Many of those involved in the shipping industry don’t feel that it is ready for the implementation of Safety of Life at Sea verified gross mass regulations, according to a customer survey conducted by INTTRA.

The SOLAS regulations, which are scheduled to be implemented in July 2016, state that containers can only be loaded onto ships after their weight has been verified and certified.

Of the 410 respondents, only about 30% said that they expected their company and/or their customers will be prepared for compliance, while 48% said they had doubts, and 10% said no.

Two-thirds of the respondents said that they expected either moderate or major disruption to the industry. Approximately 42% of respondents felt that the Asia-Pacific region would experience the most disruption.

“Some have said that SOLAS VGM could be to the ocean-shipping industry what Y2K was to the broader business world,” said Inna Kuznetsova, president of INTTRA Marketplace. “These survey results are consistent with that, as they reflect concerns over potential disruption and lack of preparedness. We believe that coordinated action can facilitate a smooth transition.”

To improve the transition process through digital means, INTTRA has launched its eVGM Initiative, which brings together carriers, NVOCCs, forwarders, shippers, terminal operators, port authorities, government regulators and rail and trucking operators.

According to INTTRA, the two primary objectives of the initiative are to “state a preference for electronic submission through a ‘digital-first’ approach to SOLAS VGM compliance that allows trading partners ample time for preparations,” and to “support safety and efficiency by developing an industry community to foster agreement or consensus on a technology standard and standard business process for digital documentation of VGM submissions.”

Otto Schacht, global director of sea freight operations at Kuehne + Nagel, John Clark, vice president of BDP, and Simone Kraal, global ocean operations manager at Damco, all expressed their support of the INTTRA initiative.