Breakbulk freight is influenced not only by cargo weight but also by how efficiently the cargo uses the vessel's available space.
The unused spaces between cargo units are known as broken stowage.
Crates, bundles, machinery and irregular structures can leave areas of the hold that cannot be used efficiently.
The result is simple: the vessel may run out of usable space before reaching its deadweight capacity.
Broken stowage depends on:
- dimensions of individual units;
- packing;
- stackability;
- shape;
- hold geometry;
- required separation;
- lashing arrangements.
For cargo owners, this is why accurate dimensions and packing information matter before freight is quoted.
A compact cargo that can be stacked efficiently may produce a very different freight result from irregular non-stackable cargo with the same total weight.
Best Break Bulk uses cargo dimensions and packing information when comparing available general cargo, tween-deck and multipurpose vessels.
Good cargo data allows owners to estimate realistic space requirements rather than relying only on tonnes.
See also: Breakbulk cargo chartering.