Cargo Ships

Any kind of a ship or any other vessel that transports heavy goods and materials from
one port to another is called a cargo ship. These are also known as freighters and there
are thousands of them that swarm the seas of the earth at any given time, because they
handle the major bulk of the services of international trade. Even today, shipping is
considered to be the best mode of transportation and transfer of trade goods and any
sort of business item. This is because it is very safe in handling of delicate materials
and is quite cheap.

There are mainly four different kinds of cargo ships and they are classified on the basis
of the cargo that they carry, namely; general cargo vessels, multi-purpose vessels, dry-
bulk carriers and last but not the least, tankers. General cargo vessels mostly carry
packaged goods like foods, footwear, garments, chemicals, machinery, furniture and
motor vehicles etc.

The tankers are vessels that have especially designed containers to transport liquid
cargo like petroleum products. The dry-bulk carriers transport non-packaged loose
materials like food grains, coal, and other similar products. The multi-purpose vessels
are true to their name and carry all kinds of goods whether liquid or general cargo. They
have separate containers and storage system for all these goods.

Container Ships
As the name suggests, a vessel structured specifically to hold huge quantities of cargo
compacted in different types of containers is referred to as a container vessel (ship).
The process of sending cargo in special containers is known as containerization.

The initiation of the container shipping forms one of the most remarkable developments
in the maritime cargo industry. Container ships, a type of cargo ship, have
revolutionised the manner in which cargo supplies are ferried and transported across
the world, by providing assurance of safety and security of the thus transported cargo
supplies. Some of the biggest shipping companies today deal mainly with containerized
form of cargo.

The very first models of container ships were launched in the early 1950s and were
mainly designed to ferry goods trains freight cars. Using crane systems and ramp
systems, these freight cars could be laded and unloaded from the vessels. Over the
years technological advancement has made it possible for comparatively far more
feasible methodologies, though crane systems still play a major role in the loading and
unloading operations of the containers to and from the vessels holds. Specialized
lashing and cargo handling systems are used to secure the containers in their places.

RO RO ships

RoRo (Roll-on/roll-off) ships are vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo such
as automobiles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers or railroad cars that are driven or towed on and off the
ship on their own wheels. This ships Roll-on and Roll-off its cargo through its built-in ramps. The ramps
could be located at the stern or/and on at the bow. Some ships have ramps installed on the port side of
the hull.

RoRo Size & Classes

RoRo ships are not categorized in any special classes and exists in broad variety of sizes, from small
ferries to great pure car carriers of up to 8 000 CEU (Car Equivalent Unit).

RoRo Design & Types

General Design
As mentioned in the introduction the RoRos are specially designed to carry wheeled cargo that is Rolled-
on through its built-in ramps. The machinery could be either medium speed engines or two-stroke
engines depending on size and design. Design speed could everything from 8 knots up to 40+ for the
high speed ferries.

Bulker

A bulk carrier is a ship designed to transport dry or liquid bulk cargo, such as grains, coal, iron ore, and
cement. Over the years this ship type have grown in size and sophistication. Todays bulkers are specially
designed to maximize capacity, safety, efficiency, and to be able to withstand the rigors of their work.
Bulkers represents about 40% of the worlds merchant fleet and the development of freight prizes are
often used as an indicator of the world economy through the Baltic Dry Index.
Bulker Size & Classes

Bulker are categorized into four main classes, Handysize, Handymax/Supramax, Panamax, Capesize
that describe their size. The unit used for defining size of bulkers is DWT (dead weight tons) also known
as metric dead weight tons and describes how much weight a ship can carry.

Handysize: DWT 10 000 35 000

Handymax/Supramax: DWT 35 000 59 000
Panamax: DWT 60 000 80 000
Capesize: DWT 80 000

Further, there are also a number of abbreviations to describe bulk carriers especially in the lager
segments with terms like VLOC(very large ore carrier), VLBC (very large bulk carrier), ULOC (ultra
large ore carrier), ULBC (ultra large bulk carrier).

Bulker types & design

General Design
A bulker is designed with one (smaller vessels) or several cargo holds and it is purpose (the type of cargo
it will carry) that defines the design of the ship. Speed of the vessels is between 13 to 15 knots and
depending on size they can be equipped with either two-stroke or medium speed engines. Hatch covers
that covers the cargo holds covers about 60-70% of cargo holds length. In order to maximize loading and
off loading efficiency the hatches should be as large as possible but it also presents structural problems
and increased stress to the hull.

Bulker types
Bulkers can be split into two main categories Geared Bulk Carriers and Gearless Bulk Carriers. A
Geared carrier means that the ship is equipped with equipment for loading and off loading a port. Thus,
this type is not dependent on land based equipment. A Gearless carrier is the opposite, a ship that need
assistant from equipment installed at port.

Tanker
A tanker is ship that is designed to transport liquids in bulk. Tankers, like other ship types, are today
highly specialized and exists in number of varieties and sizes. From small self propelled barges up to
ULCC (ultra large crude carrier). An example of what Tankers are designed to carry is: crude
oil, Petroleum, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, Bitumen, molasses, wine and chemicals (i.e.
ammonia, chlorine). The tanker segment represents about 30% of the worlds total merchant fleet.

Tanker size and classes

Petroleum tankers are categorized into the following classed that determines theirs size in DWT (Dead
Weight Tons).

Seawaymax: DWT 10 000 60 000

Panamax: DWT 60 000 80 000
Aframax: DWT 80 000 120 000
Suezmax: DWT 120 000 200 000
VLCC (very large crude carrier): DWT 200 000 315 000
ULCC (ultra large crude carrier): DWT 315 000 520 000
Tanker Design and Types

Design
The design of Tanker ship is similar to a Bulker with the exception that the cargo holds have been
replaced with tanks. Machinery either two our four stroke engines depending on size and design of the
vessel. In most cases HFO (heavy fuel oil) is used as fuel for propulsion but in some cases (like on LNGs)
natural gas is used instead of HFO. Design speed of the vessels is normally between 10 18 knots. For
on- and offloading of the vessel tankers are equipped with a cargo pump system that is closely monitored
due to risk of fire.

Asphalt/Bitumen Carriers
Are ships that specially designed to carry asphalt/bitumen products. Characteristics of those ship is that
they are designed with floating tanks which means that the tanks are allowed to expand due to high
temperature of the product they carry, up to 260C. Tanks are sometimes insulated to minimize heat
losses. Size of a bitumen carrier is in the smaller segment (<10 000 DWT) typically between 1 000 6
000 DWT.

Bunker Tanker
Is a ship designed to supply fuel to ships offshore. Bunker tanker are smaller vessels from 100 5 000
dwt and the design is the sames as product tankers.

Crude Oil Tanker

Crude oil tankers are dedicated to transport crude oil

from offshore oil plants (oil platforms) or oil fields to refineries. Ships in this category falls belongs to the
real giants of the sea and the worlds largest ships could be found among crude oil tankers.
The Seawise Giant, later the Happy Giant, Jahre Viking and Knock Nevis is the longest ship ever build
it measured 458 meter long and 68 meter wide (beam), draght of 24,6 and depth 29,8 meters. It had a
capacity of 564 763 DWT and top speed 16knots. From top speed to stop it required 8 000 meters or 5
1/2 mile. The ship is not in service anymore as it was scrapped in 2010.

LNG/LPG
ships that specially designed to transport liquefied gas please click here for more information about this
ship type

Product Tankers
Is a ship designed for transporting refined products from the refineries such as gasoline, diesel oil and
aviation fuel. Product tankers are available from small tanker barges up sizes of 170 000 DWT and is the
most common tanker type.

Chemical Tanker
Is a ship that is designed to transport different kinds of chemicals but are also able to transport the same
products as the Product Tanker. A chemical tanker is in most cases more advanced than the Product
Tanker when comes to the cargo handling system as have to avoid mixing of the products it is
transporting.

Other Tankers
Apart from whats been described above there a number of specialized tankers like Wine tanker, Fruit
Juice Tanker, Water Tanker, Sulphur Tankers and Storage Tanker.

Container ships

A container ship is a ship that carry all of its cargo in standardized truck-size containers. A container is
either 20 or 40 feet long, 8 feet wide and 8 or 8,6 feet high. To increase revenues, high cube containers
with heights of 96 have come into common use. Fortunately, most container ships can carry containers
of mixed heights without significant difficulty. Containerships generally carry a mix of 20 and
40 containers, and some are fitted for deck stowage of 45 and 48 lengths.

Over the years goods transported in containers has increased and is increasing due to the flexibility and
easy of cargo handling at port. One example is that containers are taking over the Reefer market. Today,
approximately 90% of non-bulk cargo worldwide is transported by container. Containers ships is also
many time referred to as Box-Ships.

Container ship size & Classes

Container ships have constantly been growing in size and today they are seriously competing with the
ULCC Tankers of being the largest ships in the world. It is the economy-of-scale that is driving the growth
in ship size. Unlike the Bulker and Tanker segment Container ships are defined by its capacity in number
of containers they able to carry. The term used is TEU and is an abbreviation from Twenty Feet
Equivalent Units. One of the first container ships, the US Ideal X, owned by Malcom Mclean, had a
capacity of 58 containers in on its first voyage in April 1956. Todays largest Container ship deveivered
2007, the Emma Maersk, officially have a capacity of 11 000 TEUs and is 357 meters long & 56 m wide.
Industry sources however estimates the capacity to be between 13 000 15 000 TEUs. Today the
industry is looking into construction even larger ships, 18 000+ TEUs.

Panamax: 4 500 5 000 TEU

Post Panamax: 5 000 10 000 TEU

Suezmax: 10 000 -15 5000 TEU

Post Suezmax: 15 500 TEU< (This ship type does not exist yet but is being discussed)

Container Designed & Type

General Design

Containers are generally designed with either one or two medium speed engines or slow-speed (2-
stroke) engines depending on ship size. Design speed is about 15 27 knots. In general bigger ships
needs go faster due longer port stay for offloading. Smaller vessel can be (geared) equipped with
equipment for self offloading of containers while the larger gearless ships is dependent on port
equipment.

ULCS
Abbriviation of Ultra Large Container Ship and today are able to carry more than 10 000 TEU. Speed is
usually 25 + knots and the vessels are gearless.

Container Feeder vessel

Typically between 500 1 700 TEU and operates between ports within a continent i. e. the northern
european ports. Design speed is 15 21knots and there are both geared and gearless types.