Draftage

In grain charters, freight may be payable per long ton or metric ton (“tonne”) on bill of lading (shipped) weight or net weight delivered, as may be agreed between the contracting parties. The term is found in the Chamber of Shipping Australian Grain Charter 1928 (“AUSTRAL”) which provided for payment of freight “. . . per ton of 2,240 lbs. or 1,016 kilos., net weight delivered (less a deduction for draftage of 2 lbs. per 2,000 lbs. of Wheat discharged at a port in Great Britain or Ireland and weighed at the time of discharge by approved hopper scale in drafts of 2,000 lbs. or over.) . . .”.

Note that the word “draft” [“draught”] has a different meaning to the normal meaning given to it in shipping, which is the distance between the ship’s keel and the waterline. Here, “drafts” means “quantities” drawn from a bulk cargo. (Note also that in 1989, BIMCO decided that AUSTRAL is withdrawn and no longer to be used.)