Technologies in Shipping and Port Management Essay

Technologies in Shipping and Port Management - Essay Example Nowadays, the bulk carriers are the biggest workers of the fleet, transporting raw materials such as iron ore and coal (Shipping Facts, 2010). Tankers are useful in transporting crude oil, potentially hazardous chemicals, and petroleum products. Tankers often look quite the same as bulk carriers, but the deck of the tankers is usually flushed and covered by oil pipe and ventilation systems (Shipping Facts, 2010). In the same period, a further potential design was intended to revolutionize the transfer of cargo on land as well as, on the ocean, and this design was the freight container. The idea, which had been first developed in the United States during the 1950s, was to pack cargo into rectangular metal boxes, which could be transported by road, railway or ship (Overview of Shipping and Navigation history, 2010). Now container ships, which carry most of the worlds manufactured goods and products, are usually done through scheduled liner services (Shipping Facts, 2010). With the exception of the aforementioned ships, there are two other types of ships that are popular in shipping, one of which are ferries, which usually fulfil shorter trips for a mixture of passengers and commercial vehicles. Most of these ships are Ro-Ro (roll on - roll off) ferries, where allow vehicles to drive straight on and off, making it a speedy and easily accessible way to travel. The other type of ship is known as a specialist ship.