s warranty, I insurance or damage protection programme.
This is also the most debated point in an estimate review: if the same mark counts as wear and tear (WT), it is usually for the owner’s account; if it counts as damage caused in use, it is for the lessee’s. The distinction follows the lease agreement and the owner’s criteria; CEDEX only standardises how the decision is written.
CEDEX, IICL-6 and DESTIM
- CEDEX (ISO 9897) defines how damage and repair are written.
- IICL-6, the 6th edition of the IICL’s Guide for Container Equipment Inspection, gives the inspection criteria for which damage requires repair. For repair methods the IICL has a separate manual: Repair Manual for Steel Freight Containers.
- DESTIM is the UN/EDIFACT message that carries a repair estimate electronically. The depot reports the damage and the estimated repair to the owner or lessee with this message, and the approval can come back with the same message. ISO 9897 points to DESTIM for damage and repair reporting.
Why does it matter?
A correctly coded estimate lets the owner, the lessee and the depot read the same damage in the same way. A wrong location or responsibility code changes both the amount and who pays. For companies building damage detection software, CEDEX is also the common language for turning the damage their software finds into the estimate line the industry uses.
CEDEX coding at Uskont
Uskont offers the experience of its repair workshop, which has an IICL-certified inspector on staff, remotely as well: we review depots’ repair estimates, prepare estimates on behalf of depots and code damage to CEDEX and IICL-6 criteria. Details on our container consulting page; for on-site inspection, see container inspection. For short definitions, see our container glossary.