A merchant vessel designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo such as grain, coal, ore, and cement in its cargo holds. Bulk carriers range in size from small Handysize vessels to very large ore carriers exceeding 400,000 DWT.
Category: Ship Types & Classification
On The Maritime
The desks where this concept is measured.
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AframaxA medium-sized tanker with a deadweight tonnage between 80,000 and 120,000 DWT, named after the Average Freight Rate Assessment (AFRA) system.Cable LayerA specialised vessel designed to lay submarine cables on the seabed, including telecommunications cables and power cables for offshore wind farms.Car CarrierA specialised Ro-Ro vessel, also known as a Pure Car Carrier (PCC) or Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC), designed to transport automobiles and light vehicles.Chemical TankerA specialised tanker built to transport liquid chemicals in bulk, fitted with coated or stainless-steel cargo tanks and sophisticated cargo-handling systems.Container ShipA cargo vessel designed exclusively to carry intermodal containers in a cellular structure, ranging from small feeder ships of a few hundred TEU to ultra-large container vessels exceeding 24,000 TEU.DredgerA vessel equipped with machinery for excavating and removing sediment from the seabed or riverbed to maintain navigable waterways, deepen ports, and reclaim land.
Back to DictionaryEntry updated May 2026