US Terminal Operator Backs Container Weighing Rule

The way in which terminal operators will be handling the new container weighing rules in July, 2016 is beginning to show after Maher Terminals, based in New York, stated that it would only accept containers is if the weight had been verified by EDI transmission, according to the Journal of Commerce.

This follows news that a group of shipping experts had released a Frequently Asked Questions document to address the confusion surrounding the new rule.

Maher Terminals said in a statement: “Any cargo or containers that arrive at the gate without verified information will be turned away.

Read a Technical Paper on container weight verification

“Maher Terminals does not have the capability to weigh containers at its facility to comply with the SOLAS amendment.  Containers and cargo received at Expressrail must have verified weight information before the container or cargo will be transferred from Expressrail to Maher’s container yard.”

The SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) amendment, which is due to take effect on July 1, 2016, require shipping containers to have a verified gross mass before they are loaded onto a ship for export.

A recent survey carried out by e-marketplace Inttra found that only 30% of cargo owners are ready for the change in container weighing legislation.