Date: 2013-08-05

How Goods are Carried on Ships

There are three main ways in which goods are transported on ships. These affect how different ships are built. For more information, see the page in this guide on the different types of ocean shipping.

In containers

The use of containers dominates commercial international shipping. The advantages of packing goods into containers include:

the ease of intermodal transit, ie containers can be unloaded from the ship and transferred directly to a road or rail vehicle

the opportunity to offer consumers a door-to-door service

speed and efficiency of loading and unloading

security of goods during transit

There are more than 20 internationally recognised types of container, including refrigerated units and open-topped containers, but there are two basic sizes. Their dimensions in metric terms are:

20ft: 589cm (l) x 235cm (w) x 239cm (h) - volume 33.2 cubic metres

40ft: 1,203cm (l) x 235cm (w) x 239cm (h) - volume 67.7 cubic metres

The largest container ships can accommodate more than 9,000 20ft containers.

As break-bulk

Break-bulk refers to any non-bulk cargo that isn't containerised (such as goods on pallets, or in crates or drums or sacks), which is loaded directly into a ship's hold. Break-bulk tends to be used for specialised trades (such as fresh fruit), or for trade to small ports that do not have the necessary infrastructure to handle containerised traffic.

Goods carried as break-bulk can be more susceptible to damage than containerised goods because they are stowed loose in a ship's hold. So strong packaging is essential, as is dunnage (loose packing material), which is placed around the cargo to protect it from damage during transit. For more information, see our guide on labelling and packaging your goods for export.

In bulk

Large shipments of certain commodities - such as coal, ore, wheat or oil - are typically carried in bulk, unpackaged in the ship's hold.



( linda )16 Sep,2011

Previous: Different Types of Ocean Shipping
Next: The Main International Shipping Routes

Hot Products:

Product Model	Inside Diameter	Outside Diameter	Thickness
23240E NACHI	200	360	128
22240E NACHI	200	360	98

【TradeBearings News Statement】

1.The news above mentioned with detailed source are from internet.We are trying our best to assure they are accurate ,timely and safe so as to let bearing users and sellers read more related info.However, it doesn't mean we agree with any point of view referred in above contents and we are not responsible for the authenticity. If you want to publish the news,please note the source and you will be legally responsible for the news published.
2.All news edited and translated by us are specially noted the source"TradeBearings".
3.For investors,please be cautious for all news.We don't bear any damage brought by late and inaccurate news.
4.If the news we published involves copyright of yours,just let us know.