With the introduction of containers to the Sri Lankan shipping trade in the late 70’s the Port of Colombo faced an acute shortage of space for storing empty containers and the then Minister of Trade and Shipping requested private entrepreneurs to set up container storage facilities in the surrounding urban environs. As a result Sri Lankan entrepreneurs made considerable investments and set up Inland Container Terminals and Container Freight Stations.
Consequently the Association of Container Terminal and Depot Operators (ACTDO) was formed in 1983 by a group of Depot Operators.
The Association was incorporated as a Public Limited Liability (Guarantee) Company in June 1999 and the name was changed to Association of Inland Container Depot Operators (ACDO).