SGS China and CargoSmart Limited have teamed up to provide solutions for shippers to meet the new Safety of Life at Sea Convention’s Verified Gross Mass (SOLAS VGM) container weight requirements. The alliance allows shippers to use solutions from both companies to follow standard and efficient weighing procedures and to collect and submit the required information to ocean carriers in a timely manner to comply with VGM requirements.
“The alliance allows our customers to achieve VGM compliance worldwide from cargo weighing through electronic filing,” said Aaron Wang, national marketing manager of SGS China. “Shippers and weighing service providers can collaborate to submit VGM information online to multiple carriers through CargoSmart’s platform smoothly and easily.”
After the new regulation went into effect on July 1, 2016, the industry has followed a three-month approach to enforcing the regulation. To date, more than 30,000 logistics professionals have submitted VGMs through CargoSmart to comply with the new SOLAS regulation. CargoSmart’s VGM solutions let shippers collect and submit VGM information to ocean carriers through online, EDI, and mobile channels. In addition, shippers can monitor the VGM submission status through online dashboards and alerts to ensure timely submission.
“We are pleased to have SGS China join our alliance network to enable shippers and weighing service providers to elevate their weighing processes with standard procedures and certified equipment to ensure VGM accuracy,” said Lionel Louie, chief commercial officer of CargoSmart. “The cooperation between CargoSmart and SGS China delivers a complementary set of solutions for shippers to achieve a high level of compliance.”