This UN requirement will be implemented in national legislation in all countries world wide. The headline is:
“A packed container will not be loaded on board vessels unless the Verified Gross Mass (VGM) of the container has been provided to the Carrier and terminal, or their representatives, sufficiently in advance.”
The regulation clearly mention that Shipper is responsible to obtain and document the Verified Gross Mass of a packed container.
The Verified Gross Mass (VGM) is the total gross mass of a packed container including the tara of the container. VGM can be obtained by one of the two methods described below:
· Method 1 – Using calibrated and certified equipment, the shipper weighs the packed container at the end of the stuffing operation.
· Method 2 - The shipper weighs all packages, cargo items, pallets, dunnage and other packing and securing material and adds the tare mass of the container. The total sum finally obtained is the weight to be provided. This method is subject to certification and approval by the competent national authority of the State in which the packing and sealing of the container was completed.
At Unifeeder A/S we will do our utmost to find good solutions for VGM working together with you and other parties in the transportation chain as well as organizations and we will keep you informed.
For details about national regulations we urge shippers to contact the competent authority of the State where the container is to be packed.
For further information, please refer to the SOLAS official guidelines
and The Maritime Safety Committee Implementation Guidelines