The Impact of the Verified Gross Mass Regulations in Port Operations

Containerisation has developed immensely the last decades to become the main transportation mode for general cargo, and high value manufactured goods, therefore, it's growth is analogous to the development of the amenities designed to handle them, the Container Terminals(CT). However, due to their nature and their crucial role in the industry, these amenities are vulnerable to safety and security threats. In this framework, the International Maritime Organization (I.M.O.), in order to control the weighing of containers and minimize the safety and security threats, in July 2016, established the Verified Gross Mass (V.G.M.) regulations. In this context, this research has developed a questionnaire, where the fundamental approach was to acquire responses from a wide range of stakeholders, giving us the opportunity to obtain information on the subject from different sectors with distinctive perceptions inside the containerised cargo industry, with a view to identify the impact of the VGM regulations of a container terminal operations and the yard strategy, the changes in the safety and security procedures, examine the present practices and formulate recommendations.