Tomming is a cargo securing technique using vertical wooden props (“toms”) wedged between cargo and the overhead structure (or between tiers of cargo), preventing the cargo beneath from shifting upward or sideways during a voyage.
How Tomming Works
A tom is essentially a length of timber cut to fit snugly between the top of a cargo stow and the deck head (or the underside of a tween deck) above it, wedged tightly in place. This prevents the cargo below from working loose and shifting as the ship rolls and pitches — the tom physically blocks the space the cargo would otherwise shift into.
Where Tomming Is Used
- Bagged cargo — sacks of cargo (grain, cement, fertilizer) stowed loose, where individual bags could shift and create voids that allow the whole stow to become unstable
- Cargo stowed below full hold height — where a gap exists between the top of the cargo and the deck head above, tomming fills that gap to prevent movement into it
- General cargo requiring additional securing beyond standard lashing, particularly in holds without built-in restraint systems
Why This Still Matters Despite Modern Alternatives
While modern cargo securing increasingly relies on standardized lashing systems (particularly for containerized cargo), tomming remains a genuine, still-used technique for bagged and break-bulk cargo, where the cargo’s loose, individual-unit nature makes a wedged physical barrier more practical than lashing each unit individually.
Tomming as Part of a Broader Securing Plan
Tomming is typically used alongside other securing measures (proper stow pattern, dunnage, shoring) rather than as a sole securing method — a genuinely comprehensive cargo securing approach for loose or bagged cargo combines several complementary techniques, not just one.
Exam Relevance
Tomming and its role in securing bagged and loose cargo are covered within Cargo Work topics in deck officer competency exams.