The container weighing rule has split opinion across the industry and wrought confusion in several areas. This piece aims to address that confusion and ascertain a definitive insight into how the industry will embrace the regulation. In order to reach this aim, insight has been sought from some key figures in the industry who have offered their views on key elements of the rule. These rules will be explored in more detail throughout this e-book, yet this piece will hopefully serve as an introductory paper for readers who’d like to be further informed as to the present situation before the industry prepares for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) rule to be enforced on July 1, 2016.
TO BE, OR NOT TO BE
After the initial scramble at the beginning of 2016 when the industry rushed to inform itself of the details of the new regulation, voices from the US began to question whether the rule was possible to implement, or even whether the rule was a significant change on the current stipulation to ensure a container is correctly weighed.
Senior Vice President of Sea Freight with major freight forwarder Kuenhe + Nagel, Juerg Bandle, believes that the rule is causing confusion around who has to bear the burden of responsibility for a container to be weighed correctly:
