Category: Operations & measurement
Cut-off (Closing Time)
Also known as: Closing, Cargo Cut-off
Definition
The deadline by which cargo or documents must reach the terminal or carrier to make a given sailing.
A cut-off is the last moment a carrier will accept cargo or paperwork for a specific vessel. There are several — gate-in/cargo cut-off, documentation cut-off, and VGM cut-off — each governing a different requirement ahead of departure.
Missing any cut-off means the shipment rolls to the next sailing, delaying the cargo and disrupting downstream plans. Forwarders build their booking timelines backward from the cut-offs to ensure everything lands before the deadlines.
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