After Outer Seaways books your shipment, we send you a booking confirmation with multiple dates related to the scheduled sailing. The most important dates you will receive are the cut-off dates.
Cut-off dates are the deadlines by which specified requirements must be met in order to board your cargo onto a vessel for sailing. Below are the different types of cut-off dates you may see.
Terminal cut-off date: Whether it be the railroad, airport, or seaport terminal, these are the dates by which your shipment must be delivered to the specified terminal in order to board the booked vessel.
Documentation cut-off date: is the deadline by which all required shipping documentation be submitted to the carrier. The most common documentation that Outer Seaways needs to meet this cut-off is your Shipper's Letter of Instruction (SLI), commercial invoice, and packing slip.
Verified Gross Mass (VGM) cut-off date: Carriers require the gross mass of the container prior to loading it onto the vessel for sailing. Many U.S. ports/terminals will actually weigh the container once it is received and submit this information themselves.
Missing any of these cut-off dates will prevent your shipment from boarding the vessel for departure. Thus, it is crucial that exporters are aware of all shipment cut-off dates and that they plan accordingly to avoid any issues.
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