What is break bulk?
Most people are familiar with the more common methods of moving cargo by sea, such as container shipping or bulk cargo. But what if the cargo is too big to fit in a container or isn’t suitable for a bulk carrier? The answer is: use a break bulk cargo terminal.
Break bulk transportation has a major role to play in the international trade industry. Break bulk is cargo that does not fit in or utilise standard shipping containers or cargo bins. Also referred to as Non-Containerised Cargo (NCC), Out of Gauge (OOG) and static cargo, break bulk cargo is transported as individual pieces.
Examples of breakbulk cargo include paper, wood, bags of cocoa, rolls of steel, or cable rolls. To be able to lift break bulk, it is often packaged on pallets, in crates or racks.