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IMOS - Cargo

Home > Chartering > Cargo

This is a Key Topic, with high value for all users.


Walkthrough: Scheduling a Voyage

These breadcrumbs show where you are in the walkthrough. To move to a different section, click its link:

Create a Cargo > Create an Estimate or Voyage > Hand Off to Operations


This section describes the typical workflow of a Charterer. It begins with Cargoes, which can be created from Cargo COA, which can be part of a Master Contract.

If you have a cargo that is not part of a Cargo COA, you can create one from scratch and create a Voyage Fixture from it, and/or schedule the voyage.

Cargo List

The Cargo List contains all Cargo contracts that you have the right to view.

  • On the main menu 

    , under Chartering, next to Cargo, click List.

  • On the Trading menu 

    , under Trades, next to Cargo, click List.

  • On the Chartering menu 

    , under Cargo, next to Cargo, click List.

  • In the Chartering quick links, click

    .

  • By default, the following filters are applied, but you can change them:

    • Status is not in the list Canceled, Withdrawn

    • Laycan From is on or after 365 days in the past

  • These contracts also appear in the Cargo Schedule.

Statuses on the Cargo List

Statuses on the Cargo List relate to its association with a voyage:

Cargo Fixed?

Associated with Voyage?

Status on Cargo List

No

No

Cargo Status

Yes

No

Fixed (Confirmed)

Yes

Yes

Scheduled
(not the Voyage Status)

Row and Card Colors

Row and card colors indicate the following:

Color

Description

Unacknowledged revision via the Messaging Service

Update warning (based on Chartering Lists Settings)

Unacknowledged revision and update warning

Cargo

To view an existing Cargo, do one of the following:

To create a new Cargo, do one of the following:

  • On the Cargo List, click +.

  • Create Cargoes from a Cargo COA.

  • On the main menu 

    , under Chartering, click Cargo.

  • On the Trading menu 

    , under Trades, click Cargo.

  • On the Chartering menu 

    , under Cargo, click Cargo.

If you cannot see a specific Cargo Group that you have created in the Veson IMOS Platform, please ensure that you have followed the instructions from IMOS - Cargo Groups and you have created a Cargo Name with a Short Name matching the Cargo Group Description and have assigned it to the Cargo Group.

You can do any of the following:

  • As with any other details view, you can navigate to a different record by clicking its card or return to the list by clicking its Name.

  • You can access additional tools, forms, and information on the toolbar and right panel.

    1. To copy a Cargo, click 

       and then click Copy Existing.

    2. Enter the Number of CopiesTotal Period, and Start date and then click Create.

    3. Edit line items for the copies as needed and then click OK.

    4. To copy a Cargo to a VC In, click 

       and then click Copy to VC In.

    5. Click Menu ⯆ and then click one of the following:

      • Attachments: Attach documents or links or double-click to open an attachment. These can only be added once the Cargo has been saved with the mandatory fields. 

      • Templates: Create templates that contain information about the types of cargo you typically carry and use them to create cargoes. Choose one of the following:

        • Retrieve a template: Select any template from the list of saved templates and edit, save, or delete it.

        • Make new cargo from a template:  Select any template from the list of saved templates to automatically populate the Cargo form with its relevant details.

        • Convert to a new template: Make additional changes as necessary, enter a new template name, and click Save.

      • Add Default Brokers (when configuration flag Enable Broker Rules is enabled): Based on Cargo Broker Rules, add default brokers to the Broker grid on the Pricing tab.

    6. For a relet, if the relet information has not been entered yet, click Relet and complete the VC In form. To edit existing information, click Relet and then click Edit Relet

    7. If 

       appears, there is a data lock in place: The pricing of the Cargo cannot be changed because it is linked to something else, such as a COA or a Bunker Surcharge Table. Click to see an explanation.

The Cargo form includes the following sections:

When you save the Cargo, it appears on the Cargo Schedule according to its Laycan dates.

When an Alert is entered for a Charterer, a Vessel, or a Port, the field is highlighted in light red.

Panels

Additional information for the current workspace is available in panels on the right:

Adding a Cargo to an Estimate

To create a Voyage Estimate from a Cargo, click Estimate and then click Add Cargo to New Estimate. A Voyage Estimate is created with the Cargo and all the defaults from the .TDEFAULT Estimate. If a vessel has been nominated, the new Estimate uses this vessel.

To add the Cargo to an existing Estimate, click Estimate and then click Add Cargo to Existing Estimate. Enter Estimate Search Criteria and select the Estimate.

Creating or Opening a Voyage Fixture from a Cargo

To create a Voyage Fixture from the Cargo, click Create Fixture. All the information from the Cargo moves to the Voyage Fixture and then to the voyage.

After the Voyage Fixture is created, the button changes to Open Fixture.

Scheduling or Opening a Voyage from a Cargo

To create a voyage from the Cargo, click Schedule Voyage. All the information from the Cargo moves to the voyage.

After the voyage is created, the button changes to Open Voyage.

Note: Port expenses and base expenses set on the Cargo contract will create estimated port costs on the voyage and appear in the actual P&L. 

Bulk Updating Cargoes

NoteConfiguration flag CFGEnableCargoBooking must be set to N.

If you have the Bulk Update Cargo Contracts Module Right selected, under Actions in Chartering, a column of check boxes appears in the Cargo List. To bulk update Cargoes, select the contracts you want to update and then click the Bulk Update action link at the top of the list. To select multiple consecutive rows, select the first row and then press and hold Shift. Select the last row and then release Shift.

Acknowledging Revisions

This feature cannot be disabled.

For Cargo and VC In forms, if an update is imported via the Messaging Service, it must be acknowledged. When a Cargo or VC In has at least one unacknowledged revision:

  • In the Cargo List and VC In List, the row of the Cargo or VC In is highlighted, and its Un-ackRev column contains Y.

  • In the Voyage Manager Cargo List (enabled with configuration flag CFGEnableVoyManagerCargoList), the row of the Cargo or VC In is highlighted.

To acknowledge all highlighted revisions, on the Cargo or VC In Revisions panel, click ... and then click Acknowledge Revisions.

Inactive Cargoes

If a disabled Cargo Name is already selected as an available cargo type in a COA, it can be selected in a lifting. It is expected behavior that existing records (such as a Cargo contract) are not updated when their Cargo Name is disabled.

For consistency, if a Cargo Name has been defined in a COA as an available cargo type, making it a contractual term, the system still allows you to select it in a lifting. As a solution for this record, once the cargo is removed from the cargo type in the COA, you will no longer be able to create a Cargo using the disabled Cargo Name.

Enable Cargo Emissions Allocation

When the Enable Cargo Emissions Allocation flag (CFGEnableCargoEmissionsAllocation) is enabled in an IMOS environment, a new Emissions tab will become visible on the Cargo and VC In contracts. This tab is to be used to capture the contractual details that were agreed to with the counterparty on the contract for how emissions expenses will be settled over the life of the contract. Clicking on this Emissions tab on a Cargo Contract will show the following three fields:

  • Settlement Type - Defines how the contract is structured to settle emissions expenses.

    • Options are N/A (default), CASH, ALLOWANCES and HYBRID

  • Billing Period - Defines the period frequency that the emissions expense will be invoiced

  • Payment Terms - Defines the terms for how the invoices are to be paid/settled following receipt or delivery

Related Configuration Flags

Name/Flag

Description

Enable Cargo Status Security
CFGEnableCargoStatusSecurity

When enabled, the Edit Confirmed Cargo Contracts Module Right will be used to allow editing of confirmed Cargo/VC In records by a user.

Enable Multi Grade
CFGEnableMultiGrade

For vessels such as product tankers with the same kind of Cargo in several grades, enables Multigrade Cargoes: Changes the Cargo field to Cargo Group and adds a Cargo Grade column (for the Cargo Name within the Cargo Group) to the Itinerary/Options tab.

  • Each Cargo Name must be tied to a Cargo Group.

  • One Cargo Name must be created with the same name as the Cargo Group.

The Freight Invoice automatically adapts its format to display the Cargo Group, followed by the individual grades.

Note: The setting of this config flag determines which variable is available, and whether the No. of Grades variable is available, on the Pricing Rule form:

  • N: Cargo Type; No. of Grades variable not available

  • Y: Cargo Grade x; No. of Grades variable available

When the Cargo Grade variable is used in a Rule, its evaluation is done based on the order of Grades in the itinerary.

Charterer View
CFGChartererView

Uses the Charterer's view instead of the standard Cargo form. When enabled:

  • When a voyage is scheduled using Cargo as the source, the Opr Type on the Create New Voyage form defaults according to the Counterparty on the Cargo contract. If the Counterparty is an Owner, the Opr Type is SPOT, otherwise it is TCOV or OVOV depending on the Ownership field on the vessel. Opr Type can be changed, and if the selected type is incompatible with the Cargo counterparty, the Counterparty column in the Voyage Manager Cargoes grid is cleared.

  • All noncoload Cargoes in a voyage synchronize to have the same CP Date and CP Terms Details form.

  • A Supplier/Rcvr column appears on the Cargo Booking and VC In Booking forms.

Laycan Duration
CFGLaycanDuration

Sets the default number of days after the Laycan From for the Laycan To.

Use Company Lob Trade Area Hierarchy
CFGUseCompanyLobTradeAreaHierarchy

Sets up a hierarchy between Company, LOB, and Trade Area on several forms.

Clear Company Lob on Copy
CFGClearCompanyLobOnCopy

Clears the Company, LOB, and Department values when copying a Voyage Fixture or contract.

Show Remittance in Cargo
CFGShowRemittanceInCargo

Adds Remittance BankInvoice %Payment Terms, and Balance % fields to the CP Terms DetailsCargo COA, Cargo, VC In COA, and VC In forms. Also adds a Remittance Bank field to Time Charter Other Information. Remittance information flows between these places; for example, fixing an Estimate will transfer the remittance information.

  • On a Cargo COA, VC In, or Time Charter Out, changing the Company clears the remittance bank information, as this may change with a change to the Company.

  • On a VC In COA or Time Charter In, changing the Owner clears the remittance bank information, as this may change with a change to the Owner.

  • A default value for the Remittance Bank for each currency can be selected in the Address Bank Links tab for Cargo COA, Cargo, and Time Charter Out (Other Information) contracts, but it can be changed later.

Contract Reference URL
CFGContractReferenceURL

Converts the Contract Link field to a Hyperlink. This is used to interface with third-party systems such as Chinsay.

Schedule Max Lift
CFGScheduleMaxLift

Sets the Cargo CP Quantity to the Max Lift Quantity when scheduling a single cargo voyage where discharge is after all loads in the itinerary, using Create New Voyage from a COA or a Cargo or Schedule Voyage from a Cargo. After initial scheduling, all changes to CP Quantity must be made manually; there will be no automatic updates.

Delete Fixture Upon Voyage Deletion
CFGDeleteFixtureUponVoyageDeletion

When a voyage is deleted, its Voyage Fixture is also deleted. If the voyage was created from a Cargo COA (with CFGPreserveGeneratedCargoes disabled), the voyage's Cargo is deleted as well.

Reset COA Lifting Upon Fixture Deletion
CFGResetCOALiftingUponFixtureDeletion

When a Voyage Fixture is deleted, and its Cargo is a COA lifting, or when a COA Cargo is unscheduled by removing it from a voyage, the lifting is reset as follows:

  • The Cargo Status is set to Confirmed.

  • The Cargo Qty is reset to the Qty/Lifting value from the COA.

Enable Benchmark Estimate
CFGEnableBenchmarkEstimate

On the Estimate Properties panel, a Benchmark check box appears. To mark an Estimate as a Benchmark Estimate, select the check box. Benchmark Estimates must have exactly one cargo, and they cannot be fixed.

On COA and Cargo/VC In forms, an Exposure tab appears. If a cargo is linked to a Benchmark Estimate via the Exposure tab, the market rate will be used as the TCE in the Benchmark Estimate and back-calculate the $/ton rate in the Trading Profit and Loss.

Enable Contract Mirroring
CFGEnableContractMirroring

Enables the following types of intercompany contracts to be mirrored: Cargo COA, VC In COA, Cargo, VC In, Time Charter In, Time Charter Out, and FFA/Option/Bunker Swap Trade. When a contract of one of these types is created with internal counterparties, a mirrored contract is automatically created from the opposite perspective, so that users from both legal entities can manage the contract and include it in both their operational planning and their trading exposure and P&L.

  • When both CFGEnableContractMirroring and CFGEnableTCInvoiceMirroring are Y, and when a TC contract is mirrored, TCO invoices are mirrored from TCI invoices. Incremental invoice type is unavailable for such mirrored TC invoices.

  • If an **OV voyage has cargoes with multiple internal charterers, it can be mirrored with multiple RELT voyages, one for each internal charterer's company.

Allow Counterparty Overwrite
CFGAllowCounterpartyOverwrite

Displays a warning message when the Charterer field is changed on a COA-linked Cargo form.

Default Claim Commission Invoice Setting
CFGDefaultClaimCommissionInvoiceSetting

This flag controls the default setting for broker commissions on Claims by setting the default value of M on TC InTC Out, Cargo, Cargo COAVC In, and VC In COA broker grids. Possible values:

  • 0 (default): Claims are not commissionable.

  • 1: Claim commissions will be invoiced separately.

  • 2: Commissions will be deducted from the Claim Invoice.

Enable Lift Quantity Descriptions
CFGEnableLiftQtyDescriptions

Enables Quantity Descriptions, which can be used to indicate the status or intent of cargo lift quantities. You can select a Quantity Description in the Description column on CP Terms Details and Cargo itineraries.

Enable Broker Rules
CFGEnableBrokerRules

When enabled, Cargo Broker Rules and Time Charter Broker Rules can be defined to add default brokers to contracts.

Also adds Add Default Brokers to the TCO Estimate toolbar to default internal brokers by applicable rules.

Cargo Import Check Actual Invoice
CFGCargoImportCheckActualInvoice

If enabled, then when a Cargo message is received through the interface, if there exist any corresponding Freight Invoices with status Actual, the Cargo message does not update the Cargo form and generates a return code of -2. For more information, see the IMOS  Messaging Service Manual.

Enable Operations LOB
CFGEnableOpsLOB

If enabled, displays an LOB (Line of Business) field on the Address (Type W), Estimate, Voyage Fixture, Voyage, and contract forms.

Copy Cargo Reference to Voyage
CFGCopyCargoReferenceToVoyage

If enabled, when scheduling a voyage from a Cargo, the voyage's Reference field is populated with the value from the Cargo.

Enable Standards
CFGEnableStandards

Hides the Port Expense field on some forms, enables standards for expenses, and adds a Port Expenses Details form and a Port Expenses Details button on the Port Expenses Summary to open it. When detail-level port expenses are being used, the PortExp column in the Voyage Itinerary behaves the same as the PortExp column in the Estimate itinerary:

  • For a port with no detail-level port expenses, you can edit its PortExp amount in the Voyage Itinerary Cargo Tab. The voyage P&L shows this amount as estimated expenses for that port.

  • For a port with a single detail-level expense, that amount appears and can be edited in the voyage itinerary PortExp field. An estimated expense entered before creating the detail-level expense is no longer displayed in the voyage P&L.

  • For a port with multiple detail-level expenses, the itinerary PortExp field shows the sum of the detail-level expenses for that port and cannot be edited.

  • When CFGVoyageExpenseAllocation is set to Y, a Voyage Expense Allocation section will be added to the Voyage Estimate Profit & Loss Report, and optionally to the Voyage Profit & Loss Report.

An ECA Factor field also appears on COA, Cargo/VC In, and CP Terms Details forms. When ECAFactor is used in an IMOS ECA Recovery Charge Results/Fee expression and an ECA Factor value is entered on a contract, an ECA Recovery Charge Extra Freight Term is generated on that contract.

  • When a COA is created from an Estimate, ECA Factor is copied from CP Terms to the COA.

  • When a COA Lifting is created, ECA Factor is copied from the COA to the Cargo.

  • When a cargo is scheduled, ECA Factor is copied from the cargo to the back-created Estimate.

Enable Cargo Booking
CFGEnableCargoBooking

Enables the Cargo Booking form.

Adds an option to Keep Booking No. when copying a Cargo or VC In.

Adds a Booking No. field to nonincremental Freight Invoices; after a Counterparty is selected, you can select one booking of that Counterparty on the voyage, so that only those Cargoes are included on the invoice.

Determines whether the No. of Cargoes in Booking variable is available on the Pricing Rule form:

  • N: Not available

  • Y: Available

Enable Voyage Manager Cargo List
CFGEnableVoyManagerCargoList

Adds Cargo and Cargo Handling tabs to the Voyage Manager. The Cargo tab is similar to the Cargo List, but only includes cargoes associated with the voyage. The Cargo Handling tab is similar to the Cargo Handling form; it includes a list of all cargoes associated with the voyage, with a line for each load and discharge. Lines highlighted in yellow indicate transshipment cargoes, while lines highlighted in blue indicate interservice cargoes.

If a Cargo or VC In has at least one unacknowledged revision, its row is highlighted in the Cargo List.

Cargo Import Check Actual Invoice
CFGCargoImportCheckActualInvoice

If enabled, then when a Cargo message is received through the interface, if there exist any corresponding Freight Invoices with status Actual, the Cargo message does not update the Cargo in IMOS.

Enable Cargo Delivered
CFGEnableCargoDelivered

Enables you to save Cargoes, VC Ins, or bookings with only a load or discharge port.

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