What is Bulk Shipping?

Bulk shipping is the movement of large quantities of goods that are usually unpackaged and loaded directly onto a vessel. Typical bulk commodities include wheat, iron ore and petroleum products.

Bulk cargo vs general cargo

Goods split into bulk cargo and unitary (general) cargo. Unitary goods travel in packages or containers such as pallets, sacks and TEU containers, and are counted in units. Bulk cargo, also called bulk freight, travels loose without packaging, so the vehicle or vessel itself acts as the container and the load is measured by volume or mass.

When bulk shipping is used

Bulk shipping suits very large loads carried over long ocean distances on bulk carrier ships. Because of the volumes and transit times involved, it is not the best fit for just-in-time inventory. Road movements of these goods are typically handled as full truckload (FTL) hauls to and from ports.