Lines get tough on overweight containers

JOY ORLEK
THE NET is closing in on shippers and agents who misdeclare container weights when booking their cargo with shipping lines. Discrepancies ranging from 2-10 tons per container are frequently reported, according to several line executives, and these have serious implications on several levels. On April 1 Mediterranean Shipping Company joined the growing list of carriers who are now imposing penalties on errant customers. Where the weight between the CTO (container terminal order) and the bill of lading exceeds 1000kg, a penalty fee of US$100 will be imposed for every 1000kg discrepancy to a maximum of US$500. This is in line with similar penalties imposed by the likes of Safmarine and Maersk Line, which introduced the penalty clause some 18 months ago at a rate of $300 per teu. Ron Frick, commercial manager of Safdal, which also imposes a penalty, says it has had a positive impact with more and more customers taking responsibility for ensuring that declared weights are accurate. MOL also imposes a $300 per teu charge while Evergreen confirmed that it raises an over-mass penalty as well. Since the CTO weight is the basis of ship stowage and planning, misdeclarations not only pose potential accident risks and danger to life both ashore and at sea, but result in poor vessel utilisation and unsafe stowages. Lines are often forced to short-ship when containers loaded are heavier than planned, with the result that compliant shippers often lose out unfairly.