CHAPTER 7
MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION
| This chapter outlines DOD requirements for container maintenance and inspection from receipt to shipment at user activities for both common-use and Service-owned containers. Service-owned containers include MILVANs/ commercial ANSI/ISO containers used in the CADS used throughout the DOD and MILVANs/commercial ANSI/ISO containers authorized and controlled by a unit/activity within a Military Department (DOD-component). This applies to 20-foot ANSI/ISO standard containers, QUADCONs, and TRICONs. This chapter does not apply to ISU shipping containers or obsolete CONEX containers. These containers are CTA items on the organizational property book and are maintained IAW installation maintenance procedures. However, ISUs must meet certification standards for air transport which is the intended use for this container. |
7-1. RESPONSIBILITIES AND FUNDING. User activities (for example, installations, depots, ports, units, and supply points) are responsible for proper maintenance and repair at the organizational (user) level while common-use or CADS containers are in their possession. MTMC assumes this responsibility above user level.
Funding authority for acquisition, maintenance/repair, and disposal of DOD-owned common-use and CADS containers used in peacetime operations will be in the MTMC portion of the DBOF-T budget. However, funding authority for strategic mobility/surge containers will be Army appropriated funds (Operations and Maintenance) for CADS containers and pro rata Service-appropriated funds for DOD-owned common-use containers.
Funding for maintenance, repair, and replacement of Service-owned containers is programmed through the applicable Service and includes acquisition through disposal.
Funding for organization (user) maintenance for common-use and CADS containers is programmed by those activities that receive and ship cargo in these containers. MTMC will reimburse activities through resource management channels once repairs are accomplished.
Funding for depot-level repair for DOD common-use and CADS containers in peacetime operations will be in the MTMC portion of the DBOF-T budget, with reimbursement through port handling rates. However, funding for strategic mobility/surge containers will be Army-appropriated funds for CADS containers and pro rata Service-appropriated funds for DOD common-use containers.
Funding for container inspections is the responsibility of the activities who last acknowledged receipt and ownership of the container.
7-2. USER CHECKS. The general condition of the container is vital to safe arrival of goods at the ultimate destination. Given proper attention to the container at the start will lessen the chances of cargo damage.
When the container arrives at your facility, check to see if it is the type you ordered. A complete examination of the container should be conducted with consideration to the following:
a. General Condition. Examine the sides, top, and floor. Have they been repaired? If so, do the repairs seem to restore the original strength and weatherproof integrity? Look for dents and bulges which may interfere with cargo loading.
b. Cleanliness. Check to see that the container is free from odor which may taint the cargo. Look for splinters, nails, screws, and debris from previous cargoes that may interfere with loading, that will endanger the cargo, or that may create a safety hazard to personnel.
c. Weatherproofing. The container should be relatively watertight. One way to check this is to walk inside the container and close the doors behind you. If light enters, water can too. This check should be adequate in most situations. When absolute weatherproofing is needed, a smoke bomb can be used to check the container. If smoke escapes, the container is not totally weatherproof.
d. Fittings. Check the adequacy and condition of the interior fittings for securing the stow. Tie-down cleats or rings, if provided, should be in good condition, well anchored, and in sufficient supply.
e. Exterior Doors. Be sure the doors can be securely locked and sealed. Check that gaskets are in good condition and watertight when closed. Look to see if the doors can be removed with simple tools from the outside without breaking the seal or lock. If so, it is an attractive invitation to the professional thief. Return the container.
f. General Outside Condition. Check that there is no external damage that can affect material strength, function, or sealing qualities. Examine all sides, including the top and bottom of the outer shell. Be sure they are free of dents, bulges, holes, or corrosion which may affect the carriage of the goods. Look for rivet heads which may have popped.
g. ISO Corners. Look at the top and bottom corner castings which are essential to lift and secure the container to see what may be damaged or unsafe. Look to see that other handling devices are free of foreign matter and are in good condition.
The age of the container should not retard the inspection process. Recently manufactured general-purpose containers which appear to be cosmetically sound may have defects which will affect the safe carriage of the goods. On the other hand, there are containers in use today which have been in service for many years, traveled thousands of miles to all corners of the globe, and are in very good condition. The age and appearance of the unit should have no bearing on completing a thorough inspection. If you find the container cracked or out of line, it has been misused. It will be inadequate for safe carriage of your cargo and presents a serious threat to the safety of all who will come in contact with the container. Return the equipment to the supplier immediately and report the deficiencies to the ITO or TMCA as appropriate. MIL-HDBK 138 provides complete container inspection procedures for certified inspectors.
7-3. MAINTENANCE. Activities possessing DOD-owned common-use and CADS containers when deficiencies are noted, are responsible for coordinating with MTMC to ensure maintenance/repair is performed to acceptable standards. For maintenance requirements above organizational level, MTMC will arrange maintenance or issue disposal instructions to the activity possessing the container.
Component-owned containers are maintained, repaired, and inspected to ensure they meet International Safe Container Act of 1980 (46 U.S.C. app. 1501 - 1507) standards promulgated in CFR 49, Parts 451 through 453 and IMDG standards promulgated in CFR 49, Part 176, as required, for serviceability of containers.
MELs are maximum dollar amounts that can be spent for one-time repair to return a container to fully serviceable condition. MELs for MILVANs are identified in TB 43-0002-40. MELs for DOD-owned common-use and CADS commercial containers will not exceed 65 percent of acquisition cost. DOD components will establish MELs for all their containers.
7-4. CONTAINER INSPECTION CRITERIA. An intermodal freight container may not be offered for the carriage of any type of cargo through the marine environment unless the container is structurally serviceable as evidenced by a CSC Safety Approval Plate and verified by a detailed visual examination
7-5. REGULATORY MANDATES. The International Convention for Safe Containers Safety Approval Plate and the visual examination must conform to the mandates of Title 49 CFR, Parts 450 through 453. Also, before a freight container is loaded with cargo, it must be free of any residue of previous cargo. Its interior walls and floor must be free from protrusions and it must also meet specific structural serviceability requirements as prescribed by the IMDG Code and mandated by Title 49 CFR, paragraph 176.172. If a container has any safety related deficiency or damage that could place any person in danger, it is not used.
The US Army Defense Ammunition Center located in Savanna, IL, offers a three day container certification course entitled "Intermodal Dry Cargo Container Reinspections." CONUS installations should train enough personnel in container certification to meet mission requirements. OCONUS installations should consider their span of control and determine how many inspectors they need to meet their mission requirements. Inspectors require recertification every 48 months.
7-6. MARKINGS AND DATA PLATES. A container must bear legible ANSI/ISO markings conforming to ANSI/ISO Standard 6346. A container must also bear a legible CSC Safety Approval Plate or a Consolidated Data Plate marked IAW CSC format requirements. Mandatory ANSI/ISO identification markings (for example, owner code, serial number, and check digit) must be located on each side and each end of the container. Mandatory ANSI/ISO operational markings (for example, tare weight and maximum gross weight) must appear on at least one location (such as on the door). The CSC data may be in any conspicuous place as long as it is securely affixed to the container and it meets CSC format requirements. All maximum gross weight markings on the container must be consistent with the maximum gross weight on the CSC plate. Figure 7-1 shows an example of a DD Form 2282.
Figure 7-1. DD Form 2282 Inspection Decal
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