CSC plate

One plate, riveted to every container

Every genuine ISO shipping container ships with one CSC plate, mounted on the left door. It isn't optional and it isn't a sticker, it's a permanent metal plate, riveted on at the factory, that stays with the container for its whole working life.

That single plate is where the exact numbers for that one box live. Two containers of the same size and grade can carry different weight ratings depending on build year and manufacturer, and the plate is the only place those specific figures are printed.

What's stamped on the plate

A CSC plate lists the container's manufacture date, its owner and identification code, the maximum gross weight it's rated to carry, its tare (empty) weight, and its allowable stacking weight. Some plates also carry inspection dates from the container's shipping career.

We don't publish tare weight or payload figures site-wide because they vary unit to unit. If you need the exact numbers for a specific box, the honest answer is the same every time: check the plate on that container's own door.

Why the plate matters more than a spec sheet

A generic spec sheet gives you the industry range for a container's size class. The CSC plate gives you the real number for the one box sitting in front of you. That difference matters if you're stacking containers, loading heavy equipment, or just want to know what a specific used unit weighs before you plan a foundation or pad.

It also confirms the box is a genuine ISO container built to a real standard, not a modified shell missing its documentation.

What a missing plate means

A missing CSC plate isn't fatal for a container that's staying put as storage, since it's no longer heading back to sea. But it does erase the paper trail on that unit's history, so it's worth asking why the plate is gone before you buy. Every used container we sell keeps its data plate intact.