What Is Whole Ship Transport?

Among the many modes of transport by sea, the whole ship transport plays an important role in the transport of bulk commodities and large-scale project materials by virtue of its ability to transport a large number of goods at one time. It is like a "giant ship flagship" in the field of shipping, providing a solid logistics guarantee for the global operation of many industries such as energy, mining and construction, and profoundly affecting the supply chain system and industrial layout of the world economy. Next, Jiaxing Heyuan Supply Chain Co.,Ltd, a professional international freight forwarding company, takes us to delve into every aspect of this important transportation mode.

1. Definition and application scenarios of whole ship transportation 
Full ship transport, that is, the shipper charters the entire ship to transport its own goods, and a freight forwarding company or shipowner is responsible for carrying it. This mode of transport is suitable for large volumes of goods, single types of goods and high requirements for transport time, integrity and security of goods. For example, large steel companies import large amounts of iron ore from abroad, or large energy companies transport large amounts of crude oil, because of the large number of goods and the nature of the single, full ship transport can ensure efficient and safe transportation. For example, the equipment and materials required for some large-scale engineering projects, such as large steel beams for bridge construction, large units for power station construction, etc., are often selected for whole ship transportation because of the special size of the goods, high value and strict protection requirements during transportation.

 

2. Characteristics of the whole ship transportation
Huge carrying capacity: the whole ship transport can give full play to the cargo carrying capacity of the ship, and the cargo carrying capacity of different types of ships varies greatly. For example, the cargo capacity of very large oil tankers (VLCCS) can reach more than 300,000 tons, and the cargo capacity of Capesize bulk carriers is usually about 150,000 tons. This allows the whole ship transportation to meet the needs of large enterprises for large-scale transportation of raw materials or products, greatly reducing transport batches and improving transportation efficiency.

 

Strong cargo pertinency: more suitable for coal, ore, grain, crude oil and other bulk commodity transportation. These cargoes are relatively simple in nature, allowing for easy planning and stacking in the hold. For example, coal transportation can be tightly stacked with cabin space to improve space utilization. At the same time, a single cargo reduces the risk of mutual pollution and influence between different goods, and guarantees the quality of goods.

 

High safety: Since the entire ship is dedicated to a specific cargo, the owner or freight forwarder can develop special protection measures based on the characteristics of the cargo. For example, when transporting frozen food, the ship is equipped with professional refrigeration equipment to accurately control temperature and humidity to ensure food quality; When transporting inflammable and explosive chemicals, ships shall take special fire, explosion-proof and anti-static measures to ensure transport safety. In addition, the cargo management is relatively centralized during the whole ship transportation, reducing the risk of cargo theft and loss.

 

Limited transport flexibility: Compared to other modes of transport, the flexibility of the whole ship is poor. Once the ship and transport plan is determined, it is difficult to change. For example, if the volume or destination of goods needs to be temporarily adjusted due to market changes, it may face high port change fees or contract default risks. Moreover, the whole ship transportation needs to wait for the goods to be shipped, which cannot be met when a small amount of goods are urgently needed.

 

3. Selection of ship type for whole ship transportation
Bulk carrier: mainly used to transport coal, ore, grain and other dry bulk cargo. Its feature is that the cargo hold is designed for single deck and large opening, which is easy to load and unload goods. Bulk carriers can be divided into handytype, Panamax type and Capesize type according to deadweight ton. The load capacity of the portable bulk carrier is generally 1-50,000 tons, which is suitable for transport between small and medium-sized ports with limited port conditions; Panamax bulk carriers carry about 60,000-80,000 tons of deadweight, can pass through the Panama Canal, the route choice is more flexible; Capesize bulk carrier has a large deadweight ton and is suitable for long-distance transocean transportation of bulk cargo.

 

Tankers: Specially used to transport liquid cargoes such as crude oil and refined oil products. Oil tankers have different load classes, very large oil tanker (VLCC) load tons can reach more than 200,000 to 300,000 tons, Suez type oil tanker load tons in about 100,000 to 200,000 tons. The tanker is equipped with a complete liquid cargo handling system and safety assurance facilities, such as inert gas system to prevent oil and gas explosions, and double hull to improve safety.

 

General cargo ship: can transport a variety of pieces of goods, such as machinery and equipment, steel, vehicles, etc. The cargo hold is generally a multi-deck structure, which is easy to separate different cargoes. The loading and unloading equipment of a general cargo ship is relatively complete, which can meet the loading and unloading requirements of different goods, but the cargo capacity is smaller than that of bulk carriers and oil tankers.

 

Ro-ro ship: mainly used to transport vehicles, large machinery and equipment such as rolling cargo. The RO-ro ship has a special springboard and lane, and the goods are directly on and off the ship by their own power or tractor, and the loading and unloading efficiency is high. Often used in automobile import and export transportation, can quickly transport a large number of cars to the destination.

4. The whole ship transportation process
Cargo preparation stage: The shipper needs to fully prepare the cargo. The first is the packaging of goods, the use of appropriate packaging materials and methods for different goods. For example, precision mechanical equipment is packed in wooden cases and filled with buffer materials to prevent collision damage; Large steel structural parts are fixed with steel belts after anti-corrosion treatment. Secondly, it is necessary to do a good job of marking the goods, clearly marking the name of the goods, weight, size, destination and other information, so as to facilitate identification and management. At the same time, develop a detailed loading plan, according to the characteristics of the cargo, the structure of the ship to determine the cargo in the cabin stacking position and fixed way to ensure the safety of the ship navigation.

 

Ship booking process: freight forwarders or shipowners select suitable ships according to cargo quantity, weight, volume, transportation requirements (such as route, transportation time, loading and unloading port conditions, etc.). Factors such as ship type, load capacity, speed, ship condition and ship age should be considered comprehensively in selection. For example, transporting high-value and urgently needed goods may choose a faster vessel; For transport of temperature-sensitive cargo, choose a vessel with good refrigeration equipment. After the ship is selected, a charter party shall be signed with the shipowner to specify the rights and obligations of both parties, such as rental, transportation time, loading and unloading terms (such as loading and unloading time, loading and unloading cost sharing, etc.) and cargo insurance liability.

 

Ship loading process: In the cargo loading stage, professional loading and unloading equipment and personnel are required to operate according to the loading plan. Use cranes, forklifts and other equipment to lift or transport the cargo to the designated position in the cabin. For large weight cargo, reasonable distribution of weight to avoid the ship's center of gravity shift. After the goods are in place, bind or secure them to prevent them from moving during transportation. At the same time, do a good job of the quantity of goods and quality inspection, record the loading of goods.

 

Ship transport stage: the whole ship is loaded and the ship sets sail according to the scheduled route. During the voyage, the crew strictly abide by international maritime regulations and port regulations, and regularly check the status of the cargo and the operation of the ship's equipment. In case of inclement weather, take appropriate safety measures to ensure the safety of cargo and ship. When passing through the customs and ports, the ship shall go through the formalities of inspection, quarantine and customs declaration as required. At the same time, through satellite communication and other means to the shipper or freight forwarder timely feedback ship location, cargo status and other information.

 

Cargo unloading and delivery: After the ship arrives at the port of destination, the cargo unloading operation begins. Professional equipment and personnel are also required to safely unload the goods according to the operating procedures. Pay attention to the protection of the goods during unloading to avoid damage. After the goods are unloaded, customs clearance procedures are completed to ensure that the goods enter the destination country legally. Finally, the goods are delivered to the consignee to complete the transportation process. The consignee shall check the quantity and quality of the goods at the time of delivery, and timely communicate and deal with any problems.

 

5. Comparison between whole ship transport and other modes of transport
Compared with container transportation: Container transportation is flexible, can transport a small amount of goods, and multimodal transportation is convenient. However, the whole ship transportation has obvious cost advantages when transporting bulk commodities and can make full use of ship space, while container transportation is limited by container specifications, and it is inconvenient to transport oversized goods. For example, transporting large quantities of coal is cheaper by ship; Transport a variety of small batch electronic products, container transport is more suitable.

 

Comparison with LCL transportation: LCL transportation is suitable for small batch goods and can integrate resources to reduce costs. However, the whole ship transport speed is relatively faster, because there is no need to wait for other cargo LCL, and the cargo security is higher, there is no risk of mixing with other goods. If transporting urgent and large quantities of building materials, the whole ship can meet the demand faster.

6. The development trend of the whole ship transportation industry
Ship upsizing: In order to reduce unit transportation costs, the trend of ship upsizing is obvious. Such as very large container ships, very large oil tankers continue to emerge. But larger ships have higher demands on port facilities, prompting port upgrades to accommodate their docking and handling needs.

 

Intelligent development: With the progress of science and technology, the whole shipping will be more and more intelligent. The ship is equipped with intelligent monitoring system to monitor the status of cargo and the operation of ship equipment in real time; Use big data analysis to optimize route planning, improve transportation efficiency and reduce energy consumption.

 

Increasing environmental protection requirements: The international community has increasingly stringent environmental protection requirements for the shipping industry, and the whole ship transportation needs to adopt more environmentally friendly power systems, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered ships, to reduce carbon emissions and meet environmental protection regulations.

 

Looking forward to the future, with the continuous growth of global trade and the continuous innovation of industry technology, the whole shipping and transportation will usher in new challenges and opportunities in carrying capacity, transportation efficiency, security and other aspects. Heyuan Supply Chain (Jiaxing) Co., Ltd.Such enterprises are expected to continue to rely on their own advantages, actively adapt to market changes, promote the development of the entire ship transport industry towards a more intelligent, green and efficient direction, and make more outstanding contributions to the prosperity of international trade and the interconnection of the global economy.