Overweight containers are putting lives at risk, creating higher operating costs, higher cargo liability claims at sea, and on the road, says the World Shipping Council (WSC) and International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) in a joint declaration.
They urge the UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to set legally enforceable rules for weighing before loading to prevent risk of stacks collapsing and damaging safe ship operations and personnel through the supply chain.
The organisations criticised outdated guidelines taken from a 2008 report Safe Transport of Containers by Sea, Guidelines on Industry Best Practices, which has done little in the way of reducing incidents.
Universal shipping law should require export cargo containers to "be weighed by the marine terminal upon receipt and before vessel loading, and that the actual container weights be made available to the vessel operator and used for vessel stowage planning," it added, cited a report from London's International Freighting Weekly.
They urge the UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to set legally enforceable rules for weighing before loading to prevent risk of stacks collapsing and damaging safe ship operations and personnel through the supply chain.
The organisations criticised outdated guidelines taken from a 2008 report Safe Transport of Containers by Sea, Guidelines on Industry Best Practices, which has done little in the way of reducing incidents.
Universal shipping law should require export cargo containers to "be weighed by the marine terminal upon receipt and before vessel loading, and that the actual container weights be made available to the vessel operator and used for vessel stowage planning," it added, cited a report from London's International Freighting Weekly.