"How to deal with container overweight problem?
Container itself limit weight every container opening door has the maximum weight limit information, such as MAX GROSS :30480KGS. means that your box with cargo can not exceed this weight. Tare weight - 20GP: 2200KGS, 40 for: 3.720-4200KGS, individual HQ will have MAX GROSS: 32500KGS, this is the maximum strength of the container box can withstand, loading more than this limit, may occur in the box deformation, the bottom plate off, the top beam bending and other damages, resulting in all losses will be borne by the loading of the whole. At present, most of the domestic professional container terminals have installed automatic weighbridge, so as long as the container loading exceeds the weight limit of the box, the terminal is always refused to accept the container. So it is recommended to see the weight limit on the container box clearly before loading, in order to avoid unnecessary reloading operations. If the goods are really overweight and can not be divided, then you can choose overweight box. Here will increase is to choose the weight fee, general terminal / yard will shipping company's ordinary dry box stacked together, if you want to choose one of the special weighted cabinet (such as the previous talk about 20 weighted cabinets), the terminal, the yard must be one by one to find out the resulting selection of the container fee is generally the same price with the designated cabinet fee. Container transport is a collaborative process involving multiple departments, so in addition to the weight limit of the container box itself, there are some other factors to consider.
Shipping company weight limit
In general, each shipping company weight policy is different, about the standard is not to damage the container as the standard.
In the balance of space and weight considerations. Each container ship has a certain space and weight limit, but specifically in a certain route, space and weight is not always just the right balance used up. Contradictions often occur in the heavy cargo out of the more concentrated in northern China, the ship's weight has been to the cabin space is still a lot less, in order to make up for this loss of space, the shipping company tends to take the strategy of price increases, that is, the weight of the cargo more than how many tonnes of additional freight charges. There are also shipping companies are not using their own ship, but to buy other shipping company's space to transport, the weight limit will be more strict, because the shipping company between the cabin trading one are based on 1TEU = 14TONS or 16TONS standard, more than the weight of the ship will not be given to the ship.
In the period of bursting cabin, according to the different hotness of the route, the shipping company's weight limit for each box type will be adjusted downward accordingly.
When booking, you should ask the forwarder about the weight limit of the shipping company at the latest time of shipment. If there is no confirmation and the cargo is heavy, there is a risk that some shipping companies will not have any communication space after overweight, and will directly let the consignor to haul the cargo, leave the port, pull out the cargo and then reweigh the cargo. These costs are not easy to control.
The weight limit in the port area mainly depends on the mechanical equipment load of the wharf and yard.
After a container ship docks at a pier, it usually needs a crane at the pier to carry out loading and unloading operations, and then it is towed to the container yard by a truck and then lifted down by a forklift truck. If the weight of the container exceeds the mechanical load, it will cause difficulties to the operation of the wharf and yard. Therefore, for some small ports with backward equipments, the shipping company usually informs the weight limit of the port in advance, and will not accept anything exceeding this limit.
Supporting feeder ships or road weight limit to do the United States inland point of people have a deep understanding of the United States of America's road transport weight limit is very strict, because many containers unloaded at the terminal need to use the container trucks to go on the road towed to the inland, so the road weight limit has become the same reason for the shipping company to limit the weight of containers, of course, only to do to the terminal is not in this limit. To the U.S. line of goods on the weight requirements are very strict, the weight limit is mainly by the U.S. inland point of the highway weight limit of the impact of the general small cabinets 17.3 tonnes, large container 19.5 tonnes. But according to different ports, there are different weight limit requirements.
Route weight limit
Different routes, shipping company capacity is in accordance with the order of cargo loading and unloading ports of call and the export of goods of different types and heat to arrange, coupled with the load of the destination port equipment operations, different routes of different sizes of cabinets, naturally, there are different weight limits.
What should I do if I am overweight?
This is mainly divided into port overweight, shipping company overweight, destination port overweight
1、Overweight of shipping company
Discuss with the shipowner, pay the overweight fee, and go according to normal;
2、Harbour area has its own regulations on overweight.
If overweight is found when entering the port, we need to negotiate with the port area and pay the overweight fee plus labour handling fee or empty the box for reloading;
3、Overweight at destination port
Generally speaking, if the overweight at destination port is within a certain range, it can be solved by paying a fine; if the overweight is serious, the cranes along the way can not be loaded, but can only be transferred to nearby ports or returned to the original way.
Policy and Impact
From 1 July 2016, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) will implement the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS Convention) on the export of containers on the weight checking requirements, the provisions of the clear requirements, from that day onwards, shippers (owners) will be declared for all export containers to check the total weight (VGM), where there is no validation of the total weight of the containers will not be allowed to load the ship.
1, the new rules will improve shipping security
The new regulations will improve shipping safety. Misreported container weights have a serious impact on the stability of ships, trucks and terminal equipment, and can pose a threat to the safety of workers in the industry, even endangering lives. Misreported weights appear to be commonplace, and when containers are weighed after an accident, the resulting totals often differ from those on their cargo manifests. The long-standing dispute over this issue has led to amendments to the SOLAS Convention to ensure that all container weights are accurately declared.
All containers should be weighed
The principle set out in the new SOLAS Convention is simple: from 1 July 2016, all containers will be weighed on a mandatory basis before they are loaded onto a ship. Container weight can be determined in one of two ways. Containers can be weighed after they have been loaded, or alternatively, all contents of the container can be weighed and the weight can be added to the tare weight of the container to combine the weights. In either case, subjective extrapolation of the weight is not permitted.
3. The entire supply chain will be affected
All parties actively involved in the container supply chain will be affected to some extent by this new requirement. Vessel operators and terminal operators will be required to apply validated container weights to their stowage plans. In order for them to receive the information in a timely manner, shippers will have to share the certified weight with the booking agent or freight forwarder. This will obviously require new agreements on procedures and modifications to existing information technology (IT) systems.
4. Providing accurate weight is the shipper's responsibility
The shipper (or a third party under the shipper's responsibility) is required to weigh the loaded container or its entire contents, depending on the method chosen. The weighing equipment used must meet national certification and calibration requirements, and the SOLAS Convention amendments require that the weight verification procedure must be signed and that the particular person must be named and identified as having verified the accuracy of the weight calculation procedure on behalf of the shipper. The carrier may rely on this signature to verify the weight as an accurate weight.
5, the details of the declaration procedure may vary according to the specific circumstances of the container to verify the total weight must be declared in a signed shipping document. This document may be part of the loading instructions to the shipping company, or it may be a separate document, such as a declaration containing a weight certificate. In either case, the document should clearly state that the gross weight provided is the certified gross weight. The Carrier will provide the Shipper with information on the deadlines within which the Carrier must receive from the Shipper the requested containerised verified weights for use in the ship's stowage plan. These deadlines may vary from Carrier to Carrier, may vary according to operational procedures or the requirements of different terminal operators, and may vary from port to port. No container shall be loaded onto a vessel without a verified gross weight.
