Calculate freight-container check digits. BIC
Initialising algorithm engine for ISO 6346 Container Calculator...
How ISO 6346 Container Calculator Works?
The ISO 6346 Container Calculator works by converting the 4-letter owner code and 6-digit serial to values, multiplying them by powers of 2, and taking the sum modulo 11 (then modulo 10) as the 11th character.
- 1Enter the 3-letter owner code, the equipment category letter (U, J, or Z), and the 6-digit serial.
- 2Convert letters to values A = 10, B = 12 … skipping 11, 22, and 33.
- 3Multiply the 10 values by 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, and 512.
- 4Total the 10 container products and divide by 11 to get the remainder.
- 5Write a remainder of 10 as 0.
ISO 6346 Container Calculator Formula
The ISO 6346 formula is Check = (Σ v(cᵢ) × 2ⁱ mod 11) mod 10, with i = 0…9.
S = Σ v(cᵢ) × 2ⁱ, i = 0…9 (ISO 6346 CONTAINER) Check = (S mod 11) mod 10 (ISO 6346 CONTAINER)
v(c)is the letter value; multiples of 11 are skipped.
C=13×1=13 S=30×2=60 Q=28×4=112 U=32×8=256 3=3×16=48 0=0×32=0 5=5×64=320 4=4×128=512 3=3×256=768 8=8×512=4096 S = 6185 6185 mod 11 = 3 Check = 3 mod 10 = 3 Container number = CSQU 305438 3
ISO 6346 Container Calculator Conversion Table
The ISO 6346 conversion table maps all 26 letters to their equivalent values.
| Letter | Value | Letter | Value | Letter | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 10 | J | 20 | S | 30 |
| B | 12 | K | 21 | T | 31 |
| C | 13 | L | 23 | U | 32 |
| D | 14 | M | 24 | V | 34 |
| E | 15 | N | 25 | W | 35 |
| F | 16 | O | 26 | X | 36 |
| G | 17 | P | 27 | Y | 37 |
| H | 18 | Q | 28 | Z | 38 |
| I | 19 | R | 29 |
Sample containers: CSQU 305438 3, MSCU 123456 6, MAEU 987654 2, HLXU 112233 0, TGHU 765432 0.
What is ISO 6346 Container Calculator?
An ISO 6346 Container Calculator is a tool that computes the check digit of a freight container number under ISO 6346. The Bureau International des Containers (BIC) registers the owner codes.
Equipment category U marks freight containers, J marks detachable equipment, and Z marks trailers and chassis. A remainder of 10 gives check digit 0, so BIC advises owners to avoid serials with that result.
What are the uses of ISO 6346 Container Calculator?
There are 4 main uses of the ISO 6346 Container Calculator, including terminal gate checks, booking systems, and OCR verification.
- Terminal gate checks: Terminals verify container numbers at in-gate.
- Booking systems: Carriers validate container numbers in shipping instructions.
- OCR verification: Crane cameras confirm read results with the check digit.
- Customs filings: Forwarders check numbers on manifests.