Who is responsible for the VGM?

The shipper. The shipper can have a third party do the weighing, but the VGM is still the shipper’s responsibility, even when several companies take part in packing the container.

Where can I find the exact payload of my container?

On its CSC plate. The figures on equipment sheets are typical ranges: the actual maximum gross mass and tare vary from one container to another.

What is the deadline for sending the VGM?

SOLAS does not set a specific deadline, only that the VGM must arrive early enough for the stowage plan. The shipping line tells you the exact deadline.

Guide · Sea

Ready to Send? The checklist before you book a container.

A container loading checklist is the list of checks a shipper runs before booking: the data for each package, the right equipment, payload, the VGM and its method, the CSC plate, stowage and securing under the CTU Code, documents and shipping line deadlines. It is the basis of pre-booking load validation.

In short

Start with the data for each package: dimensions, weight and quantity.
Choose the equipment by weight and by volume, and stay within the payload on its CSC plate.
No VGM, no loading: decide on the method and confirm the deadline with the shipping line.

Booking a container without the load data leads to last-minute equipment changes, re-weighing or a container left behind. This checklist sets out what the shipper should have clear before booking, under the SOLAS Convention and the CTU Code.

What should a container loading checklist include?

It should cover the load, the equipment, the weight, the stowage and the paperwork. Here is the list, point by point:

Point	What to check	Where to look
1. Package data	Dimensions (length × width × height), gross weight, quantity and whether it can take load on top	Your packing list
2. Equipment	That the load fits the chosen equipment by volume and by weight	Equipment sheets
3. Payload	That the load does not exceed the payload: maximum gross mass minus tare	The container’s CSC plate
4. VGM and method	Method 1 (weigh the packed container) or method 2 (weigh everything and add the tare)	VGM guide
5. CSC plate	The container’s maximum gross mass and stacking capacity	The CSC plate on the container itself
6. Stowage	Centre of gravity central and low, no heavy cargo on top of light cargo	CTU Code guide
7. Securing	That the load cannot move: blocking, chocking or lashing with compatible equipment	CTU Code guide
8. Documents	A packing list consistent with the VGM, and a signed VGM document	Your shipping documents
9. Deadlines	Cut-off for the VGM and for delivery to the terminal	Given by the shipping line

What data do I need for each package?

The dimensions, gross weight and quantity of each type of package, pallet and packaging included. With them you choose the equipment, work out the total weight and plan the stowage.

Also note whether the package can be stacked and whether there are wet, damaged or dangerous goods. The CTU Code advises against packing wet goods or damaged packages, and against mixing incompatible dangerous goods.

How do I choose the equipment?

By weight and by volume at the same time: the load must fit in the space and stay within the payload. As a guide, the 20' is used mostly for heavy, dense goods, which reach the weight limit before filling the volume, while the 40' and the 40' High Cube suit goods that are bulkier than they are heavy.

The typical dimensions, volume and payload of each are in the 20ft vs 40ft comparison and on the equipment pages; the exact tare and payload vary from one container to another. For the volume of your load you can use the CBM calculator.

How do I know the actual payload?

Subtract the container’s tare from the maximum gross mass on its CSC plate. The CTU Code adds that any added fittings and the securing material must be subtracted too.

For dry containers, the maximum gross mass is usually 30,480 or 32,500 kg (shipping line specifications; Hapag-Lloyd, p. 4); each unit’s value is on its CSC plate (CTU Code, 6.2.2). That is why two containers of the same type can take different loads. A container that exceeds the maximum gross mass on its CSC plate cannot be shipped.

If the plate shows a reduced stacking capacity (less than 192,000 kg), the CTU Code requires this to be reported.

Which VGM method will I use?

Decide before you book, because it determines how and where you weigh. The VGM is the gross mass of the packed container, required by SOLAS since 1 July 2016, and the shipper declares it.

Method 1: weigh the packed container once closed and sealed, with calibrated and certified equipment. It is the only option for scrap metal, grain and other bulk cargo.
Method 2: weigh all the packages and cargo items (pallets, dunnage, securing material) and add the container’s tare. In Spain, for example, it must be part of a quality management system certified to ISO 9001 or equivalent.

To add up the weights for method 2 you can use the VGM calculator. The result does not replace a certified weighbridge.

What does the CTU Code require for stowage and securing?

That the load is well distributed, centred and secured with means that suit it. The specific criteria are in theCTU Code guide.

Which documents and deadlines should I confirm?

The packing list and the VGM document, and the deadlines the shipping line gives you. The VGM document is signed by a person authorised by the shipper (the signature may be electronic) and is given to the master or their representative and to the terminal.

Check that the packing list and the VGM match. In Spain, for example, the VGM document states the shipper’s name and address, the VGM in kg preceded by “VGM”, the method, the name and signature, the date and the place; and if there is a discrepancy, the VGM prevails over any mass declared earlier, and the terminal’s weighing over the earlier one.

Where does this checklist fit in the shipment?

It is the basis of pre-booking load validation: checking, before you book, that your load fits the equipment, that the weight is within limits and that it can be properly stowed. It is step 2 of how to send a container, step by step. If the data for each package is not in order yet, start with the packing list template.

Once the nine points are clear, validate the load before you request the booking.

Sources

Validate your load before it ships.

Last reviewed: 28 October 2026