Flat Rates for Ocean Freight at The Freight Hero – Including SOLAS Administration Surcharges

To enhance safety at sea, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) introduced changes to the SOLAS regulations (Safety Of Life At Sea) effective July 1. These rules require shippers to provide the Verified Gross Mass (VGM) of each container before loading, tightening safety standards for outbound vessels.

Tipping Risk Reduction

After it was discovered that approximately 20% of containers had inaccurately declared weights, the VGM requirement aims to prevent tipping risks and improve vessel stability by ensuring containers are not overloaded.

Impact on Consolidated Containers (LCL)

The regulation also applies to Less-than-Container Load (LCL) shipments. All consolidated sea freight containers must be weighed before loading. In many countries, this process is still manual, which has led shipping lines to introduce SOLAS administration surcharges since July 1, 2016.

Freight Hero’s All-Inclusive Pricing

At The Freight Hero, all ocean freight rates are all-in, meaning:

✔ SOLAS-related administration fees are already included
✔ VGM handling is integrated into Freight Hero’s software process
✔ Customers benefit from transparent, complete pricing with no hidden costs