Goods used or needed today are transported domestically as well as internationally due to today’s global economy. Every product may require a particular handling or transportation method. Maritime trade is made possible by cargo terminals. In the course of a good’s journey from manufacturing to retail, water plays a critical role. Over 90% of goods travel by water at some point. There are some specific cargo marine ports can handle, if you keep reading you will find out what shipping and logistics companies have to take into consideration when dealing with ocean freight.
Important changes in ocean freight
The expansion of the Panama and Suez Canals are two of the most important changes taking place right now. Port authorities, owners, operators, and developers are stressed because of the maritime commerce trade in recent years. Maintaining competitiveness is vital when it comes to container transportation. It’s important to have the best market position and avoid both over-investment costs and revenue losses due to under-investment. The cost of shipping has risen sharply and there is fierce competition for ocean freight capacity. As new capacity comes online at a slow pace, freight rates are expected to continue reaching high levels this year and remain above their pre-pandemic levels in the longer run.
Types of Maritime Cargo
Maritime transportation is primarily for the transport of several different types of cargo, each of which requires its own type of vessel. General cargo and bulk cargo are the two main categories. General cargo carries defined load units, while bulk cargo is loose (you can carry any quantity). We can then divide this into 3 categories:
- containerized cargo marine ports can handle
- neo bulk
- breakbulk
Containerized cargo
This type of cargo is just another way to call shipping containers. These containers always have dimensions that are by the standard. It is easy to load and unload, stack, and transport across long distances. You can also transfer them from one type of transport to another, for example to trucks. You don’t even need to open them in order to transfer them. Cranes and forklifts handle them as part of a mechanized system. Computerized systems track and number every container. Many logistics companies in Middle East use container shipping as one of the quickest ways to transfer goods. They mostly use the Suez canal.
Neo and breakbulk
Goods that you pre-pack are what we call neo bulk. The logistic company counts during loading and unloading. This is the opposite of bulk cargo, which does not count individual items. Rather than storing them in containers, you can transport units in the port. Heavy machinery, lumber, bundled steel, scrap iron, bananas, waste paper, and cars are examples of neo-bulk cargo goods. As breakbulk cargo is non-standard and has varied sizes, it requires specialized handling equipment for vessel service, terminal transfer, as well as heavy lifting capacity on occasion. There are many advantages of using a professional service to help you organize your cargo, and Riyadh customs clearance will also assist with importing and exporting with ease.
More cargo marine ports can handle
We now divide bulk cargo into bulk liquid cargo that we will speak more about below, and dry cargo. Dry cargo can carry a wide variety of materials like iron, ore, coal, grains, sand, and bauxite. There are also special types of cargo like auto and project cargo that are very important for national and international shipping. For any different type of cargo that you wish to transfer, you must acknowledge laws and regulations, for example in the Middle East, if you wish to pass Saudi customs clearance.
Bulk liquid cargo
Tankers or tanker ships usually transfer gas and liquids in bulk. Engineers specifically design them for this purpose. There are a couple of different types of these carriers, but the most common are chemical tankers, gas tankers, and oil tankers. To carry LPG (Liquefied Natural Gas) you use a gas tanker. You can also carry vegetable oil, fresh water, molasses, different chemicals like chlorine or ammonia. There is a special type of tanker that only refuels other ships, the so-called replenishment oiler.
Auto and Ro-Ro cargo
A cargo of this type could be a car, a bus, a truck, an agricultural vehicle, or a crane. If your goal is relocation to Saudi Arabia you will most likely use this type of cargo. A ro-ro vessel can be driven inside cargo if it is self-propelled. Unless otherwise specified, cargo is handled using self-propelled handling equipment. The more tightly autos and wheeled equipment you pack, the greater is the chance of damage. Therefore, this is one of the most sensitive and high-value items to be shipped. As opposed to lift-on/lift-off (LOLO) vessels, which use a crane to load and unload cargo. The result is that these cargo terminals tend to be built in niche ports where competition is minimal or entirely absent, otherwise, they are continuously in competition with the container and other terminal operations.
Project cargo marine ports can handle
The term project cargo refers to the transportation of large, heavy, high-value, or critical (to the project intended) pieces of equipment throughout the country or internationally. In the logistics industry, project cargo is one of the most complex forms of transportation. You need the most detailed shipment plans because of time constraints, tight delivery dates, and safety requirements. In order to complete a project cargo shipment, oversized goods often have to travel on land, by sea, or by air, and they may include special accommodations such as road surveys or police escorts. Project cargo marine ports can handle if they are equipped to do so. Some of the industries that use project cargo are the military and defense industry, engineering, renewable energy, and aerospace industry.
