Varied tolerance on box weight proof will create 'uneven playing field', claims EVO
Dutch shipper body EVO has warned of a flaw in the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) ...
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Overweight containers could be a problem for years, according to a senior UK-based carrier executive, despite some shipper claims to the contrary.
Despite September’s vote in the International Maritime Organization [IMO] to amend its Safety of Life at Sea Convention [Solas] – which will require the ...
Comment on this article
Jan Scheck
October 18, 2013 at 1:19 pmDo we really need to wait for a calamity, potentially including loss of life, to happen before decisive action is taken on this topic ?
Not actioning this, sooner rather than later, is tantamount to willingly risking the lives of all the people that are involved with transportation globally.
Sanjay Relan
October 20, 2013 at 11:24 amI agree with Jan. It is surprising to hear people putting a spin on why its a good thing to continue lying about shipment weights !
Narasimhan Sundapalayam
October 21, 2013 at 11:56 amFirst of all,what is the legal definition of the term ‘SHIPPER’? It means ” a person who ships the goods”, if you go by the dictionary.
If this is agreed, who is the shipper when the FCL or FCL/LCL or LCL/FCL is actually shipped (delivered to the oceangoing-carrier)by a Consol Agent or a Freight Forwarder or an OTI? It has to be noted that in all such cases, the cargo – esp.the LCL – is taken by any of the aforesaid intermediaries from the actual “cargo-owner.”
In all cases, the final container contains cargoes of more than one cargo-owner and gets covered by a HBL. This Container is delivered by the Consol Agent or the FF to the performing carrier and gets the B/L showing his name as the shipper”.
Even in the case of an FCL, when the foreign buyer nominates an agent in the Sellers’ country, Nominated Agent is the “shipper” from the point of view of the performing carrier. The ocean B/L is issued in the name of the Nominated Agent who in turns issues his own B/L.
But, our Liner friends and their cohorts, straightaway point their fingers at this cargo-owner as the “shipper” in case of any mishap for which the misdeclaration of weight of the final container were a cause.
Commonsense would dictate that the “shipper” should be the person who delivers the cargo to the performing carrier. In the aforesaid cases, it naturally follows that it is NOT the “cargo-owner/s” BUT any ONE of the Aforesaid INTERMEDIARIES is in fact the “SHIPPER” in ocean carriage.
If I am not mistaken, the Amendment proposed is in respect of the “Responsibility of the Shippers” to declare accurate weight.
My only appeal to the doyens of the industry, who wax eloquently on the subject, is to educate me as to whether the aspects I have put forward in the preceding paragraphs have relevance to and if yes have in fact been taken into full consideration to get reflected in the proposed Amendment to Applicable sections/clauses of the SOLAS Convention.
Charles Yeiser
October 23, 2013 at 10:13 pmJan and Sanjay have it right! It is incredible that this practice hasn’t been quashed years ago. Companies and governments spout and preach about safety and safeguarding vessels and their crews, yet here we are discussing whether or not to do anythiong about misdeclared shipping weights. Only someone totally unfamiliar with proper stowage and its important relationship to ship stability could hesitate an instant on this matter. Misdeclaring shipping weights and cargos should be a crime and prosecuted as such vigorously. improper stowage on any vessel is a serious problema but with container ships with containers stacked in mass high above the deck/wáter level it takes on epic proportions. I’ve been on a vessel years ago manned by experience master mariners and crews who rigorously secured the cargo and ensured correct stability. If that had not been the case we would have foundered in hurricane conditions where the critical roll was exceded several times and the ship was subjected to stresses from every angle for an extended period of time. Obviously, I would not be expressing my opinión to anyone at this time. Greed seems to overide good seamanship and correct procedures at all levels except onboard where the lives of men and women are at stake and profesional pride still balks at losing one’s ship or cargo.