Beyond Container Liner Shipping: Moving Oversized and Mixed Cargo by Breakbulk Vessel

Successful breakbulk shipments require coordination between the cargo owner, shipbroker, vessel operator, port and lifting specialists. A useful starting point is to distinguish container liner shipping from the physical use of containers as cargo units. Containers may form part of a mixed breakbulk shipment and be carried aboard a multipurpose or general cargo vessel alongside machinery, steel structures and other non-containerised units. In such cases, the container remains a practical method of packing and protecting smaller components, while the voyage itself is planned and performed as a breakbulk or multipurpose shipment. Container shipping has transformed global trade by making cargo movements more standardised, predictable and scalable.