1 year, 1 month & 29 days
or 13 months & 29 days
or 60 weeks & 5 days
or quite simply
425 days
This is how long it has been since SOLAS VGM came into effect on the 1st of July 2016.. For those of you who may not be aware what SOLAS VGM is, here is a quick refresher..
As of the 1st of July 2016, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)’s amended SOLAS (Safety of Life At Sea convention) Chapter VI Regulation 2 came into effect.. As per this regulation, all containers needed to be weighed according to the SOLAS VGM (Verified Gross Mass) guidelines before being loaded onto a ship..
I even created an infographic explaining the reason and requirements of the SOLAS VGM which you can view here..
Now that it has been 425 days since the implementation of the SOLAS VGM requirement, I am keen to find out from you, HOW HAS IT BEEN..??
- If you are a shipping line – has this regulation helped you at all in curtailing the container weight misdeclaration..??
- If you are a shipper – has this regulation created any hassles for you in terms of additional administration or has it been smooth sailing..??
- If you are a logistics service provider or a freight forwarder – have your customers been co-operative in helping you implement this regulation..??
- If you are a weighbridge operator – has your business boomed because of this regulation..??
- If you are a transporter – has it been a smooth operation for you or did this regulation increase your workload..??
- If you are from a port or container terminal – has this regulation caused any delays for you..??
Would be interesting to hear everyone’s views on this.. So please comment below..
We are a portable, container scale manufacturer and it’s now two years since the implementation of the SOLAS VGM regulation.
How has it been? “Non eventful, no change, business as usual” are the main phrases I have heard.
I guess the real disappointment is that the authorities who need to enforce the regulations are often underfunded, which means no spot checking or enforcement takes place. This does little to convince offending shippers to change or comply, as we still hear about overweight and unbalanced containers in the supply chain.
As a Surveyor, one of the CFS in Chennai gave us an assignment for recording VGM.
hi,
thanks for this posting , this is very nice information for us ,
regards,
mansi desai
We are exporter / shipper from Mundra Port, India and though the process has increased administration work as well as some cost towards weighing charges, we have otherwise found the things moving smoothly.
Thanks Jagdip..
We are Logistics forwarding service co. and we are glad to say that we have no issue with SOLAS VGM implementation.
Being an importer and having the incoterm as EXW, we have to collect the shipment from the shipper. And this regulation this has increased the transport cost as it has to go to a certified weighbridge first before going to the port.
I work at a container terminal in Karachi. VGM has increased workload to a little extent. The exporters may weigh their container at a private weigh bridge or request terminal to weigh container at truck entrance gate. In a former case, the customer may submit a misleading weigh certificate which can be verified during truck entrance as all export containers are must to be weighed irrespective of Shipper VGM or Terminal VGM. There was a case when shipper submitted wrong VGM, the container was over weight but we could do nothing because we are not bound to inform shipping line regarding misdeclaration. However, S/line raised an objection to inform them if SVGM difference is more than +/- 5% to the terminal weight. This is an annoying situation now. In my opinion VGM has a slight impact on export weight misdeclaration.
As a private weighbridge operation, we have noticed a marked increase in the volume of containers weighing under SOLAS guidelines. We operate in New Zealand and whilst our relation with our local port is exceptional, we are noticing that a number of other Ports, do not have EDIFACT standard electronic vermas messaging system up and running. This allow the weighbridge operator to send direct to the Port standardised data pertaining to the container weighing transaction. This obviously cuts out the wait time at Port entry as booking procedures must be streamlined given the Port are already holding the information. Hopefully other Ports have taken up technology to enhance their operations. So from a weighbridge operation point of view, its definitely changed the face of container weighing for our company here in New Zealand.
As the OPS Supervisor on of the shipping line in Vladivostok commercial port, frankly speaking, nothing serious changed from the chapter came into effect for Russian port – Vladivostok. The container terminal provide weighting service for 30$ per cntr. Almost all big exporters/plants have the licence for weighting and weight containers after stuffing at a plant. Almost every container arrives at the terminal with VGM certificate.