The new verified gross mass (VGM) rule becomes effective on July 1, 2016. Under the new rule, shippers are required to provide carriers with the verified weight of their containers prior to being loaded on a ship. The VGM must be listed in the shipping document and submitted to the terminal representative in advance. The VGM can be determined by either weighing the packed container or weighing all packages and cargo items, including pallets, dunnage, and securing materials used in the container and adding the tare mass of the container to the sum of the single masses.
