In the aftermath of controversy surrounding the ongoing truck ban imposed by the city government of Manila, renewed interest in the Port of Subic as alternative port outside of Metro Manila is expected to increase tremendously.
Unofficial data on the latest electronic manifest submission to BOC e2m System in the Port of Subic for inbound vessels shows the following:
Jan 2014 – no less than 50 inbound vessels loaded with import shipments
27 shipping lines/agents submitted inward cargo manifest
Feb 2014 – around 37 inbound vessels loaded with import shipments
21 shipping agents submitted electronic inward foreign manifest
Mar 2014 – around 56 inbound vessels loaded with import shipments
22 shipping agents submitted electronic inward foreign manifest
Only APL and Wan Hai Lines have container vessels calling at the Port of Subic until now.
Container Check Digit Calculator
During the past three weeks I received email from some logistic and supply chain managers requesting clarification about container number check digits.
There is actually an international standard covering the coding, identification and marking of intermodal (shipping) containers used within containerized intermodal freight transport – ISO 6346. It establishes a visual identification system for every container that includes a unique serial number (with check digit), the owner, a country code, a size, type and equipment category as well as any operational marks. The standard is managed by the International Container Bureau (BIC). The International Container Bureau is known by its French name – Bureau International des Conteneurs (BIC) and it oversees standards for shipping containers. ISO 6346 ensures a unique code number for every shipping container in the world, and these must be registered with BIC.
The check digit is the last numeric character in the eleven (11) alphanumeric characters that constitutes the container number (example: AAAU1234567).
There are numerous resources available through the Internet which provides the container check digit based on input of the 1st ten (10) alphanumeric characters.
Leo V. Morada is a domain expert on IT applications in Philippine port operations with 25 years’ senior IT management experience implementing technology solutions in port operations, electronic transactions with customs & port authority, and air/sea port community system applications. He is CEO of Cargo Data Exchange Center, Inc, a customs-accredited Value Added Service Provider. He may be contacted at lmorada3fl@yahoo.com.
