Tare Weight

Tare Weight is the weight of an empty container, vehicle, pallet or packaging — everything that holds the cargo but is not the cargo itself. It is the figure that, subtracted from the gross weight (contents plus container), gives the net weight of the goods: gross − tare = net.

For shipping containers the tare weight is stencilled on the door alongside the maximum gross and payload, and it is essential for accurate weight calculations — including the container's Verified Gross Mass (VGM), which SOLAS requires before a packed container can be loaded (VGM = tare + cargo weight). Tare weight also matters for road weight limits, freight charged on net weight, and customs. Getting tare, gross and net right is basic to compliant, correctly-charged cargo, and errors can cause overloading, mis-billing or a container being refused loading.