Key takeaways
- Obtain a precise shipper description of the material offered.
- Distinguish loose, processed and unitized forms where relevant.
- Identify contamination controls and document requirements through responsible sources.
- Make equipment responsibilities and receiving arrangements explicit.
Describe the scrap that will actually load
Start with the shipper’s product description and the applicable shipping information. Ask what materials are included, how the parcel is prepared and whether it is consistent throughout. The enquiry should describe the actual consignment rather than a broad trading category.
Where the material is assembled from several sources, explain how the shipper identifies the final parcel. If sorting or processing remains incomplete, state that as a readiness dependency. The owner should not be asked to accept a finished cargo description while the composition is still subject to change.
AMSA’s solid-bulk guidance identifies the regulatory framework governing applicable cargoes. Obtain the correct current transport description and review for the specific scrap offered rather than assuming every scrap shipment follows the same basis. AMSA: solid bulk cargo requirements
The chartering team should not classify unfamiliar material independently. Ask the shipper to provide appropriate evidence and identify the competent reviewer where clarification is required. Keep unresolved classification or acceptance questions visible in the commercial response register.
Explain physical form and space information
State whether the scrap is loose, baled, bundled or in another defined form. Provide the available dimensions, unit weights or representative stowage information needed for that form. A total quantity alone does not establish the space or handling requirement.
Ask whether the parcel includes materially different components. If some units are larger or require different handling, identify them rather than allowing a general average to conceal the exception. The owner can then explain which additional information is necessary for vessel review.
Record the source and uncertainty of space information. If the shipper supplies a planning estimate, label it accordingly. Do not convert it into a firm cargo characteristic merely because it is convenient for comparing vessel descriptions.
Put loading and discharge methods in the first enquiry
Name the facilities and describe the proposed equipment responsibilities. Ask whether the operation expects shore equipment, shipboard equipment or a combination. The owner and terminal should assess the actual interface, including any unusual unit handling requirements.
Avoid assuming that a vessel advertised as geared can perform every scrap operation. Explain the function required and request the relevant technical confirmation. Similarly, a terminal’s ability to handle scrap generally does not establish that it accepts the particular material and vessel arrangement proposed.
At destination, identify the receiver’s actual intake method and any separation by grade or buyer. A shipment serving several receivers needs a clear allocation and discharge sequence. Those requirements belong in the enquiry before the owner proposes intake or a vessel arrangement.
Use a scrap enquiry completeness checklist
| Information area | Evidence to request | What it prevents |
|---|---|---|
| Material identity | Precise shipper description and transport information | Pricing an undefined cargo |
| Composition | Included materials and final parcel basis | Hidden acceptance assumptions |
| Physical form | Loose, unitized or mixed description | Incomplete space and handling review |
| Quantity | Target, tolerance and final authority | Conflicting lift expectations |
| Space inputs | Representative data and its source | False precision in capacity screening |
| Handling | Equipment division at both ends | Quotes for different services |
| Receiving plan | Grade allocation and discharge sequence | A vessel proposal that misses buyer needs |
| Readiness | Sorting, assembly and release milestones | An unsupported loading window |
A checklist is useful only when each gap has an owner. Material information usually requires the shipper; facility questions require the terminal; commercial options require the cargo interests. The coordinator should direct precise questions rather than circulate a general request for more details.
Where a preliminary indication is requested, ask the owner to identify the assumptions used. This allows early market discussion while preserving the distinction between an indicative proposal and completed cargo acceptance.
Address controls without making unsupported assurances
Ask the shipper and receiver which inspection, contamination-control or other acceptance procedures apply to the consignment. Obtain the responsible party’s requirements and evidence. Do not turn a broad statement that scrap is processed into an assurance that every relevant concern has been resolved.
If cross-border permissions or waste-related classifications may apply, have the cargo interests obtain qualified advice for the actual material and route. The charter enquiry should identify the status of required approvals without offering a legal determination based on the commodity name.
State who is responsible for providing the documents needed before nomination or loading. A missing approval should be visible as a dependency. The owner’s willingness to quote freight does not establish that all cargo-side permissions have been obtained.
Fictional case: a mixed parcel described as one grade
A fictional recycler seeks a ship for a scrap parcel and circulates a broad grade description. Most of the material is in one physical form, but a portion consists of larger units with different handling needs. The initial enquiry omits that distinction.
An owner proposes a vessel based on the general description. During preparation, the terminal asks for details of the exceptional units. The recycler supplies dimensions and handling information, and the owner reviews whether the proposed arrangement remains suitable.
The enquiry is revised to show the parcel components separately, with the required documents and equipment responsibilities. The recycler also clarifies whether the exceptional portion can travel independently. The resulting proposals address a defined shipment instead of relying on an average description that conceals the most consequential part of the cargo.
Common mistakes
Do not use photographs as the sole description of the parcel. They may support a review, but the owner still needs reliable written information about composition, form, quantity and the actual consignment.
Another mistake is treating processing or sorting as complete when it is only planned. Identify the milestone that establishes the final parcel and explain which cargo information may change before then.
Avoid assuming that an owner’s quote confirms cargo-side regulatory or commercial permissions. Ask the responsible cargo interests for the status of applicable approvals and retain that status separately from vessel acceptance and freight negotiations.
Where Zeaclub fits
Zeaclub provides a multi-party shared workspace for owners, charterers, brokers and port agents.
Zeaclub offers digitalised procedures across the voyage workflow.
Explore Zeaclub
Educational information only; not legal, financial or trading advice. Contract wording and applicable rules control. Verify current requirements and obtain qualified advice before acting.
Frequently asked questions
Is the term metal scrap sufficient for vessel selection?
No. Owners need a precise description of the material, its form and the applicable transport information. Different parcel configurations can create different space, handling and acceptance questions.
Should photographs accompany the enquiry?
They can help illustrate the material, provided their date and relationship to the actual parcel are clear. Use them alongside written specifications and responsible shipper information, not as a substitute for those records.
Can a mixed-form scrap parcel be quoted as one shipment?
Yes, if each relevant component is described and the combined arrangement is reviewed. Ask the owner to state any qualifications and consider separate alternatives where the cargo interests have genuine flexibility.
Who confirms whether special permissions apply?
The cargo interests should obtain advice from the relevant authorities or qualified specialists for the material and route. The chartering coordinator tracks the resulting requirements and evidence without making an unsupported legal classification.