The Dubai-based terminal operator will charge $245 Canadian for boxes arriving at the West Coast ports by truck or rail without verified gross mass data after the new International Maritime Organization rule goes into effect July 1.
The container terminal operator DP World will charge a fee of $245 Canadian (roughly U.S. $190) to weigh containers that arrive at its terminals in the Canadian ports of Prince Rupert and Vancouver without a verified gross mass (VGM) data, American Shipper has learned.
The VGM weighing service is part of a set of tariffs released by DP World at the beginning of April. Under new guidelines adopted by the International Maritime Organization that go into effect worldwide July 1, carriers are required to collect VGM data, essentially a separate verification of the weight of the container, or refuse loading.
The guideline allows each individual nation to implement and enforce the VGM requirement as they see fit.
According to DP World, the VGM service includes “placing the containerized cargo on the scale, issuing a scale ticket after each weighing and placing the cargo into the appropriate section, ready to load to the vessel. Container scales used in this service are calibrated and serviced by technicians approved by Measurement Canada. VGM information for export containers will be updated in Express prior to vessel loading and VGM certificate will be issue to the shipper for recording purposes. The terminal may have limitations for this service and reserves the right to set up appointments based on volume, cut offs and other operation requirements.”
In a note to American Shipper, J.C. Chartrand, senior manager of strategic sales for DP World in North America, said it’s crucial to maintain the flow of cargo coming in to the operator’s Centerm terminal in Vancouver.
“We have a big gate operation in Vancouver and we have to maintain our velocity at the gate,” he said. “Therefore we are modifying our gate reservation system and we will add one feature when a trucker goes online to make a reservation. It will ask for their VGM number – if they don’t have it, it will prompt them for charges guarantee, which they or the shipper can pay by credit card or if already have credit with us, or the trucker can choose Paypal if they want. As they gate in, they will only need to swipe their card.”
Chartrand said if the shipper has provided the VGM information to the ocean carrier, that would appear at the time of gate reservation.
“All traffic to be weighed will be staged in an area and at night we will scale all the units and then have them located in the proper stack for vessel loading,” he said. “The key is to keep the flow at the gate and in the yard during the busy shifts.”
As for rail traffic arriving at Centerm without a VGM number, Chartrand noted that the lines will have two to seven days (based on rail transit times) to identify the units to be scaled. In this scenario, DP World would charge the lines while they secure their own payment from the shipper.
“One question remains and it’s traffic arriving on the cut-off day,” he said. “I’m not sure yet if the carriers will choose to advance their inland and local cut-off day if their booking gets jeopardized.”
At Prince Rupert, nearly every box arrives via rail.
“We have very little gate traffic in Prince Rupert,” Chartrand said. “It’s mostly an (inland point intermodal) port facility but we will still offer the service for the local folks that would arrive without their VGM. (Like Vancouver), rail takes between two and seven days to get to Prince Rupert from U.S. and Canadian inland terminals. Ocean carriers will therefore have time to identify which units need to be weighed.”
Chartrand also detailed VGM fees at DP World’s terminal in Caucedo, Dominican Republic, the company’s other facility serving North America directly through short sea shipping to the U.S. Gulf and East coast ports.
“We will have two processes in place,” he said. “All export loads through the gate will be weighed at the gate to confirm the declared weight and if the customer has no VGM or the VGM is out of range by one ton or more, we will rescale inside the terminal for $50.
“Since Caucedo is also a Logistics Park in a free trade zone, we will offer shippers within the compound (the option to scale all units for $50 inside their terminal).”
DP World lays out VGM scaling fee for Vancouver, Prince Rupert
