Common types of large cargo ships

1. Tanker vessels

2. Container vessels

3. Dry bulk carriers

CARGO SHIP / VESSEL DESCRIPTIONS

Cargo ships or vessels come in different types and sizes to meet the various demands of marine cargo transportation. Cargo ships are categorised partly by capacity and partly by dimensions (often related to the different canals and canal locks they are traveling through). Sizes of cargo vessels range from a modest handysize carrier (10,000 – 30,000 DWT) to mammoth VLCC and ULCC super tankers with a capacity to carry cargoes of more than 200,000 dead weight tonnage (DWT).

​Aframax and ​Panamax are mid-sized cargo vessels.

Aframax

AFRA stands for Average Freight Rate Assessment. Aframax are medium-sized oil tankers with a DWT between 80,000 and 119,999. Though relatively small in size in comparison to VLCC and ULCC, Aframax [Estilo 4]tankers have a capacity to carry up to 120,000 metric tonnes of crude oil. They are ideal for short to medium-haul oil trades, and primarily used in regions of lower crude production, or the areas that lack large ports to accommodate giant oil carriers.

Capesize

Capesize are very large and ultra large cargo vessels with a capacity over 150,000 DWT. They are categorised under VLCC, ULCC, VLOC and ULOC and can be as large as 400,000 DWT or more. They serve regions with the largest deepwater terminals in the world and are primarily used for transporting coal and iron ore. Due to their giant size they are suitable to serve only a small number of ports with deepwater terminals.

Chinamax

Chinamax ships are large bulk carrier which cannot be longer than 360 m (1,180 ft), wider than 65 m (213 ft) whilst her draft cannot be more than 24 m (79 ft). The deadweight tonnage of these vessels is 380,000–400,000 DWT.

Ship’s maximum measurements are defined by the Chinamax standards, allowing ports to determine whether they can accommodate ships in this class. As the name suggests, these ships are often used to move cargo to and from China along several trade routes, such as the iron ore route from Brazil to China.

Handymax / Supramax

Handymax are small-sized cargo ships with a size less than 60,000 DWT. Supramax vessels have capacity between 50,000 to 60,000 DWT. Due to their small size, they are capable of operating in regions with small ports with length and draught restrictions. They form the majority of ocean going cargo vessels in the world.

Handysize

Handysize are small-sized ships with a capacity ranging between 15,000 and 35,000 DWT. These vessels are ideal for both small and large ports, and therefore make up the majority of ocean cargo vessels in the world. They are mainly used in transporting finished petroleum products and for bulk cargo.

Malaccamax

As the name suggests, Malaccamax ships are the largest ships that can pass through the Strait of Malacca which is 25 m (82 ft) deep. As per the current permissible limits, a Malaccamax vessel can have a maximum length of 400 m (1,312ft), beam of 59 m (193.5 ft) and draught of 14.5 m (47.5 ft).

Panamax and New Panamax

As the name suggests, Panamax and New Panamax ships are travelling through the Panama Canal. They strictly follow the size regulations set by the Panama Canal Authority, as the entry and exit points of the Canal are narrow. A Panamax vessel can’t be longer than 294,13 m (965 ft), wider than 32,31 m (106 ft) and her draught cannot be more than 12,04 m (39.5 ft). These vessels have an average capacity of 65,000 DWT, and are primarily used in transporting coal, crude oil and petroleum products. They operate in the Caribbean and Latin American regions.

The New Panamax has been created as a result of the expanding plans for Panama Canal locks. Expanded locks will be around 427 m (1400 ft) long, 55 m (180 ft) wide and 18,30 m (60 ft) deep allowing the Panama Canal will to handle larger vessels.

Q-Max (Qatar-max)

Q-Max’s are the largest LNG carriers that can dock at the LNG terminals in Qatar.

A Q-Max ship is 345 metres (1,132 ft) long, 53.8 metres (177 ft) wide and 34.7 metres (114 ft) high, with a draught of approximately 12 metres (39 ft). It has a capacity of 266,000 cubic metres (9,400,000 cu ft), equal to 161,994,000 cubic metres (5.7208×109 cu ft) of natural gas.

Seawaymax

Seawaymax ships are the largest ships that can pass through the locks of St. Lawrence Seaway. These ships are 225,6 m (740 ft) long, 23,8 m (78 ft) wide and 35,5 m (116 ft) high, with a draught of 7,92 metres (26 ft).

Suezmax

Suezmax are named after the famous Suez Canal. They are mid-sized cargo
vessels with a capacity ranging between 120,000 to 200,000 DWT. They are
designed to pass through the majority of the ports in the world. Currently the permissible limits for Suezmax ships are 20.1 m (66 ft) of draught with the beam no wider than 50 m (164.0 ft), or 12.2 m (40 ft) of draught with maximum allowed beam of 77.5 m (254 ft).

VLCC and ULCC

VLCC stands for Very Large Crude Carriers. They have a size ranging between 180,000 to 320,000 DWT. They are very flexible in using terminals and can also operate in ports with depth limitations. VLCCs are used extensively around the North Sea, Mediterranean and West Africa.

ULCC or Ultra Large Crude Carriers are the largest shipping vessels in the world with a size more than 320,000 DWT. Called Super Tankers, ULCCs are used for long-haul oil crude transportation from Middle East to Europe, Asia, and North America.

Crude Tanker sizes comparison
Tanker vessels

Tankers carry a homogeneous cargo of gases or liquids (such as bitumen, fuel oil, cycle oils, edible oils, diesel/gas oil, kerosene, gasoline, petrol, paraffin, and even wines and molasses). Since tankers are not restricted by space constraints and are low-speed vessels with a maximum cruising capacity of 15.5 knots, they run on large marine diesel engines.

Our tanker offerings use the flexible market scale (as opposed to the fixed AFRA scale) that rates tankers on deadweight tonnage (DWT). They break down into five categories.

Handysize vessels are smaller vessels with a carrying capacity generally between 10,000 and 40,000 DWT. Due to their smaller size, Handysize ships can access ports of all sizes.

MR (Medium Range) vessels are medium-sized vessels with a carrying capacity generally between 40,000 and 55,000 DWT. MR vessels are often used to transport cargo shorter distances. For example, between Europe and the East Coast of the United States.

LR1 (Long Range 1) vessels are medium-sized vessels with a carrying capacity generally between 55,000 and 80,000 DWT. LR1 vessels are extremely common vessels because they are used to carry both refined products as well as crude oil.

Aframax vessels are roughly 245m in length. Their carrying capacity of 80,000 to 120,000 DWT makes them ideal for short- to medium-haul crude oil transport. They are most common in small harbors that cannot accommodate VLCC tankers (see below) and are used by non-OPEC countries with lower crude oil production. Common routes include South America to the U.S. Gulf region through the Caribbean, North Africa to Southern Europe through the Mediterranean, the former Soviet Union to Northern Europe through the Black Sea and the North Sea, and Southeast Asia.

Suezmax vessels are typically 285m in length and are the largest vessels able to pass through the Suez Canal, with a carrying capacity between 120,000 to 200,000 DWT and beams of roughly 50 to 77.5m. Before recent canal upgrades, the maximum-allowed draught was 18.90m, but ships built after 2017 have a draught of 21.95m.

Container vessels

Container vessels are designed to carry large quantities of cargo stored in shipping containers. Container ships fall into roughly four categories.

Feeder vessels are smaller vessels with a carrying capacity generally under 3,000 TEU. They refer to ships that travel short distances to carry cargo to and from larger vessels—these larger vessels are often referred to as “mother vessels.”

Intermediate vessels are small to medium-sized vessels with a carrying capacity generally between 3,000 and 7,999 TEU.

Neo-Panamax vessels (or also referred to as New Panamax vessels) are medium to large-sized vessels with a carrying capacity generally between 8,000 and 14,999 TEU. These vessels were constructed to take advantage of the larger dimensions of the newer locks at the Panama Canal.

Post-Panamax vessels are large vessels with a carrying capacity generally above 15,000 TEU. Post-Panamax vessels are ships that are too large to pass through the Panama Canal.