A container under 2 m³ does not qualify for a batch certificate on size alone. Series production of one type and a documented internal volume are needed together. Article 4 of the Turkish regulation on special equipment for perishable food carriage defines containers as special transport equipment, which is why the certificate can be issued for the container itself.
What Article 16 says
Article 16 of the regulation allows the ATP certificate for containers with an internal volume below 2 m³ in series production to be issued for the whole batch of the relevant type, instead of for each container. The serial numbers are then entered on the certificate as a range.
ATP Agreement Annex 1, Appendix 1, paragraph 3 describes the same route: all identification numbers, or the first and last numbers, appear on the certificate. Even where a range is written, each container listed must carry a certification plate under Annex 1, Appendix 3 B. If the container is later registered in another Contracting Party, that state may issue an individual certificate for one container based on the original batch certificate.
The smaller the unit of certification, the more a refrigerated vehicle alternative turns from a technical question into a planning one.
The type-test rule applies to small containers too
Assuming a small container is type-tested only once is wrong. Article 11(8) of the regulation applies to every insulated unit: for each batch of 250 units of the same type, the type test is renewed on a reference unit. For a small container the difference lies in the unit the certificate covers.
| Item | Vehicle body | Container under 2 m³ |
|---|---|---|
| Type-test renewal | Reference unit per batch of 250 (Art. 11(8)) | Same rule (Art. 11(8)) |
| Unit of certification | Each item of equipment | The type's batch, by serial number range |
A body gets its own certificate for each item of equipment; a small container batch stays on one certificate. That difference also sets the paperwork when a new batch is added.
When equipment counts as unused
Under Article 14(6) of the regulation, insulated equipment counts as unused only if the application is made by the end of a six-month period from the registration date. Equipment past that date counts as used and is subject to periodic inspection. For a batch waiting in a warehouse, record both the registration date and the application date together.
Volumes of the GEBHARDT TBX range
GEBHARDT TBX comes in nine models from 410 to 1,500 litres. All nine sit below 2 m³. Nominal volume is the litre figure in the catalogue; the internal volume used on the certificate has to be stated in the offer. The table gives each model's nominal volume in cubic metres:
| Model | Nominal volume (m³) |
|---|---|
| TBX 410 | 0.410 |
| TBX 600 | 0.600 |
| TBX 725 | 0.725 |
| TBX 795 | 0.795 |
| TBX 900 | 0.900 |
| TBX 1000 | 1.000 |
| TBX 1070 | 1.070 |
| TBX 1170 | 1.170 |
| TBX 1500 | 1.500 |
The 2 m³ line does not separate any model in this range.
Containers made abroad and registered in Turkey
For equipment made abroad and registered in Turkey, Article 17 of the regulation requires these documents for the national certificate: an ATP type test report from the authority of a Contracting Party, or for series production the reference equipment's report; the certificate of the producing country's competent authority; and, for series production, the manufacturer's declaration of technical specifications. The approval body may also carry out a production conformity check.
What to check in the offer
- Internal volume in cubic metres, and the value that will be used on the certificate.
- The type test report number and its validity date; under ATP a type approval certificate expires six years after the test was completed (Annex 1, Appendix 1, paragraph 6).
- The serial number range: the first and last numbers must match the numbers of the containers delivered.
- A certification plate under Annex 1, Appendix 3 B on each container.
These four items show which certification route applies. If any is missing, ask Aris Makina for the type test report and the certificate.
