If your vessel trades dry bulk cargo, your RightShip rating is one of the most commercially important numbers attached to it. A poor rating means charterers reject your vessel before it even gets to the fixture stage. A good rating means you get cargoes that lower-rated vessels cannot touch. And yet many ship owners and managers do not fully understand how the rating is calculated, what moves it, or what they can do to improve it.
This article explains the RightShip rating system clearly — what the scores mean, what factors drive them, and what practical steps you can take to protect and improve your vessel's position.
RightShip is a maritime risk assessment platform used primarily by major dry bulk charterers and commodity traders. A vessel's RightShip rating directly affects its commercial employability in a significant portion of the global dry bulk market.
What is the RightShip Rating?
RightShip assigns each vessel a rating on a five-star scale. This rating reflects the vessel's assessed safety risk relative to the global fleet. It is not simply a pass/fail — it is a comparative score. A vessel is rated against similar vessels of the same type, age, and flag, and the score reflects where it sits within that peer group.
The rating is used by charterers, cargo owners, and port operators to make decisions about which vessels they will accept for their cargoes. Many major commodity traders — including those in iron ore, coal, and grain — require a minimum RightShip rating as a condition of fixture. Below that threshold, the vessel is not considered regardless of freight rate.
How the RightShip Rating is Calculated
RightShip does not publish its full algorithm, but the factors that feed into the rating are well understood from the data RightShip collects and the inspection framework it operates under. The rating is not a single data point — it is a composite of multiple inputs assessed over time.
The key principle is that the rating is dynamic. It changes as new data comes in — a PSC detention last month will affect your rating. A clean RISQ inspection will improve it. A class survey overrun will hurt it. Owners who treat the RightShip rating as a fixed number and are then surprised when it drops are not paying attention to the inputs that drive it.
| Factor | What RightShip Looks At | Impact on Rating |
|---|---|---|
| PSC Inspection Record | Deficiencies, detentions, repeat findings across all MOU regions. Linked directly to the vessel's IMO number | High — a detention significantly drops the rating; a clean record over time improves it |
| RISQ Inspection Outcome | Results from physical RightShip RISQ 3.2 inspections, including non-conformities, observations, and RCA responses | High — a poor RISQ result drops the rating; a clean result with closed non-conformities improves it |
| Vessel Age | Age of the vessel relative to its type. Older vessels carry a higher base risk score | Medium — older vessels start with a disadvantage that must be offset by a strong safety record |
| Flag State Performance | Paris MOU and Tokyo MOU white, grey, and black list position of the vessel's flag state | Medium — a black or grey list flag drags down the vessel's rating regardless of its individual record |
| Classification Society | Performance record of the vessel's class society relative to industry standards | Low to medium — IACS member societies generally treated more favourably |
| Casualty and Incident History | Any reported incidents, groundings, collisions, or pollution events linked to the vessel's IMO number | High — a casualty event has a significant and lasting impact on the rating |
| GHG Rating (CII) | Carbon Intensity Indicator rating from MARPOL Annex VI. RightShip integrates GHG performance into its assessment | Growing — D and E rated vessels face increasing scrutiny from environmentally focused charterers |
Why Your PSC Record Matters More Than You Think
Many ship owners separate PSC and RightShip in their minds — PSC is a regulatory issue, RightShip is a commercial one. This is a mistake. RightShip pulls PSC data directly. Every deficiency cited against your vessel's IMO number is visible to RightShip. A detention is not just a port state control problem — it shows up in your RightShip profile within days and affects your rating immediately.
The relationship works in both directions. A vessel with a consistent pattern of clean PSC inspections over 24 months will see that reflected positively in its RightShip rating. A vessel with multiple deficiency records across different MOU regions, even without a detention, will see its rating eroded over time.
A PSC detention in Tokyo MOU is visible to a charterer pulling your RightShip profile in Rotterdam before the fixture is even discussed. The commercial consequences of a detention extend far beyond the port where it happened and the time it takes to resolve it.
The RISQ Inspection and Your Rating
A RightShip RISQ 3.2 inspection is a physical survey of the vessel conducted by a RightShip-approved inspector. It covers 610+ questions across safety, operations, and management system areas. The outcome of the inspection — how many non-conformities were raised, how severe they were, and how quickly they were closed with acceptable root cause analyses — feeds directly into the vessel's rating.
A RISQ inspection is not triggered automatically. Charterers can require one as a condition of fixture, particularly for lower-rated vessels. RightShip can also initiate one based on a vessel's risk profile. For vessels that have not had a RISQ inspection in a long time, charterers may treat the absence of recent inspection data as a risk factor in itself.
What happens if non-conformities are not closed
Non-conformities raised during a RISQ inspection must be closed out with an acceptable root cause analysis and corrective action. If they are left open or if the RCA submitted is rejected by RightShip, the non-conformities remain on the vessel's record as unresolved — and that actively harms the rating. A weak RCA is not a neutral outcome. It is a negative one.
Closing RISQ non-conformities quickly with a strong root cause analysis is one of the most direct actions you can take to protect your RightShip rating after an inspection. RightShip's review team will reject vague corrective actions — "crew briefed" or "crew reminded" is never sufficient as a standalone response.
Flag State and Classification Society Effects
Your flag state's performance on the Paris MOU and Tokyo MOU white, grey, and black lists affects your vessel's rating whether you like it or not. A vessel flagged to a black-listed state starts at a disadvantage that its individual record has to overcome. If you are operating under a grey or black list flag and your PSC record is also mediocre, the combined effect on your RightShip rating can be severe.
This does not mean you must reflag — but it means you need to be honest about the baseline your vessel is starting from and work harder on the factors you can control. A vessel under a black list flag with a spotless PSC record and clean RISQ inspections can still achieve a respectable rating. It just requires more consistent effort.
Classification society performance works similarly. Vessels classed with societies that have a poor record of identifying deficiencies — or that are known to issue class certificates without adequate survey rigour — are viewed with additional caution by RightShip's model.
The GHG Rating — A Growing Factor
RightShip has integrated environmental performance into its assessment framework. The vessel's Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) rating under MARPOL Annex VI — rated A through E — is now visible in the RightShip platform and is being used by an increasing number of charterers as a filter alongside the traditional safety rating.
Vessels with a D or E CII rating face growing commercial pressure from environmentally focused charterers and cargo owners. While the CII rating does not directly replace the star rating, a vessel with a 4-star safety rating and an E CII rating will face more charterer scrutiny than a vessel with both a high safety rating and a strong environmental profile.
If your vessel's CII rating is poor, this is not a problem you can solve overnight — it requires operational changes to fuel consumption, speed, and voyage efficiency. But it is a factor to be aware of when planning improvements to your vessel's overall RightShip standing.
How to Improve Your RightShip Rating
The rating responds to data over time. There is no single action that will take a 2-star vessel to 4 stars overnight. What improves a rating is a consistent pattern of positive inputs — clean PSC records, closed RISQ non-conformities, no incidents — sustained over 12 to 24 months. Here is where to focus:
Actions That Improve Your RightShip Rating
- Eliminate PSC detentions — a single detention has an outsized negative effect. Build a pre-arrival PSC preparation process that physically verifies the vessel's condition before every high-risk port call
- Reduce PSC deficiencies — even without detention, a pattern of recurring deficiencies across inspections erodes your rating. Target the top deficiency categories: fire safety, LSA, ISM, certificates
- Close RISQ non-conformities quickly — submit strong root cause analyses within the required timeframe. A rejected RCA leaves the non-conformity open and active on your record
- Request a RISQ inspection proactively — if your vessel has not had a recent RISQ inspection and your rating is suffering, a clean RISQ result can provide a positive data point that helps rebuild the rating
- Maintain class surveys on schedule — overdue class items are visible and affect risk scoring. Keep your class certificate and all survey items current
- Report and close out incidents properly — a reported and well-managed incident with a strong corrective action is viewed more favourably than an incident that surfaces later through third-party channels
- Monitor your CII rating and take operational steps to improve it if it is D or E — speed optimisation, trim management, and voyage planning all contribute
There is no shortcut to a better RightShip rating. Companies that focus energy on gaming the system — disputing findings without merit, submitting weak RCAs repeatedly — end up worse off than if they had focused that same energy on fixing the underlying problems. RightShip's review team sees thousands of RCAs and knows the difference between a genuine corrective action and a response written to close a box.
The Commercial Reality of a Poor Rating
A 1 or 2-star RightShip rating is not just a reputational issue — it has direct, immediate commercial consequences. Major charterers in the dry bulk sector — particularly those moving iron ore, coal, and grain under major commodity trading houses — will not accept sub-threshold vessels regardless of the freight rate offered.
For an owner with a 1 or 2-star vessel, the addressable charter market shrinks significantly. The vessel ends up competing for lower-quality cargoes with less rigorous vetting requirements, typically at lower freight rates. Over time, the cost of a poor rating in lost fixtures and reduced freight far exceeds the cost of the PSC preparation, RISQ inspection readiness, and incident management that would have prevented it.
The owners who understand this early treat RightShip preparation not as a compliance cost but as a commercial investment. The vessel that consistently rates 4 or 5 stars commands better fixtures, attracts better charterers, and spends less time waiting for cargoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The RightShip rating updates dynamically as new data is received — PSC inspection results, RISQ inspection outcomes, casualty reports, and class survey status can all trigger a rating change. There is no fixed update schedule. A detention today can be reflected in the rating within days.
Shipowners and managers can access their vessel's RightShip profile through the RightShip platform by registering as a ship operator. The profile shows the current rating, inspection history, PSC record, and any open non-conformities. Charterers and cargo owners also have access to this data when vetting a vessel.
Not every trade requires a RightShip rating, but the majority of major dry bulk commodity flows — particularly iron ore, coal, and grain under large trading houses — do. Vessels trading in regional markets or under long-term contracts with operators who do not use RightShip may not encounter it routinely. However, the trend is toward broader adoption, not narrower.
Meaningful rating improvement typically takes 12 to 24 months of consistent positive inputs — clean PSC inspections, closed RISQ non-conformities, no incidents. A single clean RISQ inspection can provide a short-term boost, but sustained improvement requires addressing the underlying factors that caused the rating to drop in the first place.
Most major dry bulk charterers set a minimum of 3 stars, with many preferring 4 stars or above for sensitive cargoes or certain trading routes. The minimum varies by charterer policy and cargo type. Some will accept 2-star vessels with a recent clean RISQ inspection as a condition. 1-star vessels are effectively excluded from most major charter markets.
No. A RISQ inspection with multiple non-conformities that are not properly closed will hurt the rating further. The inspection itself is neutral — what matters is the outcome. A clean inspection, or an inspection with non-conformities that are closed quickly with strong root cause analyses, provides positive data that can improve the rating. A poor inspection with unresolved findings makes things worse.