Types of Cargo Handling

The Cargo to be handled in different ways. It may be as follows. 

Dry Bulk Shipping (Bulk Carriers) 

The principal dry bulk cargoes carried in merchant ships are: iron ore, coal, phosphates, bauxite, and grain. These are all low value commodities and must therefore be transported as cheaply as possible. Transportation costs for dry bulk commodities are often less Bulk carriers are usually large vessels designed both to carry full cargoes and, when necessary, to make return voyages to loading ports without any cargo.

Bulk Carriers are designed to carry bulk solids. Some bulk carriers are multi-purpose, while others are specially adapted to carry dense cargoes like iron ore, or lighter cargoes like wood chips. They also have substantial water ballast capacity so that they can proceed to sea safely after discharging their cargo. Combination carriers, ore/oil and ore/bulk/oil carriers can carry either bulk solids or bulk liquids. The bulk carriers included as salt, wheat, rice, and coal.

Bulk Oil and Gas Shipping (Tankers)

Tankers carried mainly refined oils from producing areas. crude oil is now transported in huge quantities from the world’s major producing areas Most of it is carried in VLCCs or ULCCs, ultra large crude carriers, which are the largest tankers But products like diesel oil, petrol, and paraffin are now usually transported from refineries in industrialized countries to coastal storage and distribution centers.

International trade in liquefied gases has grown substantially since the 1960s. Many LNG (methane) and LPG (butane and propane) tankers are now in service.

Tankers are designed to carry bulk liquids. Most are engaged in the carriage of oil, but some are specially adapted to carry liquefied gases, chemicals, or even wine. VLCCs ( very large crude carriers), are designed to carry crude oil. Very large crude carriers (VLCCs) became common space required; these ships are generally around 2,50,000 tonnes carrying capacity, much of which is accounted for by the cargo. Loading and discharging rates may be as high as 10,000 tonnes per hour. Products and chemical tankers are usually smaller and more complex than VLCCs.

Tankers can be mostly used with the liquid items.

Liner Shipping (Containers)

Liner shipping is characterized by scheduled sailings on an advertised route. Cargoes may consist of many different kinds of goods, in consignments that are each much less than a shipload. Today many liner services are containerized.

liner cargoes include manufactured and high-value goods that can bear higher transport costs than bulk cargoes.

Container ships are designed to carry standard ISO (20 ft and 40 ft and 40HC and 45 and reefer) containers, either in designated cells within a hold, or on deck. Large cellular container ships are capable of carrying several thousand containers.

Many subsidiary ports do not have container cranes; so small feeder container ships often have their own handling equipment.

Coastal and Short Sea Shipping (Passenger Cruise Ships)

Coastal and short-sea shipping are concerned with the movement of cargo and passengers between ports in the same country, or between ports belonging to adjacent countries on the same continent Cruising is an increasingly important shipping sector. In recent years many new cruise ships have been built. Many older vessels have also been converted for cruising. Cruise ships are like floating resort hotels. The latest are very large, with extensive recreational facilities and amenities for 2,000 or more passengers.