The shipping industry is highly versatile, able to provide you with shipping solutions from a freight forwarding company that best suit the unique needs of your cargo. For specific types of dry or liquid goods, this might mean engaging bulk cargo handling for your shipment.
What is Bulk Cargo?
Bulk cargo refers to the movement and transport of large quantities of free-flowing goods that are not packed or containerized. These can be anything from liquid and dry goods, such as coal, cement, grains or fertilizers. Because they are stored and secured on a vessel in their natural state, these types of goods require special storage, handling and transport methods.
Bulk cargo can be classified as either liquid, dry or free-flowing items. Depending on their classification, they can be dropped or poured on tanker trucks, merchant ships or railway vehicles. There are also items classified as break bulk cargo, which refers to containerized but unpacked goods transported in pallets, barrels or bags.
Types of Bulk Cargo
There are three types of bulk cargo: break bulk, containerized bulk and neo bulk.
- Break bulk: Large items that cannot be containerized or packed for shipment, such as vehicles, lumber, machinery or steel.
- Containerized bulk: Loose, granular or powdered materials that are shipped in container units or flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBCs).
- Neo bulk: Large quantities of goods, such as grains, minerals and other raw materials that are transported by bulk carrier ships.
Who Uses Bulk Cargo?
Bulk cargo is used by companies that transport large volumes of liquid, dry or free-flowing items globally. Some notable industries include:
- Energy industry: Uses bulk cargo to ship crude oil and natural gas from production sites to refineries or seaports.
- Farming industry: Uses bulk cargo to ship crops and livestock feed from the farm to processing facilities or seaports.
- Mining industry: Uses bulk cargo to ship minerals and ores from the mine site to processing facilities or seaports.
How to Handle Bulk Cargo Shipments
When shipping bulk cargo, businesses, carriers and port authorities, need to follow the proper steps to ensure a secure and efficient shipment.
1. Identify the Type of Bulk Cargo
Identifying the specific type of bulk cargo to be shipped is important to determine the equipment and facilities to use for proper storage, handling and transport of the goods.
2. Create a Plan for Loading and Unloading
To ensure a safe voyage that minimizes the risk of loss and damage, there must be a concrete plan in place for loading and unloading bulk cargo. This involves correctly determining how to load the goods, in what order to load them and where they should be placed in the vessel to ensure stability during transport.
3. Document the Shipment
When shipping any type of cargo, proper documentation is critical to the success of the shipment. Some basic documents that may be required to satisfy regulations and customs clearance include bills of lading, safety declarations and weight certificates.
4. Select the Correct Type of Vessel
There are specific types of vessels that are capable of carrying and transporting bulk cargo. The ship must be the right size and equipped with the required facilities for the specific type of goods being shipped.
5. Communicate with All Parties Involved
Effective communication between all parties involved can help ensure a smooth and successful bulk cargo shipment. Everyone, from the shipper and carrier to the port authorities and cargo handlers, must be in constant communication and coordination regarding pre-shipment planning, incident reporting or real-time shipment tracking and monitoring.
What Factors Affect Bulk Cargo Shipping Costs?
The cost to ship bulk cargo will depend on the following factors:
Distance
The farther the distance between the origin and destination ports, the more expensive bulk cargo shipping will be. This is primarily influenced by fuel and transportation expenses that increase with distance.
Freight Class
Freight class is determined by the cargo’s density, value and handling requirements. Goods with a lower freight classification will come with a cheaper shipping rate than items with a higher freight class because they are denser, have a lower value and are easily stackable.
Weight and Size of Shipment
Finally, the weight and size of a bulk cargo shipment will play a role in its price. Goods with heavier dimensional weight will have higher shipping costs than low-weight items.