A liner service in merchant shipping is a shipping service that operates to a timed schedule visiting a fixed loop of ports and operated by one or more ships.
Service
A ''liner service'' is one of the two main classifications of
merchant shipping, the other being
''tramp shipping''. The service is expected to be regular, scheduled, repeated and published. From once established the frequency is generally expected to be no more than monthly, the actual frequency depending on the business available.
History
The development of liner services, both
cargo liner
A cargo liner, also known as a passenger-cargo ship or passenger-cargoman, is a type of merchant ship which carries general cargo and often passengers. They became common just after the middle of the 19th century, and eventually gave way to conta ...
s, and
passenger liners, seems to have developed from the 1850s with the increasing adoption of steam power to attain more regular scheduled services.
Whereas up until 1956 cargo liners relied upon gears to handle variable sided loads, from about 1956 containers and cellular ships began soon after, with the increasing dominance of the container ship for trade.
See also
*
Ocean liner
An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships).
Ca ...
*
Cargo liner
A cargo liner, also known as a passenger-cargo ship or passenger-cargoman, is a type of merchant ship which carries general cargo and often passengers. They became common just after the middle of the 19th century, and eventually gave way to conta ...
*
Tramp trade
A boat or ship engaged in the tramp trade is one which does not have a fixed schedule, itinerary nor published ports of call, and trades on the spot market as opposed to freight liners. A steamship engaged in the tramp trade is sometimes called ...
References
Footnotes
Sources
*
*
*
Shipping
{{transport-stub