RightShip

RightShip is a maritime risk-assessment platform that provides a ship vetting service used extensively by commodity charterers, particularly in the bulk and tanker sectors, to screen vessels before fixture. It assigns each vessel a star rating — from one to five — based on a risk model that incorporates factors including the vessel's age, flag state performance, classification society, detention history, incident record, and condition as reported from various data sources. A poor RightShip rating can effectively exclude a vessel from certain trade routes. For a master or fleet manager, RightShip's rating has direct commercial consequences. Charterers in the iron ore, coal, and grain trades routinely require a minimum RightShip star rating as a condition of fixture. A detention, a casualty, or a flag state downgrade can reduce the rating and render the vessel commercially unacceptable to major counterparties. Maintaining a high rating requires consistent port state control performance and proactive management of safety-related deficiencies. RightShip also operates a greenhouse gas rating, assessing the carbon efficiency of vessels, which is increasingly relevant as charterers face pressure to reduce their scope 3 emissions. It is not a statutory body, but its commercial influence on vessel employment means it functions as a de facto additional layer of scrutiny for ship operators who wish to access premium cargo markets.