Verified Gross Mass (VGM) Guide: SOLAS Compliance for Freight Forwarders
VGM (Verified Gross Mass) is the SOLAS mandated verified weight of a packed shipping container that must be declared to the ocean carrier before loading, per SOLAS Regulation VI/2. The full form of VGM is Verified Gross Mass, and every freight forwarder handling ocean export owns this step, whether the weighing happens at the shipper warehouse, a Container Freight Station, or a certified weighbridge, and whether the declaration is filed through a carrier portal or a UN EDIFACT VERMAS message. Ten years after global enforcement began in July 2016, the mechanics are digital, the cutoffs are strict, and a missing VGM still means the same thing it did on day one: the container does not get loaded.
This guide covers what Verified Gross Mass is, how the two SOLAS approved weighing methods work, which party is legally responsible, how the major carriers (MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM, Hapag Lloyd, ONE) accept VGM in 2026, what the common mistakes look like on a busy export desk, and what happens when a filing misses the cutoff. If you run GoFreight or any full featured forwarder platform, VGM should be a status field on the booking, not a spreadsheet reminder.
Key Takeaways
- VGM is the total verified weight of the packed container: cargo, all packaging and securing material, and the empty container tare weight.
- SOLAS Regulation VI/2 has enforced VGM globally since July 1, 2016. Ten years in, filing is fully digital at the major ocean carriers and there is no informal workaround.
- Two weighing methods are approved. Method 1 weighs the fully packed container on a calibrated weighbridge. Method 2 sums individual item, packaging, and dunnage weights, then adds the container tare.
- The shipper named on the bill of lading is legally responsible, even when a forwarder or packing facility performs the weighing and files on their behalf.
- VGM must reach the carrier before the VGM cutoff, which is typically one to three days before vessel departure and separate from cargo gate in.
- Every major ocean carrier now accepts VGM through a carrier portal or a UN EDIFACT VERMAS EDI message. Manual paper filings are effectively gone.
- No valid VGM by the cutoff means the container is not loaded. The shipper absorbs rebooking, storage, demurrage, and any downstream delivery penalties.
What Is Verified Gross Mass
Verified Gross Mass is the single declared figure that tells a carrier exactly how heavy a packed container is before it is stacked on a ship. It is not an estimate and not the cargo weight alone. VGM is the combined weight of three things: the cargo, all packaging, dunnage, and securing material inside the box, and the tare weight of the empty container as stamped on the container door.
Verified Gross Mass (VGM) is the total verified weight of a packed container, calculated as the weight of the cargo plus all packing and securing material plus the empty container tare weight. Under SOLAS Chapter VI, Regulation 2, this figure must be provided in writing to the ocean carrier by the shipper before the container is loaded onto a vessel.
The acronym answers most of the questions shippers actually ask. What does VGM stand for? Verified Gross Mass. What is VGM in shipping? The verified weight of a loaded container that SOLAS requires before vessel loading. What is the VGM full form? The same three words, used identically across every trade lane, so a VGM filed for a container leaving Shanghai means the same thing as one filed in Rotterdam or Long Beach.
Why SOLAS Made VGM Mandatory
The VGM rule exists because misdeclared container weights were causing real damage at sea and on shore. SOLAS is the International Maritime Organization treaty that governs ship safety, and the VGM requirement sits inside SOLAS Chapter VI, Regulation 2. The amendment took effect on July 1, 2016, and applies to every container moving under a SOLAS voyage, which in practice means almost all international ocean freight.
Before the rule, carriers regularly loaded vessels using weights that shippers had estimated or simply copied from a previous shipment. Underdeclared boxes threw off vessel stowage plans and stability calculations. Overstacked or misplaced heavy containers contributed to lost boxes overboard, collapsed stacks, chassis failures during trucking, and crane and lashing accidents at the terminal. By forcing a single verified number into the booking, SOLAS gave carriers an accurate basis for stowage and stability, and gave terminals a reliable figure for crane and equipment limits.
Ten years into enforcement, the industry conversation has moved past whether VGM is here to stay. Carriers now assume every booking will carry a VGM by the cutoff, terminal operating systems reject stowage moves without one, and audit programs at the major lines regularly spot check declared figures against re weighed containers. VGM is now infrastructure, not a change program.
Two SOLAS Weighing Methods: Method 1 vs Method 2
SOLAS allows exactly two methods to determine VGM. A shipper may use either one, but the method must be approved and the result must be a verified figure, not a guess. Many shippers use Method 1 for dense single commodity loads and Method 2 for mixed consolidations where individual item weights are already known.
| Aspect | Method 1: Weigh the Packed Container | Method 2: Sum Item Weights Plus Tare |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Weigh the entire packed and sealed container on a calibrated weighbridge or scale. | Weigh every item, pallet, package, dunnage, and securing material, then add the container tare weight printed on the door. |
| Accuracy | Highest. One measurement of the full box eliminates additive error. | Reliable when every item weight is documented on the packing list; error compounds if any item is estimated. |
| Cost | Weighbridge fee per container, typically 15 to 60 USD depending on port and country. | Minimal direct cost when packing lists already carry unit weights. |
| Complexity | Low. Drive on, weigh, drive off, record. | Moderate. Requires the calculation to be approved by the competent national authority and documented per shipper. |
| When to use | Full container loads of a single dense commodity, any cargo with uncertain unit weights, and any lane where the weighbridge is on the truck route. | Palletized or consolidated cargo where each item weight is already recorded, and CFS or warehouse packing operations that track weights at intake. |
| Approval note | Weighing equipment must meet the accuracy standards of the origin country. | The calculation method must be pre approved by the competent national authority (for example the US Coast Guard in the United States). |
Both methods land on the same figure: the total verified weight of the loaded box. For full container load shipments where you control the entire container, the choice between methods is yours to make. If you want a deeper look at how container sizing affects packing and weight planning, see our guide to shipping container dimensions.
Who Is Responsible for VGM
The shipper is legally responsible for the VGM. Specifically, it is the legal entity or person named as the shipper on the carrier's bill of lading. That party must determine the verified weight using one of the two approved methods and submit it to the carrier in time for vessel loading.
In practice the work is often delegated. A freight forwarder, a Container Freight Station, a packing facility, or a third party logistics provider may perform the weighing and file the VGM on the shipper's behalf. Delegation does not transfer the legal responsibility. The shipper named on the bill of lading remains accountable for the accuracy of the declared figure, even when another party did the weighing. This is why forwarders treat VGM as a controlled step in the export workflow rather than an afterthought, and why platforms that run Ocean Freight Management Software keep the VGM status visible on every booking.
VGM Declaration: Timing and Data Required
VGM is one defined step inside the ocean export booking flow. The sequence below shows where it fits and what each stage involves.
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1Pack and seal the containerCargo is loaded into the container at the shipper warehouse or a Container Freight Station, with all packaging and securing material in place. The box is then sealed.
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2Determine the verified weightApply Method 1 by weighing the packed container on a calibrated weighbridge, or apply Method 2 by adding all item weights to the container tare weight.
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3Prepare the VGM declarationRecord the verified figure on the VGM document with the booking number, container number, weighing method, and the signature of an authorized person representing the shipper.
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4Submit before the cutoffSend the VGM to the carrier or terminal through the agreed channel, which may be a UN EDIFACT VERMAS message, a carrier portal, or a forwarder system, ahead of the VGM cutoff time.
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5Carrier confirms and loadsThe carrier uses the VGM in the vessel stowage plan. Only containers with a valid, on time VGM are cleared for loading onto the ship.
Data Required on Every VGM Declaration
Every VGM filing carries the same core fields, regardless of which carrier or portal you submit through:
- Shipper name as it appears on the bill of lading (the legally responsible party).
- Booking number and container number so the carrier can match the VGM to the correct box.
- VGM figure expressed in kilograms (or pounds where the trade lane permits), covering cargo plus all packing material plus the empty container tare.
- Weighing method used (Method 1 or Method 2).
- Signature or authenticated identifier of the authorized declarant acting for the shipper.
- Date and time of the weighing or calculation, and the weighing party or facility name where applicable.
VGM Cutoffs
VGM must reach the carrier before the carrier's VGM cutoff, which is a separate and usually earlier deadline than the cargo gate in cutoff. There is no single global deadline. Each carrier and terminal sets its own VGM cutoff for each vessel and voyage, and it is typically published on the booking confirmation. As a working rule the cutoff falls one to three days before the vessel's scheduled departure, and it can be tighter at busy transshipment hubs during peak season.
Carrier VGM Portals and EDI: MSC, Maersk, and CMA CGM Today
Ten years after SOLAS enforcement began, VGM filing at the major ocean carriers is a digital process. Paper VGM slips at the terminal gate are effectively gone. Every top ten carrier accepts VGM through one of two channels: a carrier web portal for shippers and forwarders without direct system integration, or a UN EDIFACT VERMAS (Verified Gross Mass) message from a forwarder or shipper system that has integrated with the carrier.
| Carrier | Web Portal Filing | EDI Filing |
|---|---|---|
| MSC | myMSC booking workspace, VGM entered against each container on the booking. | UN EDIFACT VERMAS via INTTRA (now E2open) or direct EDI connection. |
| Maersk | Maersk.com Shipment Binder and Submit VGM flow, per container. | VERMAS EDI, or API submission for larger customers. |
| CMA CGM | eBusiness portal, VGM Declaration screen linked to the booking. | VERMAS EDI, or INTTRA / E2open exchange. |
| Hapag Lloyd | Web tool VGM entry per container. | VERMAS EDI supported. |
| ONE (Ocean Network Express) | ONE eCommerce portal VGM screen. | VERMAS EDI supported. |
The practical implication for a forwarder desk is simple. A shipment file that carries the booking number, container number, VGM figure, and method, in a system that can push VERMAS to the carrier, files the VGM in seconds. A shipment tracked on a spreadsheet needs a coordinator to log into the right portal for each carrier, find the booking, and enter the VGM by hand, then remember to re file if the container is swapped or the weight is corrected.
For an operations team running 50 to 500 ocean bookings a week, running VGM through a single platform with Workflow Automation Software for Forwarders turns the filing step into an automatic status update against each booking, with an alert if any container is missing a VGM inside the cutoff window.
VGM Penalties and Enforcement
VGM is enforced as a load or no load condition. The consequences of getting it wrong are operational and financial rather than a fixed SOLAS fine, and they fall on the shipper.
A container with no valid VGM by the cutoff is rolled to a later vessel. The shipper then absorbs rebooking and amendment fees, port storage and demurrage charges while the box waits, and the cost of a delayed shipment to the end customer. A VGM later found to be materially inaccurate can lead the carrier to demand reweighing at the shipper's expense, and repeated misdeclaration can put a shipper account under carrier scrutiny.
On top of those direct costs, most carriers and terminals now apply a VGM handling or amendment charge per container when a declaration is missing, late, or corrected after submission. Published figures across the top carriers typically fall in the 25 to 100 USD per container range for a VGM amendment, with terminal storage accruing separately at the port tariff. National authorities can impose additional penalties for repeated non compliance. In the United States, the Coast Guard has enforcement authority for SOLAS VGM. Fines have been used sparingly but the authority is on the books, and terminal operators enforce the load or no load rule regardless.
The reliable way to avoid all of it is the same: file an accurate VGM, through the right channel, before the cutoff.
Common VGM Mistakes Forwarders Should Catch
Across a busy export desk, the failure point is rarely the weighing itself. It is tracking which of dozens of live bookings still need a VGM filed before each vessel cutoff. These are the recurring mistakes that turn a routine booking into a rollover.
- Filing the cargo weight instead of the VGM. The cargo weight alone is not VGM. The tare weight of the container and every kilogram of packaging and dunnage must be included.
- Using the wrong container tare. Tare weight is stamped on the container door and can vary between two containers of the same size and type. Copying a tare from a previous shipment is a common source of error.
- Missing the VGM cutoff by treating it as the same as gate in. VGM cutoff is separate and typically earlier. On a busy vessel it can be 24 to 48 hours ahead of the last gate in slot.
- Filing under a booking that has been split or amended. Container swaps, split bookings, and last minute container substitutions all require a fresh VGM against the new container number. Filing against the old booking leaves the new container without a valid VGM.
- Assuming the packing facility filed it. When weighing is delegated to a CFS or packing facility, the shipper still owns the legal responsibility. The forwarder should confirm receipt at the carrier, not just at the packing facility.
- Manual re typing between packing list and VGM portal. A one digit typo on a kilogram figure can push a container into a misdeclaration finding. Pulling the VGM directly from a validated weight in the shipment record eliminates the retype step.
VGM in the Wider Export Workflow
VGM does not stand alone. It connects to the booking, the container number, the packing operation, and the shipping documents that follow. The verified weight feeds the carrier stowage plan, and the same shipment record carries through to the bill of lading. When the VGM, the booking, and the documentation all sit in one shipment record, an export team can see at a glance which containers are cleared to load and which are still waiting.
That visibility is the difference between a calm export desk and a scramble at every cutoff. Forwarders that manage VGM, container status, and milestones together with Shipment Tracking & Operations Software for Forwarders remove the spreadsheet step and the late night carrier emails that come with it.
VGM is one cutoff among many on every ocean export booking. See how GoFreight keeps weight, documents, and milestones on one cloud platform so nothing misses the vessel.
Request a GoFreight Demo →Frequently Asked Questions
What does VGM stand for?
VGM stands for Verified Gross Mass. It is the verified total weight of a packed shipping container, made up of the cargo, all packaging and securing material, and the tare weight of the empty container.
What is VGM in shipping?
In shipping, VGM is the verified weight of a loaded container that the shipper must declare to the ocean carrier before that container can be loaded onto a vessel. It is required under the SOLAS convention, Chapter VI Regulation 2, and has applied worldwide since July 1, 2016.
What is the full form of VGM?
The full form of VGM is Verified Gross Mass. The same three words are used across every ocean trade lane, so the term means the same thing whether a container ships from Asia, Europe, or North America.
How do you calculate VGM?
There are two SOLAS approved methods. Method 1 is weighing the fully packed container on a calibrated weighbridge. Method 2 is adding up the weights of all cargo, packaging, and securing material, then adding the container tare weight printed on the door. Both methods produce the same figure: the total verified weight of the loaded box.
Who is responsible for providing the VGM?
The shipper named on the carrier's bill of lading is legally responsible for the VGM. A forwarder, packing facility, or Container Freight Station can perform the weighing and file the declaration, but delegating the task does not transfer the legal responsibility away from the shipper.
What is the VGM weight made up of?
VGM weight is the sum of three parts: the cargo itself, all packaging, pallets, dunnage, and securing material inside the container, and the tare weight of the empty container. It is not the cargo weight alone.
When is the VGM cutoff?
There is no single global deadline. Each carrier and terminal sets its own VGM cutoff for each vessel and voyage, published on the booking confirmation. As a working rule the cutoff falls one to three days before the vessel departs, and it is usually earlier than the cargo gate in cutoff.
How do I file VGM with MSC, Maersk, or CMA CGM?
Every major ocean carrier accepts VGM through two channels. The first is the carrier web portal (myMSC for MSC, Maersk.com Shipment Binder for Maersk, the CMA CGM eBusiness portal for CMA CGM), where the VGM is entered per container against the booking. The second is a UN EDIFACT VERMAS message sent from a forwarder or shipper system, either directly or via a network exchange such as INTTRA (now E2open). Manual paper filings are effectively gone.
What is the VERMAS EDI message?
VERMAS is the UN EDIFACT Verified Gross Mass message, the standardized EDI format for filing VGM electronically with an ocean carrier. It carries the booking number, container number, VGM figure, weighing method, and declarant details in a structured message that any conforming carrier system can read. VERMAS is the standard channel used by most forwarder platforms to file VGM at scale.
What happens if VGM is missing or late?
A container without a valid VGM by the cutoff is not loaded and is rolled to a later vessel. The shipper then absorbs rebooking fees, port storage and demurrage charges, and the cost of a delayed shipment. Most carriers and terminals also apply a per container handling or amendment charge for a missing, late, or corrected VGM, typically in the 25 to 100 USD range.
Is a VGM charge or fee applied to shipments?
Most carriers and terminals apply a VGM handling or amendment fee, most often when a declaration is missing, submitted late, or corrected after the cutoff. The amount varies by carrier and port and is typically in the 25 to 100 USD per container range. Filing an accurate VGM on time through the correct channel is the reliable way to avoid these charges.
What is the SOLAS VGM form?
SOLAS itself does not publish a single official VGM form. SOLAS Regulation VI/2 sets what the declaration must contain (booking number, container number, verified figure, weighing method, and the signature or authenticated identifier of the declarant acting for the shipper) and requires it in writing to the carrier before loading. In practice, the SOLAS VGM form is whatever declaration channel the carrier accepts: the VGM screen in the carrier's web portal (myMSC, Maersk.com, CMA CGM eBusiness, and equivalents), a UN EDIFACT VERMAS message from a forwarder or shipper system, or a carrier issued PDF template for shippers filing manually. The data fields are the same across all three, because SOLAS defines them.
How do I submit VGM to Maersk?
Maersk accepts VGM through two channels. On the web portal, log in to Maersk.com, open the booking under the Shipment Binder, and use the Submit VGM flow to enter the verified figure and weighing method per container. On EDI, send a UN EDIFACT VERMAS message from your forwarder or shipper system, or use the Maersk API for high volume submissions. The VGM must reach Maersk before the vessel's VGM cutoff, which is published on the booking confirmation and typically falls one to three days before departure. Missing the cutoff means the container is not loaded onto the booked vessel.
What does VGM mean in export, logistics, or office contexts?
In every export, logistics, and shipping office context, VGM means Verified Gross Mass. The term is identical across shipping documentation, forwarder platforms, freight accounting systems, and internal operations chat. If a colleague references VGM in an ocean export thread, a booking, a stowage plan, or an invoice, they are talking about the SOLAS verified weight of a packed container that must be filed with the ocean carrier before loading. The acronym is not context dependent inside the freight industry.
