Weighbridge Survey

Thanks you for participating in this survey, we are attempting to identify the geographical distribution of weighbridges, capabilities and availability.

 

Weighbridges are generally associated with two processes:

 

-  Regulatory installations to ensure compliance with road regulations with regard to axle loads and gross vehicle mass; and

-  Measuring the mass of a cargo delivered to, or collected from a facility.

 

A third process is now emerging, namely the measurement of the gross mass of freight containers which are being shipped overseas.  It is recognised that weighbridges have, and remain, a source of this data, the impending introduction of amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) will mean that there is a greater demand for weighing containers prior to them being delivered to maritime terminals for loading aboard a container vessel.

 

From July 1st 2016, Shippers of cargo will be required to provide the shipping line and the terminal operators with a Verified Gross Mass (VGM) for every container that is to be loaded.  A VGM is a declaration by the Shipper of the mass of the container and can be obtained by either:

 

Method 1 - Weighing the packed container using calibrated and certified weighing equipment (e.g. weighbridges, load cell sensing technologies etc); or

Method 2 - Weighing all packages and cargo items, including the mass of pallets, dunnage and other securing material to be packed in the container and adding the tare mass of the container to the sum of the single masses, using a certified method approved by a competent authority.  In the UK that agency is the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).

 

This survey is attempting to identify weighbridges that can provide a service to shippers so that they can satisfy the Method 1 weighing process.