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Breakbulk Shipping
Logistics Mode
Non-containerized cargo requires specialized handling techniques for transport on ocean vessels. This method, known as breakbulk shipping, involves loading individual pieces of freight directly onto a ship rather than inside a standard steel box. Large machinery, oversized crates, power transformers and heavy structural steel often travel this way because they exceed the dimensions of a forty foot container.
Handling Procedure
Port operations for such goods utilize cranes and heavy lift gear to secure items within the holds or on the deck. Because each piece of breakbulk shipping inventory has unique dimensions, stevedores must calculate specific lashing points and weight distributions to ensure stability during the voyage. Proper securing prevents cargo shift when the vessel encounters rough seas.
The labor cost for this manual loading exceeds that of automated container terminals. Specialized ships equipped with their own derricks often service ports that lack high capacity shore cranes.
Economic Factor
Freight rates for irregular items depend on the total volume and the complexity of the lift. Since breakbulk shipping lacks the standardized tracking of digital container manifests, tally clerks manually verify every item against the bill of lading at the wharf. The transit concludes when the receiver accepts the goods at the rail of the ship.