With sea freight, there are various of cargo being shipped internationally. When it comes ocean cargo, the types of cargo and ways of shipping your goods in question may be different. This pertains to what your goods are classified as; container cargo, dry bulk, break bulk, liquid bulk, and RO-RO type of ocean cargo.
Container Cargo
The types of cargo that can be classified under container cargo would include goods such as televisions, DVDs, computers, and other such electronic items, kitchen and household appliances, toys, sundry items, clothing, and even commercial electronic items that may come disassembled to fit within a 20ft or 40ft shipping container. You may also choose to ship furniture and even a vehicle with your container cargo, provided that it has been loaded appropriately with the right choice of packing and loading options, and been packed and padded accordingly to ensure stability and safety during the journey from origin to destination. Usually packed in boxes or crates, having them fitted to pallets or harness with restraints and separated by wall structures to ensure the integrity of the container safeguards these types of cargo when being shipped.
Dry Bulk
The types of cargo sent through dry bulk cargo include grain, iron ore, cement, coal, sugar ,salt and even sand. These are not packed separately but transported in large quantities in what is known as the hold of the ship. They are not shipped in container, but are transported in special ships meant to carry dry bulk cargo. In our blog post “What is Bulk Cargo”, we highlighted the types of vessels that carry this type of cargo which includes Chinamax, ULOC, VLOC, Capesize, Panamax, and Supramax to name a few.
Liquid Bulk
As the name denotes, liquid bulk include types of cargo that are liquid in nature, and include the likes of oil, fuel oil, and even wine. They are transported in large tanker vessels
Break Bulk
Break bulk cargo on the other hand, is a tad different to that of dry bulk types of cargo, and includes items such as wood, paper, rolls of steel, which can either be transported via a container or loaded directly onto the shipping vessel. They are often packed onto pallets for more convenient transportation, or in racks or crates too.
Ro-Ro
The term refers to “Roll On/ Roll Off” and is often used when referring to types of cargo that can be driven onto the vessel and driven off. This can be anything from a personal vehicle to a commercial automotive. It can include anything from a car to a bus, lorry, crane or agricultural vehicles and more.