Break-bulk cargo

Each piece or bundle is lifted on board separately by ship or shore cranes, stowed in the hold or on deck, and secured with lashings and dunnage. It travels on general cargo, multipurpose or heavy-lift vessels. Typical break-bulk cargo includes steel coils, pipes, timber, bagged goods on pallets, project cargo and machinery too large for any container.

Break bulk sits between two other ways of shipping. Bulk cargo, such as grain, coal or oil, is loaded loose by pouring or pumping, without packaging. Containerized cargo, including out-of-gauge pieces on flat racks, moves in standard units through container terminals. Break bulk is handled piece by piece, which is slower and more labor-intensive but suits cargo that fits neither system.

Rates are usually quoted per freight ton, the greater of weight in metric tons or volume in cubic meters, with surcharges for heavy lifts. The terms state who pays for loading and discharge: under liner terms the carrier does, and under free in and out (FIO) the cargo side does. Precise dimensions, weights, lifting points and adequate cargo insurance are essential.