Classification Of Common Types Of Ships In Sea Transport

1. The newest types of ships today

1.1. Container Ship

Container ships are the first ship type on the list. This kind of ship has a distinct design structure compared to traditional cargo ships because it is specifically made to handle containers of sea freight. These are vessels that can carry heavy loads—typically between 1,000 and 5,000 TEU—at speeds greater than 26 knots per hour.

One of their unique features is the use of gantry cranes at ports instead of cranes on ships. Furthermore, their cargo hold bottom area is equal to or larger than the cargo hold opening area, and there are ballast tanks on both sides of the ship, helping to maintain balance when loading containers into multiple rows.

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1.2. Reefer Ship

This type of ship is optimized at high speed to serve the transportation of goods, especially those that need to be preserved in freezing conditions, such as food, foodstuffs, etc. A ship's cargo hold is usually small in size, insulated, and equipped with a special cooling system to ensure appropriate storage conditions for each type of cargo.

1.3. General cargo vessels

This type of ship is often used to transport large-sized goods such as machinery, industrial equipment, metal sheets, and other goods. Each train can carry about 10–15 containers, and they are usually loaded directly onto the ship's deck. To facilitate loading, unloading, and lashing containers, this type of ship is equipped with many modern pieces of equipment.

1.4. Bulk Carrier

Bulk carriers are typically capable of transporting a variety of raw and dry cargoes, such as coal, iron ore, grain, sulfur, and unpackaged scrap. To ensure the quality and safety of the cargo, they are built to be stored directly in the ship's waterproof cargo hold.

The structure of this type of ship usually includes a solid deck, side tanks, and hanging tanks on both sides of the cargo hold to create ventilation and easily adjust the ship's center of gravity when necessary. The cargo hold is designed to be large with a wide mouth to optimize the loading and unloading processes. At the same time, the cargo hold is reinforced to ensure durability and the ability to withstand impacts from goods and cargo handling equipment.

1.5. Tàu Roro

The term "RoRo" is an abbreviation for the phrase "Roll on/Roll off" in English. This is a type of train specially built to transport wheeled goods such as cars, trailers, and railway carriages.

Bridges are often placed at the rear and sides of the ship, helping self-driving vehicles get on and off conveniently. A characteristic feature of RoRo ships is their large shape, often with a floor running throughout, covering both the length and width of the ship.

1.6. Tanker

Liquid cargo ships are specially designed to transport a wide range of liquid goods, from crude oil to chemicals and liquefied petroleum gas. Their designs include a sturdy hull, divided into multiple compartments for storing fluids. Pumping and suctioning of liquids is usually carried out through a system of pumps and pipes installed on deck and in the hold.

1.7. Logger

This vessel is specially designed to transport whole timber or sawn timber. During transportation, a large amount of wood is loaded onto the ship's deck, so a sturdy and specialized ship's side structure is needed to ensure that the wood blocks do not move or become misaligned during the journey.

1.8. Lighter Aboard Ship

This transport system includes a main ship capable of carrying large cargo and small barges capable of carrying from 500 to 1000 tons. These barges are used to load full cargo or containers from river ports onto main ships for transportation. Loading of barges onto ships can be done using cranes, hydraulic lifting systems, or floating methods.

The main vessel then takes these barges to the destination port, where they are unloaded and then taken by tugs or pushers to inland ports for unloading, or they can be unloaded directly at the seaport. This system is a convenient and effective option for countries with developed river transport networks.

2. How are ships classified?

Based on many different criteria, ships will be classified into the following types:

2.1. According to scope of operation

Usually, larger ships will be able to operate over a wider range, specializing in transporting goods on long routes. They often handle cargo loading and unloading at ports with large areas and are suitable for the size of the ship itself. Therefore, they can be classified into:

• Mother ship
• Small ships (ships of smaller size)

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2.2. According to the level of specialization

Based on cargo capacity, we can divide ships into two main types:

• Specialized ships are ships designed and equipped to carry a specific type of cargo or serve a specific purpose.
• Semi-specialized ships: These are ships capable of carrying many different types of goods, not strictly limited to transporting a specific type of goods.

2.3. According to the object of transport

Based on the object being transported, we can classify shipping vessels into three main types:

• Cargo ship: This is a type of ship specifically designed to transport goods. In Vietnam, container ships are a popular example, suitable for the transportation method in our country, capable of easy loading and unloading at the port, and suitable for transporting goods.
• Passenger ship: This is a type of ship designed with the main purpose of transporting passengers. They have aesthetic designs and provide accompanying services such as dining, resting, organizing parties, and conferences. Transport speed is high, ensures safety, and must meet safety standards according to international regulations.
• The ship carries both goods and passengers: This type of ship is designed flexibly to serve both goods and customers. Typically, the cargo and passenger compartments are separated, with the cargo compartment located on the bottom and the passenger compartment on top, complete with amenities such as a deck.

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2.4. According to the way of loading and unloading goods

Based on loading and unloading methods, ships can be classified into two main types:

• Ships with loading and unloading methods via railings: This is a type of ship where the loading and unloading process is carried out using a railing lifting system.
• Ships with loading and unloading methods using ramps: This is a type of ship where the process of loading and unloading goods takes place through the use of ramps. The bridge structure helps move goods between the ship and the shore, creating favorable conditions for the loading and unloading process, especially when there is a height difference between the ship and the port.

3. Types of surcharges in sea container transport

Above is all the knowledge about the types of ships that Dolphin Sea Air has collected. Hopefully, it has helped you answer your questions about ship terminology. If you want to know more information, please come to our website for more details!

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