Container Condition Grading: What IICL Standards Mean in Practice
A closer look at how IICL criteria create consistency across ports and fleets.
Container leasing depends on a shared understanding of condition between lessor and lessee — which is exactly what IICL (Institute of International Container Lessors) criteria provide. By applying a consistent grading standard, on-hire and off-hire inspections produce comparable results regardless of which port or depot they take place in.
For lessors, this consistency protects fleet value and reduces disputed damage claims at redelivery. For lessees, it provides confidence that units accepted on-hire meet an objective, industry-recognized standard rather than a subjective assessment.
SIMS inspectors apply IICL criteria across every container survey, giving both parties a defensible, standardized record they can rely on.