The company says that export cargo loading has proceeded without incident at the facilities within the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network.  

From 1 July, 2016 it has been necessary for all shippers to provide a Verified Gross Weight (VGM) for all containers prior to loading.  The purpose of the VGM regulations is to assure safety of the vessel, as well as dockworkers and other cargo handlers, by preventing overweight or otherwise misrepresented containers from jeopardizing shipments or container movements. 
 
APM says that all of its terminals’ gate operations are operating normally, with vessel schedule integrity remaining unaffected by the new VGM compliance. “APM Terminals is committed to assisting our customers to comply with the new SOLAS VGM regulation with as little impact to the supply chain as possible,” said APM Terminals VP of Operations Jack Craig.  “I would like to say thank you to all our supply chain partners whom we have had an extensive dialogue with over the last months to ensure that our VGM Data Management services are as seamless as possible.” 
 
While the majority of VGM data is being transmitted through Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), there are still some areas where manual processing process is required during this early implementation phase. VGM Generation services at 46 locations across the APM Terminals portfolio have been phased in since mid-June, with thousands of containers already weighed for export loading. “We encourage shippers to consider our VGM Generation services as they offer an additional option to shippers and minimal disruption to trade flow,” said APM Terminals Head of Inland and End User Services, John Trenchard. 
 
Photo:  APM Terminals report smooth transition to VGM compliance.