VGM (Verified Gross Mass) Explained: SOLAS Rules, Method 1 vs Method 2 and How to Calculate It

What the VGM is and who must provide it

Amendments to the SOLAS Convention that entered into force on 1 July 2016 made it mandatory to verify the gross mass of packed containers before they are loaded on a ship. The VGM is the combined mass of the cargo, packaging, pallets, dunnage and other securing material and the tare mass of the container. It must be stated in a shipping document, which can be part of the shipping instructions to the carrier or a separate communication, often an electronic VGM submission through the carrier's portal or EDI.

The responsibility lies with the shipper: under the IMO guidelines, the legal entity or person named on the bill of lading or sea waybill or equivalent multimodal transport document as shipper, or that concluded a contract of carriage with the shipping company. A freight forwarder can submit the VGM for the shipper, but the shipper remains responsible for it.

Method 1 and Method 2

• Method 1: after packing and sealing, weigh the whole container, for example on a calibrated weighbridge or with load cells. Calibration and certification requirements are set by the country where the weighing takes place.
• Method 2: weigh all packages and cargo items, including pallets, dunnage and securing material, and add the tare mass of the container, using a certified method approved by the competent authority of the country where the container is packed. Some countries require shippers to be approved before they can use Method 2.
• Method 2 does not suit cargo that cannot easily be weighed item by item, such as scrap metal, unbagged grain and other bulk cargo; use Method 1.
• Estimating the weight is not allowed under either method.

How to calculate the VGM with Method 2: an example

The figures below are for illustration only. Use the actual weights from your scales and the tare marked on the container.

• Cargo: 600 cartons with a gross weight of 30 kg each, as on the packing list: 18,000 kg.
• Pallets: 20 wooden pallets of 25 kg each: 500 kg.
• Dunnage, straps and other securing material: 100 kg.
• Container tare mass, from the marking on the door or the CSC safety approval plate: 2,350 kg.
• VGM = 18,000 + 500 + 100 + 2,350 = 20,950 kg.
• The gross weight on the bill of lading and packing list (18,500 kg with pallets, or 18,000 kg) usually does not include the container tare, so it is lower than the VGM. Do not copy one into the other.

Signatures, deadlines and tolerances

The VGM must be signed by a person duly authorised by the shipper; the signature may be electronic or be replaced by the name of that person in capitals. It must reach the carrier and the terminal sufficiently in advance to be used in the ship's stowage plan, so carriers publish a VGM cut-off for each sailing, usually tied to the container yard cut-off. If no VGM is provided, the container should not be loaded; the carrier or terminal may weigh it on the shipper's behalf, with the cost settled between the commercial parties.

The IMO does not set a tolerance between the declared VGM and a later check weight; that is left to the country where the container was packed. The United Kingdom, for example, enforces a tolerance of ±5% or ±500 kg, whichever is greater. Containers transhipped between ships already have a VGM and do not need to be weighed again at the transhipment port.

Common VGM mistakes

• Declaring the cargo weight from the packing list as the VGM, without the container tare.
• Using a weight from a booking estimate instead of a weighing or a certified Method 2 calculation.
• Missing the VGM cut-off, so the container is rolled to the next sailing.
• Submitting the VGM under a booking or container number that does not match the shipping instructions.
• Using Method 2 in a country that requires prior approval for it, without that approval.