Container weighing
VGM VERIFIED GROSS MASS – INFORMATION
Verified Gross Mass (VGM) – maritime safety of life requirements defined in the SOLAS Convention
Basic requirements for new regulations:
Dear Sir or Madam,
in order to improve the security in the supply chain, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) amended the Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) reminding that all Exporters must comply with the requirements for verifying the weight of goods in the container (VGM) as of July 1, 2016.
Main principle
- “No loading without VGM” means that containers without VGM will not be loaded onto the ship.
- Shipper is responsible for any costs arising from the lack of VGM and any legal consequences resulting from such a situation.
What is it?
VGM is the total gross mass of the container, which includes the weight of the load, fastening materials and the weight (tare) of the container itself. The SOLAS Convention offers two methods of obtaining VGM as certified and approved by an authorized national authority:
Method No. 1 – Weighing
Weighing a loaded container using properly calibrated and certified equipment/scale.
Method No. 2 – Calculation
Total mass = mass of individual contents of the container + packaging (pallets, protective materials) + container tare
Note: this method cannot be used for scrap metal and other bulk cargoes.
Who is responsible?
- The exporter is fully responsible for obtaining and verifying VGM of a container.
- The shipper is responsible for delivering VGM to the Dalton company in order to meet the requirements of the SOLAS Convention.
The exporter/shipper may authorize the Dalton company to weigh a filled container and submit the VGM on his behalf.
When?
- The shipper must ensure that VGM is delivered to Dalton before the container arrives at the terminal. If the VGM is delivered after the container arrives at the terminal, or if the VGM will differ from the actual weight, any additional costs resulting from this will be added to the overall transport costs.
VGM declarations must be delivered during Dalton’s business hours.
How?
- The mandatory fields of the VGM declaration are: the verified total load weight, container number and “Signature of the authorized person”.
- VGM is not a mandatory bill of lading, but it can be shown on the bill of lading at the customer’s request.
In case of any doubt, please contact our Customer Service or Sales Department.
