Economical SOLAS Solutions for Shippers
Overweight containers have been an issue for years, so in order to make vessel stowage planning more efficient and safer, SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) rules requiring a Verified Gross Mass (VGM) of containers prior to the containers being loaded onto ships have been issued. These requirements protect the terminal operator employees as well as the vessel and its cargo, and go into effect July 1, 2016.
“Ultimately, it is the Shipper’s responsibility to provide the VGM to the carrier.”
Ultimately, it is the Shipper’s (party listed as shipper in the bill of lading or sea waybill) responsibility to provide the VGM to the carrier prior to the container being loaded onto the ship. All countries that are members of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) will be required to adopt these VGM rules; while enforcement will be at the local/state level.
Shippers should be ready to comply with these regulations in June, 2016. In order to comply, precision weighing solutions will be required to verify VGM in one of the following ways:
Method 1. Weigh the container completely packed
Method 2. Weigh each package/item being loaded into the container and add the tare weight of the container
Method 1 Solution: PT300™ Wheel Load Scales
• Available in a Variety of Capacities
• Accuracy of ±1% of Reading
• Rugged, Lightweight Aluminum Construction
• Highly Portable
• View Total Weight from Any Scale
Method 2 Solution: PW800™ Pallet Truck Scales
• 5,000lb (2,500kg) Capacity
• Accuracy of ±0.1% of Reading
• High Quality, American-Made Construction
• Large, Easy-to-Read LED Display
• Standard D-Cell Batteries Last up to 400 Hours
