When cargo owners prepare a project shipment, the first figure they often mention is the total cargo weight. For vessel selection, however, the most important figure may be the weight and dimensions of the heaviest single unit.
A shipment of 2,000 tonnes can sometimes be easier to fix than a shipment of 500 tonnes if the latter includes one unusually heavy or oversized piece.
For a shipbroker, several details immediately affect the vessel search:
- weight of the heaviest unit;
- length, width and height;
- lifting points;
- centre of gravity;
- required crane outreach;
- hook height;
- deck strength or tween-deck clearance;
- loading and discharging facilities.
These details determine whether the cargo can be handled by a conventional multipurpose vessel, requires heavy-lift capacity, or needs shore cranes at one or both ports.
They also affect freight.
A vessel with suitable lifting capacity may be technically acceptable but commercially inefficient if its cranes cannot work at the required outreach. Another vessel may have sufficient deadweight but insufficient deck strength or hold dimensions.
This is why accurate cargo information should be available before asking owners for firm freight.
At Best Break Bulk, we compare cargo dimensions and lifting requirements with suitable tonnage available in the international freight market and negotiate the voyage terms accordingly.
For oversized, heavy-lift and non-containerized units, vessel selection should start with the heaviest piece — not only with the total shipment weight.
See also: Project cargo chartering.