SI, VGM and CY cut-offs: manage three separate deadlines

Overview

SI relates to document instructions, VGM to verified mass, and CY cut-off generally to container-yard acceptance. Obtain exact deadlines from the current booking and carrier/terminal instructions; there is no universal fixed-hour rule.

Share one schedule with separate milestones

GENLOG suggests recording each deadline, time zone, owner and confirmation status. ETD is an estimated departure, not the final time for every task. Allow time for corrections and out-of-hours document handling.

One shipment has several deadlines

A cut-off applies to a particular task or submission. ETD is an estimated departure, not a common deadline for everything. Keep the latest schedule with its receipt date and confirmer rather than an undated weekday in a chat.

Plan backwards from each deadline

1. Obtain date, time, time zone and location for every milestone. Clarify ambiguous formats or missing details.
2. Assign individual owners for documents, VGM, packing, trucking and customs coordination.
3. Work backwards through preparation, travel and queuing, considering warehouse hours, route constraints and holidays.
4. Set internal targets earlier than external deadlines. A buffer is not a promise that last-minute delivery always works.
5. Track acceptance rather than merely sending data or dispatching a truck. Escalate unfinished dependencies early.
6. Distribute all schedule changes. Request written extensions specifying scope; extending SI does not automatically extend CY.

An illustrative schedule and delay response

Assume SI is due Monday 12:00, VGM Tuesday 10:00, CY Tuesday 16:00 and ETD Wednesday, all in the confirmed time zone. Complete document approval before SI, arrange weighing early enough for accepted VGM and allow trucking contingency before CY. Waiting until CY to address already-expired SI is not a workable sequence.

If the truck breaks down Tuesday morning, inform the provider, warehouse and receiver promptly. Check replacement transport or an accepted extension and evaluate a later sailing and associated charges. Keep the decision in writing. Gate-in does not prove loading on the vessel; verify the subsequent operational status and advise the buyer of changes.

Common questions

• Do all cut-offs move when ETD moves? Obtain confirmation for each milestone.
• What if a timely submission fails? Preserve the error, contact the designated support channel and obtain acceptance rather than relying on a sent email.
• Is one day always enough contingency? Base the buffer on actual operations and schedules.
• Is a telephone extension enough? Request booking-linked written confirmation with new time, zone and conditions.

When the schedule changes

Recheck all cut-offs, not just ETD. Obtain written confirmation of extensions; requesting one is not approval. Share the current schedule version with factory, trucking and documentation teams.

References

GENLOG practical guide, reviewed on 24 October 2026 using public primary sources. Examples are illustrations, not official tariffs or contract templates.

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DEM, DET, storage and free time: verify the charging basis