Sea Transport
The different types of ocean shipping
Many different types of ship are used to transport goods around the world. The differences between them reflect the varied needs of international traders. In particular, different types of ship are used to carry different types of cargo, or to carry cargo in varied ways.
The different types of ship are summarised below:
- Container ships (or 'box ships') carry their cargo packed into standard 20' or 40' containers that are stacked both on and below deck. Smaller 'feeder' ships carry containers on coastal and inland waters.
- Roll-on/roll-off ('ro-ro') vessels carry both road haulage and passenger vehicles.
- General cargo ships carry loose-packaged cargo of all types.
- Bulk carriers carry unpackaged goods - usually large volumes of single-commodity goods such as grain, coal, fertilisers and ore.
- Tankers carry liquids (such as oil and gas) in bulk.
Merchant ships primarily do business in two different ways:
- Liner vessels operate on fixed routes, to fixed schedules and usually with a standard tariff. Liner trades are dominated by container ships, roll-on/roll-off carriers and general cargo ships.
- Charter ('tramp') vessels operate entirely according to the demands of the person chartering them. Their ports of loading and discharge are set by the charter, as is their cost, which depends on immediate supply and demand conditions. Most tankers and bulk carriers operate in the charter markets.
THE MAIN INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING ROUTES
Shipping routes reflect world trade flows. Sailings are most numerous and most frequent on routes where trade volumes are largest and demand is therefore greatest.
In liner trades to and from the UK, the busiest routes are to the Far East (especially China and Japan), passing through the Mediterranean, the Suez Canal and the Malacca Straits. The North Atlantic route, linking Western Europe and the USA and Canada, is also busy, and there are well-established routes to the Middle East, India, Australia and New Zealand, Central and South America, as well as to East and West Africa.
In-bulk trade routes reflect the places of origin and consumption of the commodities carried. For example, many of the main oil routes begin in the Middle East and end in developed countries where demand for oil is greatest.
There will usually be a range of routes by which your cargo can reach its destination. It's worth exploring all the options available to find the one that best suits your needs in terms of price, speed, safety and contractual stipulations. This can be done by directly contacting those shipping companies that advertise sailings to your destination or by engaging freight forwarders to make arrangements for you.