MARINE TRANSPORTATION

MARINE TRANSPORTATION

Marine Transportation: Ocean Shipping Types

TWhen it comes to ferrying or shipping consignments throughout the world via the seas or oceans, different kinds of vessels are used including cargo ships, Roll on/Roll off vessels, tankers, passenger ships, high speed crafts, and fishing vessels. Now, the type of vessel or vessels that shipping companies normally use, depends upon the nature of consignments for which it receives bookings for transshipping. For instance, roll on/roll off or RoRo ships are generally used for transporting vehicles (in bulk) from one port to another.

And the various kinds of ships that are pressed into service for carrying myriad varieties of cargo are as follows:-

• Container vessels (also called ‘box ships’) as their name suggests ferry freight in 20’ and 40’ containers which are standardized sizes. Once the ship docks at a port, the containers are transferred to small feeder vessels for further transportation through inland or coastal waterways.
• Cargo ships come with hull having a single deck or multiple decks, capable of hauling loosely-packed freight like food, clothes, and furniture
• Roll-on/Roll-off ships are exclusively used for carrying both large and small vehicles
• Tankers are used for transporting huge volumes of petroleum or natural gas

Merchant shipping is by and large, conducted in two distinct ways:-

• Ocean liners and large cargo vessels usually ply on fixed or regular routes and follow stipulated schedules. Standard tariffs apply while booking consignments on these types of vessels. The vessel types that move on regular routes mainly include cargo ships, roll on/roll off vessels, and container ships.
• Besides the liner vessels and cargo vessels, there are ‘chartered vessels’ that exclusively furnish chartered services. In other words, these vessels are specially chartered or hired by the customer or transportation company for moving special or sensitive items like inflammable oils or medicines. The charter or contract lists the loading and disembarking ports, and the haulage rates (that varies depending upon the demand and supply conditions). Bulk carriers and oil tankers are mostly used for chartered services.