Cargo consists of bulk
goods
In economics, goods are items that satisfy human wants
and provide utility, for example, to a consumer making a purchase of a satisfying product. A common distinction is made between goods which are transferable, and services, which are not tran ...
conveyed by water, air, or land. In
economics
Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services.
Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...
, freight is cargo that is transported at a
freight rate
A freight rate (historically and in ship chartering simply freight) is a price at which a certain cargo is delivered from one point to another. The price depends on the form of the cargo, the mode of transport (truck, ship, train, aircraft), the w ...
for
commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including transport by
rail,
van
A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across th ...
,
truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construction ...
, or
intermodal container
An intermodal container, often called a shipping container, is a large standardized shipping container, designed and built for intermodal freight transport, meaning these containers can be used across different Mode of transport, modes of trans ...
. The term cargo is also used in case of goods in the
cold-chain, because the perishable
inventory
Inventory (American English) or stock (British English) refers to the goods and materials that a business holds for the ultimate goal of resale, production or utilisation.
Inventory management is a discipline primarily about specifying the shap ...
is always in transit towards a final end-use, even when it is held in
cold storage or other similar climate-controlled facility. The term freight is commonly used to describe the movements of flows of goods being transported by any
mode of transportation.
Multi-modal container units, designed as reusable carriers to facilitate unit load handling of the goods contained, are also referred to as cargo, especially by shipping lines and logistics operators. Similarly, aircraft
ULD boxes are also documented as cargo, with an associated packing list of
the items contained within. When empty containers are shipped each unit is documented as a cargo and when goods are stored within, the contents are termed containerized cargo.
Description
![Mules carrying slate](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Mules_carrying_slate._Dharamsala.jpg)
Transportation types: Cargo can travel via many different modes:
Marine
Seaport
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
terminals handle a wide range of
maritime cargoes.
Break bulk / general cargo are goods that are handled and stowed piecemeal to some degree, as opposed to cargo in bulk or in modern
shipping containers
A shipping container is a container with strength suitable to withstand shipment, storage, and handling. Shipping containers range from large reusable steel boxes used for intermodal shipments to the ubiquitous corrugated boxes. In the context of ...
. Typically bundled in batches for hoisting, either with
cargo net
A cargo net is a type of net. It is usually square or rectangle, but sometimes round, made of thick rope, with cinch ropes extending from the corners, and in some designs, the edges. It is named for its use in transferring cargo to and from shi ...
s, slings,
crate
A crate is a large shipping container, often made of wood, typically used to transport or store large, heavy items. Steel and aluminium crates are also used. Specialized crates were designed for specific products, and were often made to be reusa ...
s, or stacked on trays,
pallet
A pallet (also called a skid) is a flat transport structure, which supports goods in a stable fashion while being lifted by a forklift, a pallet jack, a front loader, a jacking device, or an erect crane. A pallet is the structural foundat ...
s or skids; at best (and today mostly) lifted directly into and out of a vessel's holds, but otherwise onto and off its deck, by
cranes
Crane or cranes may refer to:
Common meanings
* Crane (bird), a large, long-necked bird
* Crane (machine), industrial machinery for lifting
** Crane (rail), a crane suited for use on railroads
People and fictional characters
* Crane (surname), ...
or
derricks present on the
dock
A dock (from Dutch language, Dutch ''dok'') is the area of water between or next to one or a group of human-made structures that are involved in the handling of boats or ships (usually on or near a shore) or such structures themselves. The ex ...
or on the ship itself. If hoisted on deck instead of straight into the hold, liftable or rolling unit loads, like bags, barrels/vats, boxes, cartons and crates, then have to be man-handled and stowed competently by
stevedores. Securing break bulk and general freight inside a vessel, includes the use of
dunnage. When no hoisting equipment available, break bulk would previously be man-carried on and off ship, over a plank, or by passing via
human chain. Since the 1960s, the volume of break bulk cargo has enormously declined worldwide in favor of
mass adoption of
containers
A container is any receptacle or enclosure for holding a product used in storage, packaging, and transportation, including shipping.
Things kept inside of a container are protected on several sides by being inside of its structure. The term ...
.
Bulk cargo
Bulk cargo is commodity cargo that is transported unpackaged in large quantities.
Description
Bulk cargo refers to material in either liquid or granular, particulate form, as a mass of relatively small solids, such as petroleum/ crude oi ...
, such as
salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantitie ...
,
oil,
tallow
Tallow is a rendering (industrial), rendered form of beef or mutton fat, primarily made up of triglycerides.
In industry, tallow is not strictly defined as beef or mutton fat. In this context, tallow is animal fat that conforms to certain techn ...
, but also
scrap metal
Scrap consists of recyclable materials, usually metals, left over from product manufacturing and consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap has monetary value, especially recovered me ...
, is usually defined as commodities that are neither on pallets nor in containers. Bulk cargoes are not handled as individual pieces, the way heavy-lift and project cargoes are.
Alumina,
grain
A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legum ...
,
gypsum
Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, blackboard or sidewalk chalk, and drywall. ...
, logs, and wood chips, for instance, are bulk cargoes. Bulk cargo is classified as
liquid
A liquid is a nearly incompressible fluid that conforms to the shape of its container but retains a (nearly) constant volume independent of pressure. As such, it is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being solid, gas, a ...
or
dry.
Air
![Cargolux B747-400F](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Cargolux_B747-400F.jpg)
Air cargo, commonly known as ''air freight'', is collected by firms from shippers and delivered to customers. Aircraft were first used for carrying
mail as cargo in 1911. Eventually manufacturers started designing aircraft for other types of freight as well.
There are many commercial aircraft suitable for carrying cargo such as the
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a large, long-range wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2022.
After introducing the 707 in October 1958, Pan Am wanted a jet times its size, t ...
and the bigger
An‑124, which was purposely built for easy conversion into a
cargo aircraft
A cargo aircraft (also known as freight aircraft, freighter, airlifter or cargo jet) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is designed or converted for the carriage of air cargo, cargo rather than passenger aircraft, passengers. Such aircraft usually ...
. Such large aircraft employ standardized quick-loading containers known as
unit load devices (ULDs), comparable to
ISO containers
ISO 668 - Series 1 freight containers — Classification, dimensions and ratings is an ISO international standard which classifies intermodal freight shipping containers ''nominally'', and standardizes their sizes, measurements and weight spec ...
on cargo ships. ULDs can be stowed in the lower decks (front and rear) of a number of
wide-body aircraft
A wide-body aircraft, also known as a twin-aisle aircraft, is an airliner with a fuselage wide enough to accommodate two passenger aisles with seven or more seats abreast. The typical fuselage diameter is . In the typical wide-body economy cabin ...
, and on the main deck of some
narrow-bodies. Some dedicated cargo planes have a large opening front for loading.
Most nations own and utilize large numbers of military cargo aircraft such as the
C‑17 Globemaster III for logistical needs.
Popular commercial aircraft transformed to a cargo aircraft such as
Saab 340A is designed for high revenue and profitability in short / medium haul operations.
Precious Cargo: Precious Cargo refers to the shipping of valuables like gems and jewellery safely. In today's changing times there are many companies that specialise in dealing with such shipments.
Air freight
Air freight shipments are very similar to LTL shipments in terms of size and packaging requirements. However, air freight or air cargo shipments typically need to move at much faster speeds than per hour. Air shipments may be booked directly with the carriers, through brokers or with
online marketplace
An online marketplace (or online e-commerce marketplace) is a type of e-commerce website where product or service information is provided by multiple third parties. Online marketplaces are the primary type of multichannel ecommerce and can be a way ...
services. While shipments move faster than standard LTL, air shipments don't always actually move by air. In the US, there are certain restrictions on shipments moving via air freight on passenger aircraft. Shippers in the US must be approved and be "known" in the Known Shipper Management System before their shipments can be tendered on passenger aircraft.
Rail
![Banbury box car 2001 1st](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Banbury_box_car_2001_1st.png)
Trains are capable of transporting a large number of containers that come from shipping ports. Trains are also used for the transportation of water, cement, grain, steel, wood and coal. They are used because they can carry a large amount and generally have a direct route to the destination. Under the right circumstances, freight transport by rail is more economic and energy efficient than by road, especially when carried in bulk or over long distances.
The main disadvantage of rail freight is its lack of flexibility. For this reason, rail has lost much of the freight business to road transport. Rail freight is often subject to
transshipment costs, since it must be transferred from one mode of transportation to another. Practices such as containerization aim at minimizing these costs. When transporting point-to-point bulk loads such as cement or grain, with specialised bulk handling facilities at the rail sidings, rail mode of transport remains the most convenient and preferred option.
Many governments are currently trying to encourage shippers to use trains more often because of the environmental benefits.
Road
Many firms, like
Parcelforce,
FedEx
FedEx Corporation, formerly Federal Express Corporation and later FDX Corporation, is an American multinational conglomerate holding company focused on transportation, e-commerce and business services based in Memphis, Tennessee. The name "Fe ...
and
R+L Carriers transport all types of cargo by road. Delivering everything from letters to
houses to
cargo containers
Containerization is a system of intermodal freight transport using intermodal containers (also called shipping containers and ISO containers). Containerization is also referred as "Container Stuffing" or "Container Loading", which is the pr ...
, these firms offer fast, sometimes same-day,
delivery.
A good example of road cargo is food, as
supermarket
A supermarket is a self-service Retail#Types of outlets, shop offering a wide variety of food, Drink, beverages and Household goods, household products, organized into sections. This kind of store is larger and has a wider selection than earli ...
s require deliveries daily to replenish their shelves with goods. Retailers and manufacturers of all kinds rely upon
delivery truck
Delivery is the process of transporting goods from a source location to a predefined destination. Cargo (physical goods) is primarily delivered via roads and railroads on land, shipping lanes on the sea, and airline networks in the air. Cer ...
s, be they full size
semi trucks or smaller
delivery van
A panel van, also known as a blind van, car-derived van (United Kingdom) or sedan delivery (United States), is a small cargo vehicle with a passenger car chassis, typically with a single front bench seat and no side windows behind the B-pillar. ...
s. These smaller road haulage companies constantly strive for the best routes and prices to ship out their products. Indeed, the level of commercial freight transported by smaller businesses is often a good barometer of healthy
economic development
In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and o ...
as it is these types of vehicles that move and transport literally anything, including couriers transporting parcel and mail.
You can see the different types and weights of vehicles that are used to move cargo around .
Less-than-truckload freight
Less than truckload (LTL) cargo is the first category of freight shipment, which represents the majority of freight shipments and the majority of business-to-business (B2B) shipments. LTL shipments are also often referred to as ''motor freight'' and the carriers involved are referred to as ''motor carriers''.
LTL shipments range from , being less than the majority of times. The average single piece of LTL freight is and the size of a standard pallet. Long freight and/or large freight are subject to extreme length and cubic capacity surcharges.
Trailers used in LTL can range from . The standard for city deliveries is usually . In tight and residential environments the trailer is used the most.
The shipments are usually palletized, stretch
hrinkwrapped and packaged for a mixed-freight environment. Unlike express or parcel, LTL shippers must provide their own packaging, as carriers do not provide any packaging supplies or assistance. However, circumstances may require crating or other substantial packaging.
Truckload freight
In the United States, shipments larger than about are typically classified as truckload (TL) freight. This is because it is more efficient and economical for a large shipment to have exclusive use of one larger trailer rather than share space on a smaller LTL trailer.
By the
Federal Bridge Gross Weight Formula
The Federal Bridge Gross Weight Formula, also known as Bridge Formula B or the Federal Bridge Formula, is a mathematical formula in use in the United States by truck drivers and Department of Transportation (DOT) officials to determine the appr ...
the total weight of a loaded truck (tractor and trailer, 5-axle rig) cannot exceed in the United States. In ordinary circumstances, long-haul equipment will
weigh
In science and engineering, the weight of an object is the force acting on the object due to gravity.
Some standard textbooks define weight as a vector quantity, the gravitational force acting on the object. Others define weight as a scalar quan ...
about , leaving about of freight capacity. Similarly a load is limited to the space available in the trailer, normally or long, wide, high and high over all.
While express, parcel and LTL shipments are always intermingled with other shipments on a single piece of equipment and are typically reloaded across multiple pieces of equipment during their transport, TL shipments usually travel as the only shipment on a trailer. In fact, TL shipments usually deliver on exactly the same trailer as they are picked up on.
Shipment categories
* the type of item being carried. For example, a kettle could fit into the category 'household goods'.
* how large the shipment is, in terms of both item size and quantity.
* how long the item for delivery will be in transit.
* ''
Household goods
Household goods are good (economics), goods and product (business), products used within households. They are the tangible property, tangible and movable personal property placed in the rooms of a house, such as a bed or refrigerator.
Economic ro ...
(HHG)'' include furniture, art and similar items.
* ''Express:'' Very small business or personal items like envelopes are considered ''overnight express'' or ''express letter shipments''. These shipments are rarely over a few kilograms or pounds and almost always travel in the carrier's own
packaging
Packaging is the science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of designing, evaluating, and producing packages. Packaging can be described as a co ...
. Express shipments almost always travel some distance by air. An envelope may go coast to coast in the United States overnight or it may take several days, depending on the service options and prices chosen by the shipper.
* ''Parcel:'' Larger items like small boxes are considered ''parcels'' or ''ground shipments''. These shipments are rarely over , with no single piece of the shipment weighing more than about . Parcel shipments are always boxed, sometimes in the shipper's packaging and sometimes in carrier-provided packaging. Service levels are again variable but most ground shipments will move about per day. Depending on the origin of the package, it can travel from coast to coast in the United States in about four days. Parcel shipments rarely travel by air and typically move via road and rail. Parcels represent the majority of business-to-consumer (B2C) shipments.
* ''Freight:'' Beyond HHG, express, and parcel shipments, movements are termed ''freight shipments''.
Shipping costs
Often, an LTL shipper may realize savings by utilizing a freight broker, online marketplace or other intermediary, instead of contracting directly with a trucking company. Brokers can shop the marketplace and obtain lower rates than most smaller shippers can obtain directly. In the LTL marketplace, intermediaries typically receive 50% to 80% discounts from published rates, where a small shipper may only be offered a 5% to 30% discount by the carrier. Intermediaries are licensed by the DOT and have requirements to provide proof of insurance.
Truckload (TL) carriers usually charge a rate per kilometre or mile. The rate varies depending on the distance, geographic location of the delivery, items being shipped, equipment type required, and service times required. TL shipments usually receive a variety of surcharges very similar to those described for LTL shipments above. In the TL market, there are thousands more small carriers than in the LTL market. Therefore, the use of transportation intermediaries or brokers is extremely common.
Another cost-saving method is facilitating pickups or deliveries at the carrier's terminals. By doing this, shippers avoid any accessorial fees that might normally be charged for liftgate, residential pickup/
delivery, inside pickup/delivery, or notifications/appointments. Carriers or intermediaries can provide shippers with the address and phone number for the closest shipping terminal to the origin and/or destination.
Shipping experts optimize their service and costs by sampling rates from several carriers, brokers and online marketplaces. When obtaining rates from different providers, shippers may find a wide range in the pricing offered. If a shipper in the United States uses a broker,
freight forwarder or other transportation intermediary, it is common for the shipper to receive a copy of the carrier's Federal Operating Authority. Freight brokers and intermediaries are also required by Federal Law to be licensed by the
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...
. Experienced shippers avoid unlicensed brokers and forwarders because if brokers are working outside the law by not having a Federal Operating License, the shipper has no protection in the event of a problem. Also, shippers normally ask for a copy of the broker's insurance certificate and any specific insurance that applies to the shipment.
Overall, shipping costs have fallen over the past decades. A further drop in shipping costs in the future might be realized through the application of improved
3D printing
3D printing or additive manufacturing is the Manufacturing, construction of a three-dimensional object from a computer-aided design, CAD model or a digital 3D modeling, 3D model. It can be done in a variety of processes in which material is ...
technologies.
Security concerns
Governments are very concerned with the shipment of cargo, as it may bring security risks to a country. Therefore, many governments have enacted rules and regulations, administered by a
customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out of a country. Traditionally, customs ...
agency, to the handling of cargo to minimize risks of
terrorism
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
and other crime. Governments are particularly concerned with cargo entering through a country's borders.
The United States has been one of the leaders in securing cargo. They see cargo as a concern to
national security
National security, or national defence, is the security and defence of a sovereign state, including its citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government. Originally conceived as protection against military atta ...
. After the terrorist attacks of
September 11th
Events Pre-1600
* 9 – The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends: The Roman Empire suffers the greatest defeat of its history and the Rhine is established as the border between the Empire and the so-called barbarians for the next four hun ...
, the security of this magnitude of cargo has become highlighted on the over 6 million cargo containers enter the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
ports each year. The latest US Government response to this threat is the
CSI: Container Security Initiative. CSI is a program intended to help increase security for containerised cargo shipped to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
from around the world. Europe is also focusing on this issue, with a number of EU-funded projects underway.
Stabilization
There are many different ways and materials available to stabilize and secure cargo in various modes of transport. Conventional
load securing methods and materials such as steel
strapping and plastic/wood blocking & bracing have been used for decades and are still widely used. Present load securing methods offer several other options including polyester strapping and lashing, synthetic webbings and dunnage bags, also known as air bags or inflatable bags.
Practical advise on stabilization is given in the International Guidelines on Safe Load Securing for Road Transport.
Image:Stabilizing_capabilities_Cordstrap_dunnage_bags.jpg, Application in container
Image:Lashing_and_dunnage_bag_application.JPG, Polyester strapping and dunnage bag
Image:Lashing_application_flat_rack.jpg, Polyester lashing
Image:Amphorae stacking.jpg, Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
amphora
An amphora (; grc, ἀμφορεύς, ''amphoreús''; English plural: amphorae or amphoras) is a type of container with a pointed bottom and characteristic shape and size which fit tightly (and therefore safely) against each other in storag ...
e from shipwrecks near Bodrum
Bodrum () is a port city in Muğla Province, southwestern Turkey, at the entrance to the Gulf of Gökova. Its population was 35,795 at the 2012 census, with a total of 136,317 inhabitants residing within the district's borders. Known in ancient t ...
, Turkey, with rack and roping device illustrating how they might have been kept from shifting
See also
*
Cargo airline
*
Cargo cult
*
Cargo sampling
*
Cargo scanning
Cargo scanning or non-intrusive inspection (NII) refers to non-destructive methods of inspecting and identifying goods in transportation systems. It is often used for scanning of intermodal freight shipping containers. In the US it is spearheaded ...
*
Counter-to-counter package
In the airline and some other transportation industries, a counter-to-counter package is a quicker (and more expensive) alternative to standard freight for the shipment of small parcels and envelopes. These shipments have size, weight, and conte ...
*
DAT Solutions (a.k.a. Dial-a-truck)
*
Delivery
*
Document automation in management
*
Freight company
Freight companies are companies that specialize in the moving (or "Freight forwarding, forwarding") of freight, or cargo, from one place to another. These companies are divided into several variant sections. For example, international freight for ...
*
Freight Transport Association
Logistics UK, formerly the Freight Transport Association (FTA) is one of the largest trade associations in the UK, with members moving goods by road, rail, sea, and air. Its mission is to represent the views and interests of over 18,000 companie ...
*
Goods
In economics, goods are items that satisfy human wants
and provide utility, for example, to a consumer making a purchase of a satisfying product. A common distinction is made between goods which are transferable, and services, which are not tran ...
*
Goods train
Rail freight transport is the use of railroads and trains to transport cargo as opposed to human passengers.
A freight train, cargo train, or goods train is a group of freight cars (US) or goods wagons (International Union of Railways) hauled ...
*
List of cargo types
*
Products
*
Standard Carrier Alpha Codes
References
Reference bibliography
**
External links
*
Freight Hashemibar
*
{{Portal bar, Aviation, Trains, Transport, Space exploration/Featured/December 2006 , Underwater diving
Freight transport
Transport law
Goods (economics)