MODES OF TRANSPORT

1. Passenger liner - This is normally used for carrying passengers, mail and some express cargo. It has a regular time-table and only calls at major ports.

2. Cargo liner - This is mainly used for carrying a variety of cargo and sometimes a few passengers. It has a regular itinerary.

Transportation via liners - This can be planned ahead as space on ships can be booked ahead. Charges are made according to published tariff rates fixed by the shipping conference.

3.    Tramp - This is essentially a cargo ship which does not belong to any special line of services or sail to any special place. It is normally chartered to carry a full load of one type of cargo to a certain specified destination where it unloads the whole bulk.

4.    Bulk carrier - This is a ship which is specially built to carry a particular type of cargo, e.g. a bulk carrier is for iron ore.

5.    Tanker - This is a special bulk carrier which carries liquids or gases such as oil or liquefied natural gas.

6. OBO ship - This is an ore-bulk-oil carrier which uses different holds to transport at one time a mixed-bulk cargo. It has holds which can be completely sealed off one from the other.

7.    Roll - on, roll - off or Ro - Ro ship - This is a highly specialized ship that allows loaded vehicles like trucks, trailers, passenger cars, etc. to be driven aboard through ramps at the stern and sides. Using a system of interior ramps, these vehicles are driven to their proper positions, either below decks or topside. At their destinations, they are driven off the ship in reverse to the loading operation.

8.    Container ship - This is built to carry large standard sized containers. (See Containerization)

9. Liners - Liners follow fixed routes and timetables. These liners carry mixed cargo and belong to shipping conferences, which determine the fares, the freight charges and the frequency of journeys.

10. Coastal Shipping - Sometimes goods are transported around the coast rather than inland. Some large ocean going tankers find it very difficult to travel along the coast. So goods are carried by these coastal ships.

11. Ferries - These are small boats that carry passengers over very short distances. These ferries also provide roll-on/roll-off facilities.

12. Delivery vans – Mostly wholesalers and large scale retailers make use of delivery vans for shorter distances for small consignments. Free door delivery service is facilitated by delivery vans. Most probably, delivery vans