Straight answers
What Is a CSC Survey for a Shipping Container?
A CSC survey is an inspection used to confirm that a shipping container meets the structural and safety requirements needed for international marine transport. A qualified inspector checks the container against the information and standards associated with its CSC plate and provides documentation that can be supplied to the ocean carrier. You can buy an eligible Western Container Sales Cargo Worthy or One Trip container, add a CSC survey when it is offered, and use that container for ocean export. Western Container Sales does not arrange the ocean shipment, and Western Container Sales does not move the container after you load it.
What to know
CSC Shipping Container Surveys
Only Cargo Worthy (CWO) & One Trip containers can be surveyed.
CWO means cargo-worthy: the container has the structural integrity to be stacked 7-high on a cargo ship. One Trip containers are Cargo Worthy containers that were manufactured within the last 1–2 calendar years.
We only survey containers that we have sold.
The survey currently adds approximately 5 business days for the container to be surveyed and released. Exact timing can vary by depot.
We do not assist with exports.
We recommend that you arrange your shipment for export first, then order your container about a week before you plan on picking it up.
What is a CSC plate?
CSC stands for Convention for Safe Containers. A CSC plate is the safety approval plate attached to an eligible intermodal container. It records manufacture details and structural specifications used for safe transport and stacking. The International Maritime Organization publishes the Convention for Safe Containers. A CSC plate is not the same thing as a CSC survey: the plate identifies the container's approved design and ratings, and the survey is a later inspection against those standards.
When do I need a CSC survey?
A CSC survey is typically needed when a shipper-owned container will be loaded and transported internationally by ocean carrier, and the carrier requires proof that the container is fit for marine transport. Carrier requirements can vary. Confirm the documentation your ocean carrier or freight forwarder needs before you buy. A survey is not automatically required for every domestic storage container.
Can a Wind & Watertight container receive a CSC survey?
No. Western Container Sales only surveys Cargo Worthy and One Trip containers. If you need a container for ocean export, choose Cargo Worthy or One Trip. If you need stationary storage, Wind & Watertight is the usual condition and does not include a CSC survey.
Can Western Container Sales move a loaded shipping container?
No. Western Container Sales does not move loaded containers. Western Container Sales haulers deliver the empty container to the ground. If you later load it for export, you need separate equipment such as a crane or forklift to place it back onto a chassis for pickup. Customers purchasing for export should generally arrange their own trucking after loading.
Buying a Western Container Sales container for export
1. Arrange the ocean shipment or freight-forwarding plan. 2. Confirm the carrier's CSC and documentation requirements. 3. Purchase an eligible Cargo Worthy or One Trip Western Container Sales container. 4. Add the CSC survey during checkout if it is offered. 5. Allow enough time for inspection and release — currently about 5 business days, which can vary by depot. 6. Pick up or receive the empty container. 7. Load the container. 8. Arrange appropriate trucking and equipment to move the loaded container to the port or rail terminal.
Bottom line
Yes: you can buy an eligible Western Container Sales Cargo Worthy or One Trip container, add a CSC survey where it is offered, and use that container for ocean export. You handle the ocean booking, the loaded move, and any equipment needed after the empty container is on the ground. Western Container Sales surveys only containers it sold, and Wind & Watertight containers are not eligible.
Buying a container for export? View Cargo Worthy and One Trip containers available in your market, then enter your ZIP for local pricing.