Vessel Cut-Off meaning in ocean freight.

Setting the deadline for each sailing

The cut-off belongs to one vessel, voyage and terminal. Carriers usually set it a day or more before the planned departure, which gives the terminal time to plan stowage and stage boxes for loading. Reefer and dangerous goods cargo can have deadlines of their own. When the vessel's arrival moves, the cut-off can move with it, so check the latest booking confirmation rather than the first one.

Other deadlines tied to the same sailing

The vessel cut-off covers the box itself, but a sailing usually carries several deadlines at once. The paperwork has its own, often earlier cut-offs, and a container that makes the gate but misses one of them can still be left behind. Many terminals also set an earliest receiving date, so arriving too early can be a problem as well. Most of these dates appear on the booking confirmation or the carrier's schedule.

• Documentation cut-off for the shipping instructions
• VGM cut-off for the verified gross mass
• Dangerous goods cut-off, often earlier than the rest

Proving the box beat the cut-off

The full gate-in time is the record that matters. Compare it with the cut-off in the terminal's local time, not the office's time zone. If a truck is running late, some carriers accept a late gate request, but approval is never automatic and may carry a fee. If the box still misses the sailing, ask straight away which vessel it has been moved to.

Example

For a Friday departure from Rotterdam, the carrier sets the cut-off for Wednesday at noon, and a box that reaches the gate that afternoon may be rolled to next week's vessel.

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