What is VGM (verified gross mass)?
VGM (verified gross mass) is the total weight of a loaded container, including the cargo, packaging, pallets, dunnage and securing material and the tare of the container, verified by one of the two methods defined in SOLAS. The declaration is made by the shipper. Since 1 July 2016, a full container without a verified gross mass is not loaded on the ship.
What rule is the VGM requirement based on?
The requirement rests on Regulation 2 of Chapter VI of the SOLAS Convention. The amendment was adopted by the Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) by resolution MSC.380(94) and entered into force on 1 July 2016. The details of implementation are set out in the guidelines in circular MSC.1/Circ.1475. The rule treats the provision of a verified gross mass as a condition for loading on the ship: the guidelines state that a container should not be loaded on the ship until the master or his representative and the terminal representative have obtained this value. The purpose is to prevent stowage and stability accidents caused by wrongly declared weights.
What are the two verification methods?
SOLAS defines two methods by which the shipper can obtain the verified gross mass. Method 1 is weighing the container as a whole after it has been packed and sealed. Method 2 is weighing all packages and cargo items separately, including pallets, dunnage and other packing and securing material, adding them up and adding the tare of the container to the total. The weighing method used in Method 2 must be approved by the competent authority of the State in which the container was packed and sealed.
- Original sealed packages with their mass clearly and permanently marked on them do not need to be weighed again
- Method 2 is not suitable for bulk cargo such as scrap metal and unbagged grain; Method 1 is used in these cases
- If the container is weighed on a road vehicle, the tare of the vehicle and the tractor is deducted
Who declares the VGM, and to whom is it given?
The shipper makes the declaration. The guidelines define the shipper as the person named on the bill of lading, sea waybill or equivalent multimodal transport document as the shipper, or in whose name or on whose behalf a contract of carriage has been concluded with the carrier. The value is declared in a shipping document; the document may be part of the shipping instructions or a separate communication, but it must clearly show that the weight is the verified gross mass and must be signed by a person authorised by the shipper. The declaration is passed to the master or his representative and to the terminal representative early enough to be used in preparing the ship's stowage plan.
Where are the tare and the maximum gross mass read from?
The container's own tare and its binding maximum gross mass are marked on the container. The CSC plate riveted to the door leaf shows the maximum gross mass, while the tare is painted on the door, and it is this tare that enters the Method 2 calculation. The tare is the mass of the empty container with no cargo item, pallet, dunnage or securing material inside. There is one more separate limit: a container should not be packed above the maximum gross mass shown on the CSC plate. Catalogue tares are averages; photographing the door before loading prevents disputes that arise later.
What happens if it is not declared or the weighing does not match?
A container is not accepted on board without a verified gross mass. In this case the IMO guidelines state that the master or his representative and the terminal representative may obtain the verified gross mass of the container on behalf of the shipper, and that the cost will be shared between the commercial parties by agreement. So when the declaration is skipped the process does not stop; it comes back as cost and delay. When the figures conflict, the approach of the guidelines is clear: the verified gross mass obtained by weighing at the terminal is taken as the basis.
The two verification methods defined by SOLAS
| Criterion |
Method 1 |
Method 2 |
| What is weighed |
The whole container after it has been packed and sealed |
All packages, cargo items, pallets, dunnage and securing material |
| How the tare enters |
It is already included in the weighing |
The tare of the container is added separately to the total |
| Approval condition |
Weighing with calibrated and certified equipment |
The method is approved by the competent authority of the State where the packing took place |
| Suitable cargo |
Any cargo; the only option for bulk and scrap cargo |
Packaged cargo that can be weighed item by item |
Frequently asked questions
Is VGM the same as the gross weight on the packing list?
No. The gross weight on the packing list is the weight of the cargo and its packaging; the VGM is that plus the pallets, dunnage, securing material and the tare of the container itself. Confusing the two leads to a declaration that is short by the tare of the container. VGM arises only in containerised sea shipments.
Who declares the VGM for LCL cargo?
The obligation to declare belongs to the party shown as the shipper in the transport document. In part-load (LCL) cargo, because the consolidator packs the container, it declares the verified gross mass on behalf of the container as a whole. The responsibility of the owner of the consignment is then to declare the weight and measurements of its own cargo correctly; a wrong declaration distorts the total.
Does a VGM declaration replace the customs declaration?
No, they are separate processes. VGM is a maritime safety obligation and its addressees are the carrier and the terminal; the customs declaration concerns duties and trade policy measures and its addressee is the customs administration (see customs clearance). The weight information in the two declarations should be consistent, but one does not take the place of the other.
What happens if the container exceeds its maximum gross mass?
A container exceeding its maximum gross mass cannot be loaded on the ship; this is a second ceiling separate from the VGM. In addition, the axle and maximum loaded weight limits on the road can set a ceiling below the weight that would theoretically fit in the container.