Shipping software provider CargoSmart will now provide shippers with free solutions to help them comply with the new verified-gross-mass requirements of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, which come into effect on July 1, 2016.

According to a survey CargoSmart carried out with 820 people, more than two-thirds of the respondents felt that the process of obtaining the verified gross mass would be the biggest challenge. About 24% said that the biggest challenge would be submitting the weight information in a timely manner.

“CargoSmart is working with over 70 major carriers and terminals to establish a seamless VGM integration before the regulation goes into effect,” said Lionel Louie, chief commercial officer of CargoSmart. “By offering free VGM solutions with multiple submission channels and a dashboard, we will help shippers minimize changes to their existing shipping execution processes, control costs for complying with the new requirements, and provide clear visibility to submission status.”

According to CargoSmart, its solution takes a collaborative approach, enabling shippers to submit the VGM with the help of other parties. Extra costs are eliminated because the submission is integrated into the existing execution process. Shippers will be able to submit VGM information to carriers for free with CargoSmart if the booking request or shipping instructions were also submitted through CargoSmart.

The VGM requirements state that the provision of a container’s verified gross mass by a set deadline is a prerequisite condition for its loading onto a vessel.