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Bureau International des Containers et du Transport Intermodal (B.I.C.)
History
The 'Bureau International des Containers et du Transport Intermodal' (B.I.C.) was established in 1933 as 'Bureau International des Containers' by the International Chamber of Commerce (I.C.C.) in order to make business people sensitive to the development of international -and thus intermodal- transport and its practical aspects.
Since its establishment, B.I.C.' s activity dealt with all technical as well as commercial issues of intermodal transport. Till 1939, its main
transportation sectors were inland transport (rail and road).
When B.I.C.
recovered its activity in 1948, it became fully intermodal and adopted its
present title.
It played a
major part in the organization of maritime transportation with containers since
the years 1960, mainly dealing with the following matters: technical control,
strength, coding, identification and marking of containers, and more generally
the facilitation of commercial exchanges.
B.I.C. thus
originated as early as 1970 the marking of containers with an alphanumeric, well
structured and reliable owners code, the 'BIC-CODE' system. In 1972, the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) adopted it and handed over
to B.I.C. the exclusive management of the allocation of the BIC-CODES for
international container transport and the updating of its official Register of
owners codes.
B.I.C. also
contributed, as a well known expert, to the elaboration and updating of the main
international conventions which allowed since 1970 the booming expansion of
transportation by containers:
- the Customs Convention on Containers
(C.C.C.) in 1972;
- the International Convention for Safe Containers
(C.S.C.) in 1972;
- the International Road Transport Convention (T.I.R.) in
1975;
- the Customs Convention on the International Transit of Goods
(I.T.I.) in 1985.
Since the end of
the years 1980, B.I.C. noted both in North America and in Europe the progressive
raise of combined transport (mainly rail-road) for inland transportation.
Therefore, it is presently moving its efforts to improve the organization of
such kind of transportation in order to allow its harmonised development.
The Bureau International des Containers et du Transport Intermodal
(B.I.C.), with 1200 members, is the only non-governmental
organization linking all groups interested in containerization and intermodal
transport: carriers, manufacturers, operators, lessors, shippers, forwarders,
etc¡¦
> To contribute to the
expansion of containerization and intermodal transport,
> To facilitate
professional discussions on all subjects connected with containers and
intermodal transport,
> To obtain and keep
updated specialised documentation for the benefit of its members.
- The
BIC-CODES
According
to ISO standard 6346 (Freight Containers-coding, identification and marking),
B.I.C. allocates an owner code to every container owner or operating company.
Such codes are listed in the official Register 'CONTAINERS BIC-CODE'.
This task is completed with the assistance of a world network of National
Registration Organisations.
·
Further B.I.C. Services are:
· Its
conferences and forums.
· Its working groups about occasional
studies.
· Its consultancy activity via its specialised subsidiary
company, the SOCIETE D'ETUDES et de RECHERCHE du TRANSPORT (SERT).
· Its
participation to international events (conferences, exhibitions, meetings
of inter-govermental bodies, ¡¦) ·
·
(NEW) The BIC-EUROCODES
According to the recently adopted European standard EN 13044 (Swap
Bodies-coding, identification and marking), B.I.C. is preparing the launching of
a new service devoted to all European owners or main operators of swap bodies
for inland transportation in Europe.
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