SI Cut-off, VGM Cut-off and CY Cut-off: Deadlines You Cannot Miss Before Vessel Departure
A confirmed booking and cargo ready for collection do not, on their own, mean your container will sail as planned. Before departure, shipping instructions must be submitted, the packed container's verified gross mass must be provided, and the container must reach the designated terminal. These steps have separate deadlines: SI cut-off, VGM cut-off and CY cut-off.
The key point is that meeting one deadline does not satisfy the others. A container can be inside the port and still be left behind because its VGM is missing. Equally, submitting the paperwork on time will not solve a late delivery after the terminal has closed receiving for the sailing.
What does cut-off mean in ocean freight?
A cut-off is the latest date and time for completing a specified task for a particular shipment. It is not the vessel's departure time. Carriers and terminals need time between the relevant deadlines and departure to process information, plan container stowage and carry out terminal operations.
Keep these deadlines separate from the vessel milestones explained in our guide to ETD, ETA, ATD and ATA in container shipping. A later ETD does not automatically extend the SI, VGM or CY cut-off. The revised deadlines need to be confirmed.
Deadline | Required action | What to check before the deadline |
|---|---|---|
SI cut-off — Shipping Instructions | Provide the shipping line with complete shipment instructions | Instructions have been submitted through the required channel, with no rejection or outstanding request for mandatory information |
VGM cut-off — Verified Gross Mass | Submit the verified gross mass of the packed container | VGM is recorded against the correct container number and available to the relevant transport parties |
CY cut-off — Container Yard | Deliver the packed container to the designated terminal | Terminal receipt is recorded as gate-in or another recognised acceptance event |
There is no universal rule that these tasks must be completed 24, 48 or 72 hours before sailing. Check the booking confirmation, the carrier's shipment portal and terminal notices for the actual times. If these sources conflict, resolve the discrepancy with the forwarder or carrier instead of relying on whichever deadline is more convenient.
SI cut-off: when to submit shipping instructions
Shipping instructions provide the information the carrier uses to prepare the bill of lading and process the shipment. They are neither the bill of lading itself nor a substitute for the commercial invoice.
Depending on the route and carrier requirements, the submission will include the shipper, consignee and notify party, cargo description, package count and type, cargo weight and other mandatory fields. Container numbers, seal numbers, commodity codes and additional details must be supplied in line with the requirements of the booking.
Start reviewing the instructions before loading. Agree on company names, addresses and the cargo description, then check the variable details against the final shipment. If some information will only become available later, confirm the submission process with the shipping line in advance.
Last-minute changes deserve particular attention. A supplier may remove several cartons or change the packaging while the instructions still describe the earlier shipment. That is why checking the commercial invoice before international transport should be followed by a cross-check against the packing list and current SI. However, the seller on the invoice and the shipper on the transport document are not necessarily the same entity. Their roles must be correct; matching every field mechanically is not the objective.
A saved draft in a portal, or an email sent to the wrong address, provides little assurance that the deadline has been met. Check the submission status and the carrier's response. Also confirm the deadline for reviewing the draft bill of lading: it is not necessarily the SI cut-off.
VGM cut-off: why cargo weight alone is not enough
VGM is the verified gross mass of a packed container. It includes the cargo, packaging, pallets, securing materials and the container's own tare weight. The net product weight shown on an invoice is not sufficient.
There are two methods for determining VGM: weighing the packed container, or adding the weights of all its contents to the container tare. The second method must follow a certified process approved by the competent authority in the country where packing takes place. A rough estimate based on product catalogue data is not a substitute for a compliant VGM determination.
For example, cargo weighing 18,000 kg, total packaging and securing materials weighing 800 kg, and a specific container tare of 3,800 kg add up to 22,600 kg. This is an illustrative calculation, not permission to submit a figure without meeting the applicable method requirements. Do not count packaging twice if it is already included in the weight of the packages.
Tare weight must not be confused with the maximum permitted gross mass. Our guide to shipping container weight explains the distinction.
Responsibility for providing VGM rests with the shipper as defined under SOLAS, including the party named as shipper in the relevant bill of lading or sea waybill. An authorised representative may transmit the information, but this does not automatically transfer that responsibility to the importer or terminal.
A packed container cannot be loaded onto the vessel without a properly supplied VGM. Some terminals also restrict gate-in when VGM is missing, but “no VGM, no gate-in” is not a universal rule. If you intend to use terminal weighing, agree on availability, charges and transmission of the result before the deadline.
CY cut-off: when the container must reach the terminal
CY cut-off, also called CY closing, concerns physical acceptance of the packed container for a particular sailing. Reaching the port area is not the same as handing over the container at the correct terminal.
A truck may be near the gate but unable to complete delivery because of a queue, an incorrect booking number, a missing appointment or a document discrepancy. Use a recorded gate-in event or another recognised terminal receipt as the checkpoint, rather than a driver's message saying “I am at the port”.
Before dispatching the truck, check:
- the exact terminal and its match with the booking;
- CY opening or the earliest receiving date;
- whether an appointment is required and which slot is available;
- requirements for VGM, documents and customs status;
- a realistic allowance for the journey, queues and corrections.
Customs release and the removal of other loading holds need separate checks. Gate-in alone does not establish that the container is ready to sail. Delivering too early is not always beneficial either: the receiving window may not have opened, or additional storage charges may apply.
Do FCL and LCL shipments have different deadlines?
For an FCL shipment, the relevant booking and terminal deadlines apply to the dedicated container. An LCL shipment also has the consolidator's deadlines, including cargo acceptance at the CFS — Container Freight Station — and submission of shipment information.
These may fall earlier than the shipping line's CY cut-off. The consolidator needs time to receive and check individual consignments, pack the shared container and complete the subsequent operations. An LCL shipper therefore needs more than the port terminal's closing time.
When comparing FCL and LCL shipping, ask for the last acceptance date for your consignment as well as the price. Agree who will supply its weight information and who will arrange VGM for the complete consolidated container.
Example: on-time gate-in, but the sailing is still at risk
Consider the following illustrative booking. All times use the same local time zone at the terminal:
- SI cut-off: 22 September, 12:00;
- VGM cut-off: 23 September, 10:00;
- CY cut-off: 23 September, 16:00;
- vessel ETD: 24 September, 20:00.
Shipping instructions are submitted on time. The terminal accepts the container at 15:20 on 23 September, but VGM is not submitted until 15:40. The CY deadline has been met; the VGM deadline has not. Having the container inside the terminal, with more than a day remaining before ETD, does not undo the missed deadline.
The next step is to ask the carrier urgently whether the VGM can still be accepted and the container included in the loading plan. A positive outcome is not guaranteed. This sequence is only an example: the times and their order may differ on an actual booking.
What to do if you miss a cut-off
First, tell your forwarder which deadline has been missed, the booking and container numbers, and the actual status of the shipment. State where the cargo is, whether SI and VGM have been submitted, and whether any customs or terminal holds remain. “We are running a little late” is not enough information to assess the options.
Next, ask whether an exception is possible. Late gate acceptance or a documentation extension needs confirmation from the relevant parties. Permission to deliver a container late does not automatically extend SI or VGM cut-off. Even a paid late gate service does not replace the other loading requirements.
If the original sailing is no longer available, agree on a revised plan: another departure, a location for the container to wait, updated documents and adjustments to the onward transport. Request an itemised breakdown of any costs, including storage, handling, amendments, container use and other applicable services.
Not every additional charge is a penalty. Demurrage and detention have their own charging conditions, while responsibility for the costs depends on the contracts, tariffs and circumstances of the delay.
Pre-departure deadline checklist
Keep one deadline register for each booking, with named owners and evidence of completion:
1. Sailing and terminal. Check the booking number, vessel, voyage and receiving location.
2. Date, time and time zone. Record SI, VGM, CY and, where relevant, CFS cut-off separately.
3. Task owners. Identify who prepares the data, who submits it to the carrier and who checks the status.
4. Final cargo details. Reconcile changes to package count, weight and packaging after loading.
5. Container acceptance. Check the receiving window, appointment and gate-in confirmation.
6. Additional restrictions. Check customs procedures and special requirements for dangerous, oversized or temperature-controlled cargo separately.
7. Schedule changes. Obtain all the updated deadlines after a sailing change, not just the new ETD.
8. Contingency arrangements. Keep an escalation contact and agree on the procedure if the shipment is moved to another sailing.
The practical test is not “we sent everything”. It is “each required task is complete, its status has been checked, and any outstanding restrictions have been clarified”.
Plan your container shipment with Save Pro Solutions
Save Pro Solutions arranges ocean container shipping for business cargo. To discuss a route and a realistic departure date, provide the loading country and address, delivery location, cargo description, weight, volume and cargo-ready date. If you already have a booking, include the confirmation showing the current cut-offs.
This makes it possible to compare cargo readiness with the documentation and terminal receiving deadlines before a missed cut-off affects the wider delivery plan.
