What is breakbulk?

Jan 31, 2020 at 08:12 AM CST
Before containerization, breakbulk referred to everything except dry and liquid bulk. Prior to the SS Ideal-X, all non-bulk cargo was hand-loaded and hand-unloaded by longshoreman at the docks. The basic definition of breakbulk is any individual piece of cargo that does not fit into a container and is not carried in bulk. Breakbulk refers to cargoes that can be “unitized,” such as metal ingots or bales of pulp, as opposed to those that cannot, such as ore. A breakbulk cargo can be anything from forest products to paper rolls to steel girders, metal drums and much larger items. The exception is vehicles, which are shipped aboard roll-on/roll-off vessels. Vehicles otherwise fit the definition but are not considered breakbulk.

Jan 31, 2020 at 08:12 AM CST

Before containerization, breakbulk referred to everything except dry and liquid bulk. Prior to the SS Ideal-X, all non-bulk cargo was hand-loaded and hand-unloaded by longshoreman at the docks. The basic definition of breakbulk is any individual piece of cargo that does not fit into a container and is not carried in bulk. Breakbulk refers to cargoes that can be “unitized,” such as metal ingots or bales of pulp, as opposed to those that cannot, such as ore. A breakbulk cargo can be anything from forest products to paper rolls to steel girders, metal drums and much larger items. The exception is vehicles, which are shipped aboard roll-on/roll-off vessels. Vehicles otherwise fit the definition but are not considered breakbulk.