Maritime Glossary
Deadweight Tonnage
Also known as: DWT, deadweight
The total mass a ship can carry when loaded to its maximum permitted draught, including cargo, fuel, ballast, and stores.
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Full Definition
Deadweight tonnage (DWT) is the sum of cargo, fuel, ballast, freshwater, stores, crew, and passengers a vessel can carry at its assigned load line. It is the primary commercial size metric for bulk carriers, tankers, and general cargo ships. DWT = loaded displacement − lightship displacement. It differs from gross tonnage (volumetric) and displacement (total mass including the ship itself).
Domain Tags
vessel measurementscommercial