Ocean Transportation

Ocean Transport
 It is indispensable for foreign trade.
 It has brought the different parts of the world closer and has
knitted together all the nations of the world into one big world
market.
 It operates on a natural track, i.e., the sea and does not require
any investment in the construction and maintenance of its track.
 It is, obviously, the cheapest mode of transport.
Ocean transport includes:

1. Coastal Shipping

2. Overseas Shipping
Coastal Shipping
 It is one of the most important means of transport for
carrying goods from one part to another in a country.

 It is a cheaper and quicker mode of transport and is

most suitable for carrying heavy, bulky and cheap
traffic like coal, iron ore, etc. to distant places. But it
can serve only limited areas. 
 2. Overseas Shipping

Three types of vessels employed in the overseas

shipping:

 Liners

 Tramps

 Tankers
Liners:
Liners are the ships which have regular fixed routes, time and charges. They are,
usually, a collection of vessels under one ownership, i.e., a fleet. They provide a
uniform and regular service. Liners sail on scheduled dates and time, whether full of
cargo or not.

Tramps:
Tramps are ships which have no fixed routes. They have no set rules or rate
schedule. Usually, they do not sail till they have full cargo. They can be chartered by
exporters and are ready to sail anywhere and at any time. They are not as fast in
speed as liners. Tramps are more suitable to carry seasonal and bulky goods.

Tankers:
Tankers are the vessels which are specially designed to carry oil, petrol and such
other liquids. They have a large capacity, 2 to 3 lakh tons of oil, and very shortly, we
may have super tankers with a capacity of about 10 lakh tons of oil.
Advantages:

Cheap Freight: In comparison to rail, road, and air, ocean freight rates are more
affordable and especially more economically viable for bulkier cargo.

Less Maintenance Cost: Maintenance cost of water transport is quite cheaper in

comparison to maintenance cost involved in air and rail transport. This is also
one of the main reason because of which ocean freight rates are not high.

Best for Bulky Goods: Heavy and bulky items of shipment can be transported
with ease through ocean freight without incurring enormous costs in
transportation, as ocean freight rates are cheap. Ships can carry all kinds of
heavy objects.
Advantages:
Important for Foreign Trade: While airlines are increasingly used today for
international shipping, oceans have been for long connecting the global trade
markets. Even till today, foreign trade is highly dependent upon ocean shipping.

Eco-friendly: Ships have a minimal carbon footprint as they consume lesser fuel

in comparison to aeroplanes. As they are Eco-friendly, large organizations prefer
them over other means of transport.

Safety:  Ships are designed to carry dangerous  materials and critical  cargo

safely. The industry is well-versed in the handling of such goods and has
managing, in place to ensure the security  of the vessel, troop, cargo and
environment. Containers are construct  to be sealed and locked during
transportation for extra security.
Advantages:

Efficiency: 
 There is no matter the size of your shipments, sea freight companies can
usually contain your needs. Tinier  shipments can be arranged in  a group
together with other cargo to fill a container, agreed for cost-sharing for the
transportation services.
 Big cargos can be fill in one or more containers, providing shippers
incomparable  bulk options. In fact, the vessels are the perfect way to move
high volumes of cargo as they are constructed   to carry large amounts of
products or raw materials. 
Disadvantages:
Slow Speed: Ocean transportation is a more time-consuming mode and is ideal
for those items which have a long lead time. Other transportation options like
air freight can deliver items in maximum 2-3 days while ocean freight might
even take a month.

Risky: Since there is a high amount of time involvement from shipping to

delivery, the risks associated with ocean shipping are higher. There might be
delays or weather obstructions which can cause loss or damage of shipment.

Lack of Infrastructure: Certain parts of the world might not have the facilities of
ports and terminals and can therefore not receive large ships carrying
containers. Usually, a significant amount of capital expenditure is essential to
handle container based networks.