Peter updates: It’s ‘weigh in’ time for Containers

Have you already seen awful pictures of damaged or lost containers on the high seas? Mostly as a result of a bad storm. Frequently wrong weight data in the cargo documents is the cause of such accidents because, for example, the weight of the packaging material, pallets or the empty container were not added to the cargo weight. This means that the ship’s stowage experts have no reliable data for their planning.  

Since 1 July this year there’s a real change.  A new international directive has come into force, calling for data on the VGM - Verified Gross Mass before a container is allowed to be loaded on a seagoing vessel. The shipper is made responsible for ensuring the correct weight of the packed container. If there is a difference between the weight given in the cargo documents and the actual weight, the container can’t be loaded. This directive will increase safety and transport quality in the supply chain.