The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is to make the weighing of sea containers mandatory from July 2016.

Shippers will then be required to verify the weight of containers either through the use of a weighbridge or by the company achieving certified approval status. 

The purpose is to make the entire container supply chain safer and to reduce fuel costs for lines by optimising load distribution. This regulation issued through the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS Convention) comes as a result of a number of accidents involving container losses and container stack collapses.

It is, as yet, unclear as to how and where the containers will be weighed but the most sensible option would be for the weight verification to take place at the port stacking yard.  Verifying the weight on the loading crane is too late as the loading position has already been determined at that stage.  Household goods is usually declared at a volumetric density of 7lbs/cuft however, as household goods does not have a uniform density movers should consider that they might be required to provide accurate weights for every container they ship.  This would be potentially an onerous and costly burden.

The RHA has called for early adoption of container weighing under the IMO SOLAS requirements, ahead of the July 2016 deadline so that issues can be identified and resolved before containers are denied entry at a port.