Maritime Glossary
Bulk Carrier
Also known as: bulker, dry bulk carrier
A cargo ship designed to carry unpackaged dry bulk commodities such as grain, coal, iron ore, and cement.
Status: ActiveVerified: Source confidence: high (96%)
Full Definition
Bulk carriers transport dry commodities in open holds without packaging. They are categorised by size: Handysize (10,000–35,000 DWT), Handymax/Supramax (40,000–65,000 DWT), Panamax (65,000–100,000 DWT), Capesize (>100,000 DWT), and Newcastlemax/VLOC (>200,000 DWT). Top-loaded via conveyor belts or cranes, they are discharged by grabs, pumps, or self-unloading systems. IACS Unified Requirements govern structural standards to address corrosion and fatigue in ballast holds.
Domain Tags
vessel typescargo