What are Bulk Carriers?
Bulk carriers are cargo ships used to primarily transport non-liquid products in huge quantities. These ships are also referred to as bulkers, and shipping companies use them to transport unpacked cargo like raw metals, grains, and more. However, the scope of work for these bulkers has increased with the inclusion of e-commerce shipments.
Significance of Bulk Carriers in an E-commerce Shipping and Delivery
Single-decked bulk carriers allow a company to ship products in volumes that are yet to be achieved by an air or road carrier. Therefore, sellers enjoy the lowest middle-mile shipping costs while having more breathing space for shipping products of varied sizes.
- Lowest-priced middle-mile shipping: Bulk carriers can move more products simultaneously compared to a road or air carrier. As these bulkers can move more products at once, the associated middle-mile shipping costs are comparably lower.
- More options and higher quantities: Since the storage area is comparatively high, a seller can send more products of varying sizes. They can ship several heavy appliances or stick to shipping smaller products in bulk.
Prerequisites of Bulk Carriers and How It Works
While opting for bulk carriers, a seller must ensure time availability. Furthermore, bulk carriers are helpful for shipping products in bulk. Therefore, one needs to have a requirement to send products in bulk.
The shipping companies are in charge of handling the processes involved in the use of bulk carriers. They are responsible for product collection, loading, shipping, and unloading them. Therefore, the sellers are just required to hand over the products.
Use Case with Bulk Carriers
Two examples of bulk carriers are given below.
- Shipping 1,000 tonnes of grains, 1,000 tonnes of cereals, and 2,000 tonnes of wheat using bulk carriers.
Loading and shipping 100 pieces of wooden almirahs and 200 units of couches using bulk carriers.