​​Region Customer Advisory

SOLAS:  The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has made amendments to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention indicating that all shippers must comply with mandatory container weight verification requirements, or Verified Gross Mass (VGM), effective July 1, 2016.

Verified Gross Mass (VGM)

• Customers are encouraged to provide timely and accurate VGM data where required through our efficient and convenient “E-Submission channels” outlined at www.oocl.com under ‘Resource Center’. For manual submission option information please see below.
• For USA load port cargo OOCL will use equivalency methods and customers are not required to pro​vide VGM information.
• For Canada and Mexico load port cargo shippers are required to submit VGM information.
• For Mexico, VGM cutoff submission is the same as Shipping Instructions cutoff.
• Reminder that VGM weights must include the container tare weight, in pounds or kilograms only, in the VGM.

USA Load Ports

• U.S. Marine Terminal Load Port Delivery Cargo and U.S. Intermodal Cargo Off-Dock Rail
  • In lieu of customer’s VGM submission, OOCL will accept marine terminal gate weight as VGM equivalent.
• U.S. Intermodal Cargo On-Dock Rail
  • In lieu of customer’s VGM submission, OOCL will either use the marine terminal provided gate weights or use the certified gross cargo weight declared by the Shipper from the rail billing, and OOCL will add the container tare weight to produce a VGM and submit it on behalf of the Shipper.

Canada and Mexico Load Ports

• For electronic VGM submission:
  • VGM cut will be 1200 day of marine terminal cargo cut for any vessels cutting off at 1600 or later. For those vessels with a marine terminal cargo cut off before 1600, the VGM cutoff will be 1600 the prior day. If the marine terminal cargo cutoff is on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, the VGM cutoff will be calculated as if the marine terminal cargo cutoff were at 1600 on the prior business day.
  • Exception - GEX2 VGM cutoff will be the same time as cargo cutoff.

Email VGM submission

• The Excel file below allows for pre-validation of the VGM information prior to submission and a convenient button to allow direct email submission of your VGM to OOCL.

Government Policy

• Government Policies/Responsible Authority link below.

US Load Port Cargo (page removed from USCG site)
Canada Load Port Cargo

Last Modified Date: May 04, 2017
All materials and information on this Website are for informational purposes only.