Cargo Worthy vs Wind & Watertight: Container Grades Explained
The five grades
Grades are market words, not regulations: each seller defines them, so the same word can mean slightly different boxes from one depot to the next. These are the five you’ll see on US listings, from best to worst.
| Grade | What it means | What it doesn’t promise |
|---|---|---|
| One-trip (new) | Built new, loaded for a single voyage, usually from Asia, then sold | A spotless box: small handling marks are normal |
| IICL | Meets the leasing industry’s inspection and repair criteria (IICL-6) | Fitness to sail: it isn’t a CSC exam |
| Cargo worthy (CW) | Used, sound and watertight, fit to pass a CSC exam | A current exam, or a common definition between sellers |
| Wind & watertight (WWT) | Used, no holes, doors that close and seal | Strength for ocean shipping or stacking |
| As-is | Sold in its current state | Anything: it may leak, have holes or a damaged floor |
Requests through LandedBox are for new one-trip containers and used ones graded cargo worthy or wind & watertight. A grade is the seller’s word, so check what each quote promises for it: for cargo worthy, that the box is structurally sound, wind and watertight and fit to pass a CSC exam, whether the exam itself is included, and whether you can refuse the box at delivery if it falls short. IICL is the standard leasing companies apply when boxes go on and off lease; as-is units come with no promise on their condition.
Cargo worthy and the CSC plate
The CSC plate, the Safety Approval Plate required by the International Convention for Safe Containers (in force since 1977), is the metal plate fixed to the container’s door, usually the left one. It shows the country of approval, the month and year of manufacture, the maximum gross weight, the stacking load the box was tested for, and the date of its first and later safety exams. The tare weight isn’t on it: that’s painted on the door with the maximum gross weight.
Exams follow one of two schemes. Under periodic examination (PES), the first exam comes within 5 years of manufacture and the next within 30 months each time, with the date marked on or next to the plate. Under a fleet’s approved continuous examination program (ACEP), boxes are checked at major repairs and lease changes, at least every 30 months, and carry an “ACEP” mark with no expiry date. That approval stays with the fleet: it ends when the container is sold. A cargo worthy container you buy for storage doesn’t need any of this; one you mean to ship by sea again needs a new exam first.
Which grade for which use
- Storage on land (tools, stock, a farm or a job site): wind & watertight. It keeps the same weather out for less.
- Shipping goods, or reselling to someone who will: cargo worthy, then a fresh CSC exam before it sails.
- An office, a shop, or a box in plain view: one-trip, for clean paint and an unworn floor. New one-trip containers.
- Under $1,000: expect as-is or “storage-class” boxes sold without a watertight promise; check what the listing actually guarantees.
Prices by grade
| Grade | 20ft | 40ft | 40ft high cube |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-trip (new) | $2,750 | $5,350 | $3,900 |
| Cargo worthy | $1,550 | $2,060 | $2,130 |
| Wind & watertight | $1,400 | $1,900 | $1,980 |
The step from wind & watertight to cargo worthy is small, $150–160 this week; the step to one-trip is larger, since you’re paying for a nearly new box. Market-wide, cargo worthy listed $170–230 above wind and watertight at the median in October 2026, depending on size, according to our monthly shipping container price index. Used shipping containers.
What a grade guarantees
Because grades vary from seller to seller, the promise that counts is the one written in the quote you accept:
The seller’s guarantee. The seller you choose sets what’s guaranteed and for how long, what you can refuse at delivery, how you pay and how you can cancel; check that each quote puts it in writing, so you can compare before you accept. Our service is free, your request goes to up to 5 sellers we’ve checked for licensing and insurance, and you don’t have to accept any quote. What to check in a quote.
Browse containers Check delivery to your ZIP
Frequently asked questions
What does “cargo-worthy” mean on a shipping container?
That the seller judges it fit to carry cargo: a sound frame and floor, no holes, doors that seal, and a structure that could pass the CSC safety exam. It isn’t a legal term, each seller sets its own bar, and it doesn’t mean the container holds a current exam: ask for the grade in writing.
What is the difference between a cargo-worthy container and a wind and watertight one?
Strength for the sea. Both keep wind and rain out; a cargo worthy box is also judged strong enough to be loaded, stacked and shipped, while a wind and watertight one is sold for use on land and may show more wear. For storage, the cheaper wind and watertight grade does the same job.
How do I inspect a used container at delivery?
Before you sign, check the doors, seals, walls, roof and floor, using the checklist on our used containers page. Then read the CSC plate on the door for the manufacture date and the exam date or ACEP mark, and the weights painted on the door. Anything wrong goes on the receipt before you sign. Delivery-day checklist.
What does IICL mean on a container?
That it meets the inspection and repair criteria of the Institute of International Container Lessors, which leasing companies use when boxes go on and off lease; its guide in force since August 2016 is IICL-6. It’s the strictest standard for a used container, but it isn’t a safety certificate and doesn’t replace a CSC exam.
Can I ship a cargo worthy container overseas?
Only with a valid CSC exam. If it was examined under a fleet’s continuous program (ACEP), that approval belongs to the fleet and ends when the container is sold. Before loading it for sea transport, have it examined again.
Is there a grade below wind and watertight?
Yes: as-is, sold in its current state with no promise that it keeps water out, closes or holds its floor. Used containers listed under $1,000 are usually as-is or “storage-class” boxes sold without a watertight promise. LandedBox doesn’t take requests for as-is containers.
Sources
CSC plate and exams: the International Maritime Organization’s Convention for Safe Containers, US rules in 49 CFR parts 451 and 452, and the World Nuclear Transport Institute’s guide to reading the CSC plate (2020). Cargo worthy as a trade term without a formal definition: a marine insurer’s note (TT Club, 2020). IICL: the Institute of International Container Lessors. Grade usage and as-is sales: the published grade definitions of US container sellers. Prices by grade: our weekly price record, week of Oct 21, 2026.