Under SOLAS Chapter VI, no packed container may be loaded onto a vessel without a Verified Gross Mass declared by the shipper. This is not a carrier policy; it is international law, and there is no discretion in it.
01What VGM is
VGM = the total weight of the cargo, plus all packing, dunnage and securing material, plus the tare weight of the container.
Two permitted methods:
- Method 1 — weigh the packed, sealed container on a calibrated weighbridge.
- Method 2 — weigh each package and add the tare weight, using a certified procedure. Common in Thailand for factory-stuffed cargo.
The declaration must carry the name of an authorised person. It is a signed statement, not an estimate.
02Consequences of getting it wrong
- No VGM by cut-off — the container is not loaded. It rolls, and the roll is on you.
- VGM materially different from the terminal's weighing — the box is held, re-weighed at your cost, and may miss the vessel.
- Persistent discrepancies — some terminals apply penalty fees; some lines will refuse future bookings on Method 2.
03The four cut-offs
They fall in this order and each one is separate:
| Cut-off | Typical timing | What it gates |
|---|---|---|
| Booking | 7–10 days before ETD | Whether you have space at all |
| SI (Shipping Instructions) | 3–4 days before ETD | Whether the B/L can be drafted |
| VGM | 1–2 days before terminal cut-off | Whether the box may be loaded |
| Terminal / gate-in (CY cut-off) | 1–3 days before ETD | Whether the box is physically in the stack |
For LCL, the CFS cut-off is earlier still — typically 4–6 days before ETD, because the consolidation must be stuffed before the box gates in.
04Practical discipline
- File the VGM as soon as the container is sealed and weighed. There is no benefit to waiting.
- Keep weighbridge tickets for at least a year. They are the defence in a discrepancy dispute.
- Check the tare weight from the container door, not from a standard table — tare varies by a few hundred kilos between boxes, and that difference is enough to trigger a discrepancy flag.
- When a public holiday falls in the week of sailing, ask the line for the revised cut-offs in writing. They move, and they do not always move by the obvious amount.