BIC-BoxTech API
✓ Official Vendor SpecE CommerceShipping Logisticsbearer, basic12 EndpointsREST
For Agents
Look up shipping container technical details, verify BIC code ownership, and upload fleet data via the BIC Global Container Database.
Use for: I need to look up the technical details for container MSCU1234567, Verify the holder of BIC code MSCU, Get the tare weight in kilograms for a specific container, Resolve ISO size-type code 22G1 to its specification
Not supported: Does not handle parcel tracking, customs clearance, or freight quoting - use for intermodal container identity and technical detail lookup only.
BIC-BoxTech is the API for the Bureau International des Containers (BIC) Global Container Database, the authoritative registry of intermodal shipping containers. It exposes container technical details (dimensions, tare weight, maximum gross mass, ISO size-type code), BIC code holder lookups for owner identification, fleet upload for container operators, and alerting on container number changes. Authentication uses an OAuth2-style bearer token obtained from /oauth/token, with HTTP Basic supported as a secondary scheme. Both production (app.bic-boxtech.org) and UAT (uat.bic-boxtech.org) hosts are exposed.
Install Jentic One Beta
Connect the BIC-BoxTech API to your agent
Jentic One is a self-hosted execution layer for AI agents. It lets your agent call the BIC-BoxTech API, or any other public or private API you need. You set the rules, the agent never sees your credentials, and every call is logged.
Two steps, two machines. Install the instance in a safe environment, then register your agent from wherever it runs.
1
Step 1: Jentic One Host machine
# On the machine that will host your Jentic One instance:
curl -fsSL "https://jentic.com/install.sh?src=apis&api=%2Fapis%2Fbic-boxtech.org%2Fbic-boxtech" | sh2
Step 2: Agent machine
# On the machine where your agent runs (keep this separate from the instance):
curl -fsSL "https://jentic.com/install.sh?src=apis&api=%2Fapis%2Fbic-boxtech.org%2Fbic-boxtech" | sh
jentic register # connects your agent to your Jentic One instanceJentic One is in public beta. The setup above keeps your agent separate from the instance, which is what you want before using real credentials: an agent running as the same OS user as Jentic One can read its stored keys directly. Just evaluating? A single local install is fine to start. See the secure deployment guide for the tiers.
Capabilities
What an agent can do with BIC-BoxTech API.
Look up the technical details for a specific container number
Verify the holder of a BIC owner code for ownership confirmation
Retrieve a container's tare weight and maximum gross mass in kilograms
Resolve an ISO 6346 size-type code to its container specification
Upload fleet data on behalf of a container operator
Create and deactivate alerts on container records
Browse historical fleet upload files for audit purposes
Use Cases
Patterns agents use BIC-BoxTech API for, with concrete tasks.
★ Container Specification Lookup
Resolve a container number to its full technical specification at receipt or dispatch. GET /container/{containerNumber} returns the container record including ISO size-type code, tare weight, and maximum gross mass. Operators use this to verify physical handling characteristics before loading and to confirm ownership when accepting containers from other carriers.
Call /container/MSCU1234567 and return tare weight, max gross mass, and ISO size-type code.
BIC Code Ownership Verification
Confirm the owner of a BIC code (the four-letter prefix on every intermodal container) before accepting a container into a yard or onto a vessel. GET /codes/{bicCode} returns the registered holder, which protects against fraudulent or expired codes. Combined with the container details endpoint this gives a complete identity check.
Call /codes/MSCU and return the registered holder name and contact details.
Fleet Data Upload for Container Operators
Submit fleet inventory updates on behalf of a container operator so the global database reflects newly registered or reassigned containers. POST /container accepts the upload payload, and GET /uploads/{uploadId} returns the processing status. This is required for operators that want their fleet visible to global counterparties.
Upload a CSV of 500 new containers via POST /container and poll GET /uploads/{uploadId} until processing completes.
AI Agent Container Intake Assistant
An AI agent helping a port operator intake containers can verify ownership and pull technical specifications in a single workflow. Through Jentic the agent searches for 'verify container BIC code' and 'get container details', loads each schema, and executes - Jentic injects the bearer token so the agent never handles raw operator credentials.
Search Jentic for 'look up a container by number', execute /container/MSCU1234567, and confirm the holder via /codes/MSCU.
Key Endpoints
12 endpoints — bic-boxtech is the api for the bureau international des containers (bic) global container database, the authoritative registry of intermodal shipping containers.
METHOD
PATH
DESCRIPTION
POST
/oauth/token
Obtain an access token
GET
/codes/{bicCode}
Look up a BIC code holder
POST
/container
Upload container fleet data
GET
/container/{containerNumber}
Get container technical details
GET
/tare_kg/{containerNumber}
Get tare weight in kilograms
GET
/iso/size_type_code/{sizeTypeCode}
Look up an ISO size-type code
POST
/oauth/token
Obtain an access token
GET
/codes/{bicCode}
Look up a BIC code holder
POST
/container
Upload container fleet data
GET
/container/{containerNumber}
Get container technical details
GET
/tare_kg/{containerNumber}
Get tare weight in kilograms
GET
/iso/size_type_code/{sizeTypeCode}
Look up an ISO size-type code
Why Jentic?
What agents get from Jentic-routed access to this vendor.
Setup
Wiring the BIC-BoxTech API by hand means exchanging credentials at /oauth/token for a bearer token, optionally falling back to basic auth, and building container lookup paths yourself. Through Jentic you install once, import BIC-BoxTech from the API Directory, store the credentials once, and your agent calls it.
Permission scoping
BIC-BoxTech puts the container number in the URL path (/container/{containerNumber}, /tare_kg/{containerNumber}), so a rule can pin your agent to lookups for a given container. You choose the operations it may call, so container registration is not included unless you add it.
Credential isolation
Your BIC-BoxTech bearer token, and any basic-auth credentials, are stored once, encrypted, by your own Jentic One instance and injected at execution time. They never enter the agent's prompt, logs, or context.
Intent-based discovery
Agents search Jentic by intent such as 'look up a container by number' or 'get a container's tare weight', and Jentic returns the matching BIC-BoxTech operation with its input schema so the agent calls the right endpoint without browsing the reference docs.
Related APIs
Alternatives and complements available in the Jentic catalogue.
FAQs
Specific to using BIC-BoxTech API through Jentic.
What authentication does the BIC-BoxTech API use?
BIC-BoxTech supports two schemes: HTTP Bearer (the recommended scheme - obtain the access token from POST /oauth/token) and HTTP Basic. Through Jentic, the bearer token is stored encrypted in the your Jentic One instance and injected at execution time so the agent never sees the raw token.
Can I look up a container by its container number?
Yes. GET /container/{containerNumber} returns the technical record including tare weight, maximum gross mass, and ISO 6346 size-type code. You can also use GET /tare_kg/{containerNumber} or GET /max_gross_mass_kgs/{containerNumber} to fetch specific properties without loading the full record.
How do I verify a BIC owner code?
Call GET /codes/{bicCode} with the four-letter BIC prefix. The response includes the registered holder details, which lets you confirm the container's ownership before accepting it into your yard or onto a vessel.
How do I upload fleet data through Jentic?
Search Jentic for 'upload container fleet', load POST /container, and execute with the upload payload. Then poll GET /uploads/{uploadId} until processing completes. With the SDK: pip install jentic, then SearchRequest, LoadRequest, ExecutionRequest in an async flow.
Is there a sandbox environment for the BIC-BoxTech API?
Yes - the spec exposes a UAT host at https://uat.bic-boxtech.org/api/v2.0 alongside production at https://app.bic-boxtech.org/api/v2.0. Use UAT for integration testing before promoting to production credentials.
Can I limit what my agent is allowed to do with the BIC-BoxTech API?
Yes. Because you run Jentic One yourself, your own rules decide which BIC-BoxTech operations and credentials the agent may use. You can allow read-only lookups such as GET /container/{containerNumber}, GET /tare_kg/{containerNumber}, and GET /codes/{bicCode} while withholding fleet registration via POST /container, so container uploads are excluded unless you add them. Since the container number sits in the URL path, a rule can also pin the agent to lookups for a specific container.
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