What the New Vehicle Loading Guidance Requires

Every vehicle now needs a data trail. The ICS/IGP&I Common Guidance on the Presentation and Loading of Vehicles defines what must follow each unit from booking to discharge: a declared propulsion type, an OEM emergency guide, a state of charge verified, recorded and steered toward a 30–40% band, a battery-management-system check, and temperature monitoring at sea. For EVs and hybrids the checks are stricter and the paperwork heavier.

What does the booking now have to carry?

Far more than make and model — and propulsion type is the linchpin. The guidance is explicit that because hazards, inspection criteria and stowage requirements vary by propulsion type, it is critical the type is specified at the time of booking. A vehicle is sorted into one of five declared classes — ICE, BEV, PHEV, HEV or FEV — and the rest of the handling chain keys off that single field.

• Make, model, year, VIN, weight, dimensions (flagging low ground clearance) and number of axles — the shipper or booking agent's responsibility.
• Propulsion type and the OEM-required state of charge, declared up front.
• The OEM vehicle-specific first-responder or emergency guide, which describes the battery pack and high-voltage layout and the emergency procedure — provided at booking and made available to everyone who handles the unit.
• Lashing type — point or rim — and any OEM carriage instructions, including whether a transport isolation mode must be activated and who is responsible for activating it.

What state of charge does the guidance want — and why it is now on paper?

A 30–40% band, which the guidance calls the best balance between keeping enough power for manoeuvring and limiting energy on board. That number matters because the state-of-charge question had been argued largely in private contracts and loading manuals — there was no public figure to point at. There is now.

The thermal logic is laid out plainly. A high state of charge means high energy density, which can prolong an incident and raise the chance of re-ignition. A low-charge battery can still enter thermal runaway and release significant quantities of highly toxic, flammable — potentially explosive — and corrosive gases; a high-charge battery adds flame jets on top of those gases. The guidance also notes some OEMs require higher charge levels to protect the vehicle's systems, so the figure is negotiated with the manufacturer and recorded per unit, not imposed as a flat rule.

What does the terminal check before the vehicle rolls on?

A safety inspection that now reaches the battery, not just the bodywork. On arrival each unit is inspected so that compartments are unlocked and confirmed free of cargo and personal effects, the state of charge is acceptable and recorded, and — for EVs and hybrids — no battery-management-system alarms or faults are showing. Hybrids also get a fuel-level check, with roughly 1/8 to 1/4 of a tank treated as acceptable. Any vehicle found unsafe, damaged near the battery pack, overweight or not as described is rejected from the load until the issue is fixed.

Two practical artefacts come out of this stage. Each vehicle gets a windscreen placard front and rear stating propulsion type and, where relevant, typical state of charge — so the deck crew can read the hazard without opening a manifest. And the battery, electrical-system and drivetrain check is explicitly a fault-light check, not a physical teardown: the point is to catch a unit already flagging a problem before it is driven aboard.

What changes once the vehicle is stowed and at sea?

The unit is isolated and monitoring shifts to the crew. In its final stowage position the ignition is off with the key stored in the cabin, and EVs and hybrids get an additional ignition-off confirmation plus, where fitted, transport isolation mode — activated in consultation with the OEM, because some transport modes also release the handbrake. Used light ICE vehicles have their battery disconnected and the action documented; high and heavy units have the kill/isolation switch thrown.

Temperature monitoring is recommended during loading and once stowed, and during the voyage deck patrols use portable thermal cameras or infrared thermometers to scan for any unit running warm. The guidance is honest that this cannot cover every vehicle, but a temperature change spotted on patrol is an early indication of a developing problem. Leaking electrolyte is to be treated as major battery damage — highly toxic, cleaned only in appropriate PPE, the vehicle isolated — and vehicle-deck fire and smoke detection must stay fully operational for the whole voyage.

Why this is an evidence problem, not just a checklist

Because the record the guidance asks for is exactly the pre-fire data nobody had in the recent losses. A declared propulsion type, a recorded state of charge, a BMS-alarm-free sign-off and a per-deck temperature trend are the audit trail that lets an operator show a controlled loading interface — the same file P&I and hull underwriters now ask for at renewal. And the timing is unforgiving: the VCSF's own Fire Response guidance notes ICE and EV fires alike reach peak heat-release rate in 6 to 10 minutes, and recommends fixed firefighting if a fire is not under control within 10 to 15 minutes of the first alarm. Manual deck-patrol scanning catches a temperature rise late in that curve; the value of the whole data chain is in the window before ignition, not after it.

• Declare propulsion type at booking — it drives inspection, stowage and emergency response for every downstream party.
• Carry the OEM emergency guide with the unit and put it in the hands of everyone who touches it, ship and shore.
• Verify and record state of charge against the 30–40% band, and confirm the battery management system is alarm-free before loading.
• Treat the recorded data — SOC, BMS status, temperature trend — as the evidence file, because the suppression window after ignition is measured in single-digit minutes.

Sources

• ICS / IGP&I / TT Club — "Common Guidance on the Presentation and Loading of Vehicles" (Version 1.4), sponsored by the International Chamber of Shipping and the International Group of P&I Clubs. Booking, presentation, loading and voyage checklists; 30–40% SOC; propulsion-type declaration; BMS-alarm and temperature checks.
• Vehicle Carrier Safety Forum — "Fire Response: High Level Guidelines" (Version 1.1, January 2025). Peak heat-release rate in 6–10 minutes; fixed-firefighting trigger if a fire is not controlled within 10–15 minutes; vapour-cloud handling.
• [VERIFY: publication date of the Common Guidance Version 1.4 — not shown on the supplied pages; confirm the exact release date before publication.]
• [VERIFY: the 30–40% SOC figure is a published recommendation that updates our earlier post stating no public SOC standard exists — confirm whether to refresh "ev-soc-policy-at-loading" rather than leave it standing.]