Commonly Employed Cargo Ship Types

The best marine company in Malaysia knows that to make their own business work, certain types of cargo ships must be deployed to carry different cargo, as not all of them are compatible in a sea voyage that usually takes a few days to complete. Cargo weight also plays another important factor in using the right ship. You wouldn’t want to use any ship besides a tanker and face the risk of sinking and contaminating the ocean with leaking oil now, wouldn’t you?

Container ship

This is the ship that you will likely see or hear about first whenever you think of cargo ships. Most goods that will not deteriorate through the journey, such as electronics, toys or any other common goods, are usually stored in large, rectangular metallic containers that are both unloaded and loaded by gantry crates on ports.

While most cargo ships are designed to carry this load, there is also another variant that is also made to carry any cargo that cannot be fitted in those containers. Instead, the packaged cargoes are simply loaded onto the ship herself with a built in cargo.

Multi purpose ships

This is the most versatile ship a marine company can ever deploy when facing the task of different various types of cargo including large volumes of liquids, cargo that needs preserving through the voyage and other typical cargo that would normally be carried in heavy metallic containers.

Depending on the types, cargos are stored in separate containers and storage systems that will accommodate them safely until the end of the destination. Multi purpose ships are usually deployed to travel through routes that necessitates the use of a self-geared ship and there is a lack of nearby shore-handling facilities.

Otherwise, other separate cargo vessels must be used to carry the correct cargo.

Tankers

Tankers are ships that are manufactured to carry large volumes of liquid including oils, wines, chemicals, cordials and so on across the sea. Tankers alone aren’t one entire category as there are several types that are suitable to carry different liquids.

Oil tankers are self explanatory, carrying oil and its by-products. They have the ability to carry two million barrels throughout their voyage. Liquified gas tankers are also used to carry liquid petroleum gas (LPG), housing liquid natural gas (LNG) or liquefied chemical gasses.

Chemical and product tankers also exist to carry chemical and liquids in different tankers to prevent mixups en-route.

Dry bulk carriers

Solid but loose, non-packaged dry cargo belong to dry bulk carriers, which transport such cargo in massive quantities. They include but not limited to bagged cargo like cement and sugar, grains, raw materials like timber and minerals including coal and iron.

Spoon shaped cranes are used to unload and load cargo in specific areas on a deck built for this task.

Reefer ships

Reefer ships are the answer to the following question: How can raw consumables like meat and fish make it to the other side of the world without spoiling in the middle of the ocean?

Reefer ships have refrigerated containers that store and preserve these goods across the sea in low temperatures.