SOLAS: What does it mean for customers

Effective 1 July 2016, Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) will require that shippers of a packed container provide its verified gross mass (VGM).

The customer benefits of a properly implemented and enforced regulation are important to have in mind, especially these last hectic days before go-live. We are committed to making the process as easy as possible – but we also anticipate the next six months to be bumpy.

In many ways, implementation of the SOLAS Amendment has really demonstrated the hardships of container shipping being a truly global industry.

As we have been preparing for implementation of VGM, it has been clear that coordination and alignment on a global level – with hundreds of jurisdictions with very different shipping and trade tradition – have to improve.

The SOLAS initiative will help avoid potential accidents throughout the supply chain – for example when loading and discharging of containers or during haulage.

The high profile accidents seen over the years have had significant customer impact with weeks or months of delay to the affected cargo.

When analyzing root causes for such accidents it has been clear, that significant vessel instability has been caused by actual weight exceeding the declared weight by several hundred percent. For a few containers this might not be an issue, but when it is the case for more and more of the cargo, the risk of major container stack collapses or a serious vessel accident increases significantly.

At Maersk Line we support the commitment to safety and are well prepared to assist our customers in meeting the new global safety requirements. We fully believe that the shipping industry should up its game, and provide customers with the contemporary service they expect and ensure the safety of the people who deliver the service. This also goes for VGM.

To make the customer experience better when taking on the SOLAS Amendment, we recommend to follow these three steps:

Provide your VGM at the time of creating your shipping instructions
Submit your VGM electronically to avoid manual mistakes
Submit your VGM free of charge – on mymaerskline.com
For more details, check out our VGM video guideline: