The Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regulations, specifically the Verified Gross Mass (VGM) requirements, are pivotal in maritime safety. This article explores the significance of complying with these regulations and the different methods and challenges in weighing containerized cargo.
SOLAS Regulations for Container Weight Verification
The International Maritime Organization’s amendments to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention require shippers to verify the gross mass of packed containers before vessel loading. Known as the Verified Gross Mass (VGM) requirement, this mandate aims to improve maritime safety by ensuring vessel operators have accurate container weights for proper stowage planning and stability calculations.
Without a verified container weight documented on a shipping document and approved by a qualifying representative, that container cannot be loaded onto a ship for export under SOLAS regulations. These rules went into effect on July 1, 2016, allowing for two permissible methods of weighing and documenting packed container mass.
Methods for Weighing Containers
Shippers have two approved methods outlined in the SOLAS guidelines for obtaining the verified gross mass of a packed container:
- Weighing the entire packed container using certified weighing equipment.
- Calculating the total weight by summing the tare (empty) container weight and the weight of all cargo/dunnage loaded inside.
Regardless of method, the VGM must be communicated in a timely fashion to the ocean carrier and terminal representative tasked with vessel loading and stow planning. This weight verification process aims to prevent overweight containers, load distribution issues, stack collapses, and other maritime safety risks.
Challenges in Container Weighing
While the SOLAS VGM amendments are intended to boost safety, the regulations present some operational hurdles for shippers to overcome:
- Additional time/labour to obtain verified weights by physical weighing or mathematical calculation.
- Costs for new weighing equipment, calibration, inspection, and certification if taking the weighing approach.
- Lack of physical space or existing weighing capability, especially for overseas facilities.
- Accountability on the shipper to maintain proper record-keeping and auditable documentation.
- Fines, penalties, and demurrage fees if cargo is rejected for lack of accurate VGM.
- Aligning new weighing processes with transportation management systems and procedures already in place.
Meeting the rigorous SOLAS standards requires strategic planning and coordination between all logistics stakeholders – from the shippers responsible for VGM submissions to carriers, terminals, and port authorities on the receiving end.
Technology in Container Weight Verification
To overcome challenges and mitigate compliance risks, many shippers are turning to advanced weighing technology. Specialised equipment designed for weighing containers includes:
- Certified industrial platform scales
- Truck scales for weighing over-the-road containers
- Weighing systems integrated into forklifts and container handling equipment
Certified Industrial Platform Scales
For facilities that load and pack containers on-site, industrial platform scales provide a simple weighing method to capture SOLAS VGM weights. These low-profile platform scales are installed as ground or pit mounted units in shipping/receiving areas.
As forklifts transfer loaded containers onto the scale, highly accurate weight readings can be obtained and transmitted into warehouse management systems or transportation management platforms. Opting for legal-for-trade certified models ensures the scale precision and documentation meets all SOLAS audit requirements.
To maximise efficiency, scales should be sized properly for expected container dimensions and weights, with ample space to allow fluid weighing workflows. Having enough Concentrated Load Capacity (CLC) to support extreme axle loads or double-stacked containers is also advisable.
Truck Scales
For shippers, truckers, depots, and intermodal facilities needing to weigh over-the-road containers and tractor-trailers, heavy-duty truck scales offer a reliable SOLAS weighing solution. These scales come in multiple configurations, including top-surface models and in-ground pit scales.
Truck scales provide comprehensive end-to-end weighing to determine the gross vehicle weight, axle weights, and individual container weights in a single process. This streamlined approach is particularly useful for drayage carriers picking up or dropping off sealed containers at ports and shipping hubs.
Some key considerations for legal-for-trade truck scales include having the proper form and federal rating to weigh for SOLAS, customising the scale length to handle common vehicle combinations, and utilising multiple-platform designs for maximum throughput and efficiency.
Forklift Weighing Systems
By equipping cargo handling vehicles like forklifts with integrated weighing capabilities, shippers can capture real-time container weights at every touchpoint from receiving through loading/unloading. Weighing fork trucks and fork scales accomplish this by mounting sensor modules and hydraulic load cells on the tines or carriage ahead of lifting container loads.
This not only provides a way to quickly establish final SOLAS VGMs for packed containers, but also lets shippers monitor and document piece weights throughout the loading cycle. The ability to verify cargo weights on-the-fly minimises discrepancies and overweight issues before containers are sealed for shipment.
To maximise these forklift weighing solutions, ruggedized indicator displays should enable easy use during normal operations, and wireless data transmission allows weights to be automatically logged into back-end systems for audit trails and reporting. Look for options that can capture dimensioning data in addition to weight.
Best-in-Class SOLAS Weighing Equipment
Regardless of which weighing approach is taken, outfitting facilities with legal-for-trade certified scales is crucial for dependable, auditable container weight readings that comply with SOLAS guidelines.
Leading manufacturers offer specialised SOLAS weighing scales and systems designed from the ground up to eliminate compliance headaches. These solutions provide:
- Comprehensive SOLAS weight certifications and approvals
- Adherence to stringent manufacturing tolerances and quality controls
- Legal traceability through calibration and test processes
- Connectivity to streamline weight data capture and sharing
- Rugged construction for demanding industrial environments
- Options for hazardous area and wash down weighing applications
Beyond physical weighing hardware, technology also enables smoother documentation and SOLAS communication processes. From container weight verification software to integrations with transportation management systems and EDI data sharing capabilities, these tools ensure VGMs are properly recorded, verified, and transmitted to vessel operators without delay.
Cloud-connected weighing technology platforms bring efficiency by streamlining data flow across the supply chain, eliminating redundant weight calculations and oversight. The goal is to make SOLAS compliance a seamless part of normal operating procedures.
By partnering with an experienced scale provider like Weighing-Net shippers can implement robust processes that ensure 100% adherence to international maritime regulations around verified gross mass. With safety hanging in the balance, there’s no room for compromises on weighing accuracy, data integrity, and regulatory compliance.
Best Practices and Industry Applications
While the SOLAS container weight rules are universal requirements set by an international maritime authority, best practices around implementation can vary between industry verticals based on cargo types, shipment volumes, carrier relationships, facility setups and more. Here are some guidance examples:
- Exporters and Beneficial Cargo Owners: Deploy certified weighing at all loading/packing facilities or require verified weights from third-party consolidators. Invest in dimensioning equipment to increase weight calculation accuracy. Prioritise connectivity between internal systems, carriers, and weight service providers.
- Freight Forwarders and NVOCCs: Become an approved third party for weight verification. Offer value-added container weighing services, utilise certified equipment, issue compliant VGM paperwork, and preserve auditable records. Ensuring customers meet SOLAS guidelines protects your operations.
- Truckers and Drayage Providers: Calibrate on-board scales to deliver verified weights to shippers and prevent overweight citations/fines. Consider implementing pre-advise updates from shippers to plan compliant loads proactively. Implement strict packing protocols if transporting dense/heavy freight.
- Ocean Carriers: Provide transparency on required documentation and weight accuracy thresholds. Work closely with shippers on best practices and invest in technology to transmit and verify VGM data efficiently from global networks of service providers.
Role of Shipping Lines and Governments
With maritime safety being the driving purpose behind the SOLAS Verified Gross Mass requirements, international shipping lines and vessel operators are positioned as leading enforcers of the new weight guidelines among their customers. Without proper submission and documentation of this weight data, they simply cannot load a container for transport.
Beyond reviewing and validating VGM documentation from exporters, carriers also share responsibility in ensuring stowage and stability calculations reflect precise container mass. Submission rejection policies put the onus on non-compliant shippers, but also introduce delays across carrier networks if endemic verification challenges are experienced at major trade lanes and ports.
On a broader level, government transportation agencies and maritime authorities must coordinate policy implementation and enforce SOLAS VGM standards through audits, investigations, and penalties for serial violations that compromise safety.
Impact on Supply Chain
The SOLAS container weight verification requirements carry implications that ripple across global supply chain operations. Some effects seen since the regulations took effect in 2016 include:
- Slower processing times for export containers as new weighing workflows are adopted and communication flows established between stakeholders. This impacts port dwell times and inland transit schedules.
- Shift in contractual liability related to overweight containers/cargos. The auditable compliance burden shifts heavily onto shippers versus carrier responsibility.
- Increased costs across transportation modes due to infrastructure investments (scales), cargo handlings, per diem penalties for re-works, and more inspection/certification requirements to meet regulations.
- Competitive advantages for shippers and freight intermediaries that get ahead of the curve and establish efficient, no-hassle VGM processes that delight customers.
- Reduced overweight cargo exceptions, stow collapses, shifted loads, and other preventable disruptions that compromise maritime safety and typical supply chain flow.
Preparing for SOLAS VGM Compliance
To ready operations for full SOLAS container weight regulation adherence, shippers and logistics providers should outline detailed standard operating procedures founded on these principles:
- Full documentation trails on weight verification methods and processes
- Reliable, certified weight sources (equipment, service partners) accountable to audits
- Investment in technologies that streamline weight capture and transmission
- Enterprise software integrations to share weight data across internal systems
- Formal policy for dealing with overweight/rejected cargo
- Partnerships with transportation stakeholders to align on SOLAS workflows
- Training and clear communication plans for changes in operations
Through meticulous planning and deploying robust weighing systems, the supply chain will minimise SOLAS frictions and reap safety benefits.
The Future of Container Weighing Compliance
As SOLAS container weight regulations continue being enforced across the global shipping industry, ongoing innovation is expected in the areas of:
- Smart container technology that integrates weighing directly into boxes and leverages IoT networks for instant weight transmission
- Widespread machine learning and computer vision for automating weight calculations through 3D modelling of packed loads
- Blockchain/distributed ledger usage for secure, immutable VGM audit trails
- Artificial intelligence optimising stowage plans and vessel utilisation in real-time based on verified gross masses
- Increased equipment calibration and maintenance solutions to ensure SOLAS-compliant weighing accuracy
More widespread technological advancement will help the industry establish weight verification as a simple, reliable aspect of safe maritime shipping.
Despite the initial growing pains of establishing operational compliance, the SOLAS VGM rules show the determination of global transportation leaders to proactively enhance safety ahead of the surging container shipping volumes forecasted in the decades ahead.
Conclusion
Complying with SOLAS VGM regulations is essential for maritime safety. Understanding the regulations, adopting the right technologies, and adhering to best practices are key to successful compliance. Investing in efficient weighing processes and certified equipment is crucial for maintaining safety, stability, and accountability in global maritime operations.
