7.3 Suitability for the transport mode

7.3.1       Freight containers, including swap bodies and regional containers designed for stacking and approved under the CSC are basically suitable for all modes of transport. However, freight containers having an allowable stacking mass of less than 192,000 kg marked on the approval plate (see annex 4, section 1) require special stowage on board a ship, where the superimposed stacking mass will not exceed the permitted limits as marked on the plate. Furthermore, some freight containers and swap bodies may have a gross mass of 34 tons or higher for which some road chassis and railcars will not be capable of carrying such heavy units. Therefore, especially for heavy massed containers, it is of utmost importance to arrange for an appropriate chassis and tractor vehicle or railcar, as applicable.

7.3.2       As the maximum permissible payload of a railcar is not a fixed value for the distinguished wagon but depends in addition on the track category of the railway network (see annex 4, section 5.1), the railway operator should be contacted when necessary, in order to prevent overloading.

7.3.3       Swap bodies and semi-trailers are designed for an easy change of the means of transport. In most cases this might be an interchange between different carrier vehicles for swap bodies or different tractor vehicles for semi-trailers. When an intermodal change from road to rail is intended, it should be ensured that the swap body or the semi-trailer is capable of being lifted by grappler arms and approved for rail transport.

7.3.4       CTUs on ro-ro ships

7.3.4.1       Before dispatching a CTU for carriage on a ro-ro, the shipper needs to confirm with the CTU operator and/or the ro-ro ship operator whether specific requirements apply. Further, the shipper needs to ensure that the CTU to be used is fit for this kind of transport.

7.3.4.2       When road vehicles or semi-trailers are intended to be transported on a ro-ro ship, they should be equipped with securing points of a defined minimum strength in sufficient number according to the following table[1]:

7.3.4.3       Road trains, comprising two or more trailers, require each trailer to be considered in isolation and be fitted with, and secured by, the minimum number of securing points for the GVM of that trailer component. Semi-trailer tractor or towing vehicles are excluded from the table and should be provided with two securing points or a towing coupling at the front of the vehicle.

7.3.4.4       When railway wagons are intended to be transported on a railway ferry, they should be able to pass over the kink angle of the ferry ramp and to pass through the track curves on the ferry vessel. In general, there are more restrictions for wagons equipped with bogies than for wagons equipped with two wheel sets only. The details should be clarified with the ferry line operator.

7.3.4.5  Railway wagons should be equipped with securing points on both sides in sufficient number when used in ferry traffic. To determine the required number and strength of securing points the ferry operator should be contacted. The maximum permitted axle loads and maximum permitted loads per linear metre depend on the properties of the ferry ramp and of the characteristics of the ferry vessels employed in the respective ferry service.