VGM (Verified Gross Mass) is the certified total weight of a packed shipping container — cargo, packing materials, dunnage, and the container’s own tare weight combined. Under the international SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) convention, the shipper must submit a VGM to the ocean carrier before the container can be loaded onto a vessel. No VGM, no load: terminals will hold the box at the dock, and your booking rolls to the next sailing.
Why VGM exists
Misdeclared container weights contributed to vessel accidents, collapsed stacks, and crane failures for decades. The SOLAS VGM amendment, in force since July 2016, makes accurate declared weight a hard gate in the export process. Stow planners use VGM to balance the ship; a stack of underdeclared boxes in the wrong bay is a genuine safety hazard, not a paperwork technicality.
The two approved weighing methods
Method 1: weigh the packed container
The entire loaded container is weighed on a certified truck scale or weighbridge — typically the truck is weighed loaded, then the tractor and chassis tare is subtracted. This is the simplest route for FCL shippers and is widely available around PortMiami and Port Everglades.
Method 2: weigh the contents and add tare
Each item, pallet, and piece of packing material is weighed and summed, then the container tare weight (printed on the door) is added. Method 2 suits manufacturers with calibrated scales and consistent products, but the weighing process must satisfy the flag state’s certification requirements.
Who is responsible, and what it costs
The shipper named on the ocean bill of lading is legally responsible for the VGM, even when a forwarder or trucker physically handles the weighing. Submission usually flows through the forwarder’s or carrier’s portal, with a cutoff that lands alongside the documentation cutoff — typically 24 hours or more before vessel loading. Costs are modest: a certified scale ticket in South Florida generally runs $25-$75, and many drayage carriers route export loads across a weighbridge as a standard stop. Compare that with a rolled booking, and the scale ticket is the cheapest insurance in the supply chain. Overweight boxes discovered at weighing also save you from Florida axle-weight citations — a related issue covered in our guide to Florida oversize and heavy haul permits.
VGM tips for exporters
Build the VGM step into your dispatch plan, not as an afterthought at the gate. Confirm who submits (shipper, forwarder, or trucker) and by which cutoff for each booking. Keep scale tickets on file — disputes happen months later. And remember a VGM is per container, not per booking: three boxes on one booking need three VGMs. If you ship LCL rather than FCL, the consolidator handles VGM for the consolidated box, but your declared cargo weights still need to be accurate.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I miss the VGM cutoff?
The terminal will not load the container and it typically rolls to the next available sailing, with possible storage, re-booking, and trucking re-delivery charges. Carriers may also apply a misdeclaration or amendment fee.
Does VGM apply to imports?
No. VGM is an export requirement: it must be submitted before a packed container is loaded onto a vessel at the origin port. Import containers arriving in the U.S. already had their VGM filed abroad.
Can my trucking company get the VGM for me?
Yes. Many drayage carriers weigh the loaded container on a certified scale en route to the port and pass the ticket to the shipper or forwarder for submission, though legal responsibility for the VGM stays with the shipper on the bill of lading.
Go Freight handles export drayage with certified scale stops at PortMiami and Port Everglades. Get an export drayage quote or call (786) 445-0150.