Page 53: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 2016)

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Call your Travelers insurance agent or visit travelers.com/ocean *SNL Financial “... in the U.S., people may be relying too heavily on the terminal-weighing solu- tion that was approved by the Coast Guard in its “Equivalency to Regulation” state- ment issued back in April. While viable, there are a lot of variables.” ple are still unclear on what charges will for which there is no solution right now. amendment. As such, that means that there are already some unhappy shippers be levied from scale operators, forward- In the short term, as the 90-day period the maritime eco-system in each of those out there.

ers and other service providers related to expires and terminal-speci? c weakness- 171 countries has to come up with so-

For readers unfamiliar, what is Mobile- the VGM process. es are exposed, people will have to come lutions around speci? c ports, the termi- weight? How does it help streamline up with long-term solutions. nals on those ports, access to scales, the the VGM compliance process?

In general, how prepared is the indus- technology they may or may not use to try for the new SOLAS VGM rules?

What are some of challenges of the receive VGM data…a whole slew of

VGM requirements, and what can be considerations. Not all countries have In the simplest of terms, our service done to overcome them?

is all in our name, Mobileweight. We If you look at things from a U.S.- the same maritime or intermodal infra- perspective, I’d say, “somewhat pre- structure as the U.S., nor do they have offer a web based application that al- pared;” on a global scale, I’d say, “not I think we need to break down the the means with which to enforce VGM lows exporters anywhere in the world to challenges into different categories to on a country-wide scale. Taking all capture, transmit and con? rm container- very prepared at all.” Of course, the 90- speci? c VGM data to a carrier. So, an day period for a “practical and pragmatic truly understand the complexity of the those things into consideration, uniform, approach” to implementation issued by SOLAS VGM amendment. The ? rst is agricultural exporter in Nebraska can lit- across the board compliance with VGM the International Maritime Organization for an exporter to understand the phys- is going to be dif? cult to achieve, even erally be standing next to a weigh bridge gives shippers who failed to be ready ics of their particular export pro? le. For and upon weighing the container, key with a 90-day grace period.

for July 1 time to catch up, but there’s example, how many ports does the ex- VGM data into our app on a smart phone a danger that too many companies have porter ship from, how many terminals or tablet and send it to the carrier via the

Short term and long term, what impact will the VGM rules have across the sup- interpreted this period (incorrectly) as are on those ports, how many steamship INTTRA network. Or, an exporter in ply chain?

an invitation to not do anything. With so lines do they work with and what are Seattle can be at a scale, take a picture many companies kicking the VGM can the terminal/carriers’ policies speci? c to of the weight certi? cate and our patent- down the road during the 90-day period, VGM? The second challenge is the tech- In the end, companies still have to pending technology will convert the we will only be able to tell how well nology side of VGM. Submitting VGM buy and sell goods internationally. So, picture into an EDI message and send it people have prepared after the 90 days data manually is a dicey proposition, not unlike the U.S.-speci? c ISF 10+2 to the carrier. In both instances, the mes- are over. With that said, there are already so it comes down to ? nding a technol- ? ling requirement for maritime imports, sage is sent to the carrier via the world’s reports coming out of places like China ogy solution that is ubiquitous, timely people will work the VGM requirement most reliable maritime e-commerce B2B and cost effective. The ? nal challenge into their supply chain processes. In the platform: INTTRA. So, VGM is taken that show a very low level of prepara- would have to be the administrative/op- end, it is about making adjustments to care right at the point of weighing and tion.

erational side of things; particularly how existing processes, so it will take some any mysteries or concerns around weigh- Also, in the U.S., people may be re- an exporter incorporates the VGM pro- trial and error, but it will work. ing on a terminal become a moot subject.

lying too heavily on the terminal-weigh- ing solution that was approved by the cess into ongoing export activities, and What is already a bone of contention Additionally, Mobileweight will send tracks everything they have to do related with some shippers are the charges that con? rmation emails and text messages

Coast Guard in its “Equivalency to Reg- ulation” statement issued back in April. to VGM. are surfacing related to VGM ? ling and to as many recipients as the user wants. compliance. A number of large forward- It’s a feature we included to ensure the

While viable, there are a lot of variables

How does the global nature of the ship- ers have come out with their VGM ser- user can instantly update all interested in the terminal-weighing approach, like ping industry complicate the road to vice portfolio and pricing, along with a parties and streamline bookkeeping ef- possible terminal congestion, on-termi- compliance?

number of ports and terminals around ? ciency and accuracy. The whole idea is nal charges, and most pressingly - the the world. Like any other new service in to make it easy to ? le VGM no matter handling of on-dock rail. The inability to Let’s not forget that 171 nations a capitalist model, the pricing will come where you are or where the container is terminal-weigh on-dock rail is an issue have signed on to the SOLAS VGM down to what the market will bear, but going. www.marinelink.com 53

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