Mill Freight
Unloaded pulp sheet mass measured at the receiving bay scale determines financial settlement between paper mills and board converters. Net delivered tonnage excludes moisture variance and core weight from the billable total, leaving absolute dry fibre weight as the basis for invoicing. Pulp buyers verify this metric upon arrival to reconcile carrier manifests against laboratory dry content assays.
Moisture meters test core and wrapper samples from sampled baled shipments before weighing takes place on calibrated platform scales. Carrier overages vanish when scaling weights adjust for ambient humidity shifts during transit across maritime routes.
Transit Allowance
Moisture absorption during ocean freight creates legitimate weight discrepancies that billing protocols must reconcile automatically. Unsealed holds let ocean salt air penetrate kraft linerboard stacks, increasing gross manifest figures without adding usable cellulose. Converters subtract standard moisture regain percentages from delivered scale totals to isolate true fibre mass.
Scale operators record tare deductions for steel strapping, wooden pallets and plastic wrapping film before calculating final payable quantities. Uncorrected moisture additions cost folding boxboard plants thousands in excess freight charges every quarter.
Settlement Variance
Financial adjustment occurs when laboratory oven drying tests reveal a baseline fibre percentage differing from the bill of lading. Mill certificates report bone dry weight percentages based on standard atmospheric conditioning, whereas regional humidity alters delivered moisture levels significantly. Converters withhold payment proportions matching any shortfall between certified dry weight and actual scale receipts.
Dispute resolution protocols require joint core sampling when variance exceeds contractual percentage tolerances. Payment schedules close permanently once final laboratory moisture certificates match delivered scale totals.
