IMO Maritime Safety Committee’s SOLAS AMENDMENT

To our Valued Clients,
The IMO Maritime Safety Committee’s SOLAS amendment, to verify the gross mass of every loaded sea container, will go into effect on July 1, 2016. The now called Verified Gross Mass (VGM) will be required to be officially declared to the carrier before a container will be accepted into a pier or sea terminal and/or loaded onto a vessel for export. The shipper will be the party responsible for declaration of the VGM to the carrier.
To obtain the SOLAS VGM for a loaded container, the amendment outlines two methods:
Method 1: Weigh the whole loaded & sealed container at an official weigh station after it has been packed and sealed.
Method 2: Weigh individual cargo, including dunnage, skids, packing material, add the tare weight of the container, seal, and any additional bracing material, and your total will be your VGM. Note, using either method, the weigh scales used must be certified as legal weighing equipment by the state or province in which the goods are weighed.

For FCL Cargo, the window of time from the sealing of the container until it gets to the pier or terminal often may be very short, so have as much information ready prior to loading of your container so that you may submit your VGM as soon as your container is sealed, if not earlier. VGM submissions must be timely enough to prevent driver waiting/driver detention, as all extra charges incurred for delayed submissions must be passed along to the client. VGM cut-off times will vary but will be communicated in writing in advance.

As Primary Freight Services, Inc. is the shipper on the master carrier’s manifest, we rely on our shipper clients to provide an official VGM for their cargo, so that we may also certify the same timely to the master carrier. In the event that a shipper is unable to provide an official VGM, Primary Freight Services, Inc. will provide a VGM at an additional cost to the client as follows:

• LCL Cargo: $6.00 per w/m, minimum $20.00 per dock receipt (limitations on the size of cargo which can be weighed will apply
• FCL Cargo: Stop off and Weight Certification Direct Cost is passed through, +plus administration fee of $15.00

If you wish to submit your own official VGM, or your request for Primary Freight Services, Inc. to provide a VGM for your cargo, you may make a selection and email our VGM form completed to VGM@primaryfreight.com, or you may select your choice on our electronic VGM form through our website at http://primaryfreight.com/vgmform.php. An electronic confirmation will be provided by return if you use our website for your submission – it’s quick and easy!

We want to thank you for your continued support, and hope to make this transition to the official SOLAS VGM requirement as simple as possible for you.
Fees will go into effect according to our tariff rule VGM amendment. Please check with your Primary Freight Services, Inc. Representative for more information.
The official VGM guidelines can be found at: http://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Safety/Cargoes/Containers/Documents/MSC.1%20Circ.1475.pdf

For more information on the IMO SOLAS Amendment: http://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Safety/Cargoes/Containers/Pages/Verification-of-the-gross-mass.aspx