Essentials of Handling Dry Bulk Cargo: Techniques and Challenges

Posted on May 28, 2024 at 11:05 PM

Handling dry bulk cargo effectively is an essential aspect of the shipping process's success, and ensures safe delivery of the dry bulk cargoes and commodities despite their kind or type.

The dry bulk shipping market involves grain, ore iron, coal, and other materials that are vital transporting and shipping services for many industries and the whole global trade.

Continue reading with us, as we are going to list important information about dry bulk cargo transporting, types of dry bulk commodities, the largest expected challenges of dry bulk cargo shipping, and the best carriage and sailing solutions to follow.

What Is Dry Bulk Cargo?

Dry bulk cargo term refers to ore or unprocessed materials that are transported in large, unpackaged quantities, we are talking tonnes of solid cargo in single freight, from the source country to the global market through designed bulk carriers, or bulk vessels.

Moreover, dry bulk cargo is not only a cost-effective and efficient trading or chartering technique but also it is characterised by its unique form composition and loose nature.

Although dry bulk shipping is a simple and regular process, that is loaded and unloaded usually via specific equipment, yet it is a little bit more complicated than shipped container handling. As dry bulk cargo handling and shipping requires careful planning and management.

Types of Dry Bulk Cargo:

Although dry bulk cargo shipping covers a wide range of cargoes, without any type of wet or liquid tanks, yet, mainly all these cargoes can be divided into two basic types:

Major Dry Bulks:

Major dry bulk cargoes or products are the primary raw materials that dominate the dry bulk transportation market. They are typically shipped in large quantities in ships with high deadweight (DWT) rates, covering these types:

• Iron Ore.

• Coal (thermal coal and metallurgical coal).

• Grains (Wheat grain, corn grain, barley grain, and soybeans grain ).

• Bauxite.

Minor Dry Bulks:

Minor dry bulk cargoes include a more diverse range of commodities and materials, that are traded in smaller quantities compared to major bulks. Such as:

• Cement.

• Fertilisers (Phosphate rock, potash, urea, and other chemical compounds).

• Sugar.

• Salt.

• Steel Products (Coils, sheets, bars).

• Wood Chips.

• Minerals and Ores (Copper concentrate, zinc ore).

Challenges of Dry Bulk Cargo Handling:

The dry bulk cargo shipping is a main player in the global economy, with its ability to support the main industries with ore materials.

So, if you are wondering why choose maritime training courses in London? Then you now are going to meet the dry bulk cargo challenges that these courses will teach you how to handle.

• Moisture and Contamination Risks:

Dry bulk cargo shipping faces the danger of moisture and contamination which will impact the quality of carried dry bulk cargo, especially when talking about coal or grain commodities. As the exposure to moisture can lead to cargo spoilage, mould growth, and loss of material properties.

This problem could be solved only with sealing, proper storage on the ship hull, and regular inspections.

• Dust Generation and Control:

As dry bulk cargo mainly includes granular materials, thus, the handling of dry bulk cargo can create dust, particularly with small molecular commodities like ore iron and grain, leading to health threats for workers, environmental pollution, and potential fire or explosion risks.

Controlling the dust emission problem is possible through a variety of specific measures, like enclosed conveyors, dust suppression systems, and proper ventilation.

• Efficient Infrastructure and Port Facilities:

If the shippers follow all the shipping standards and measures, yet, there is no efficient infrastructure, cranes, facilities and logistics, then the dry bulk cargo handling process will not be as smooth as estimated.

The port obstacles could be the lack of storage capacity, outdated equipment, and insufficient deep-water berths, causing delays and increasing operational costs, leading to an increase the market prices.

• Weather-Related Disruptions:

The dry bulk cargo handling could be interrupted by weather conditions such as storms, heavy rains, and extreme temperatures. And these conditions can lead to delays, damage to dry cargo, and increased operational risks.

Therefore, ports, terminals, and shipping companies must follow professional marine weather news to mitigate these risks and maintain safety and efficiency for any carrier.

The Best 4 Techniques in Dry Bulk Cargo:

According to the professional maritime courses London, these are the best cargo handling techniques each shipping company needs to follow to achieve positive results and gain worldwide revenue:

1. Use Monitoring and Management Systems:

Real-time tracking in the dry bulk cargo handling industry is highly important for the success and efficiency of the process, thus, using advanced monitoring and management systems is necessary.

Furthermore, these systems provide data analytics and insights that help shipowners in decision-making and balancing stable supply chain processes when required without any technical losses or damages.

2. Follow Safety Practices:

Here, we are not only talking about following strict safety practices to protect the dry bulk cargo but also to protect the workers from any accident.

This could be done with regular maintenance of equipment, proper developments, senior training for personnel, and the implementation of effective safety protocols.

3. Do Proper Planning and Scheduling:

Proper planning and scheduling of dry bulk cargo shipping is vital to guarantee that the ore cargoes are shipped and held in suitable conditions based on their measured specifications.

Moreover, dry bulk cargo handling planning will boost loading and unloading operations, minimise delays, and maximise resource employment. Leading to reduced vessel downtime.

4. Implement Automated Processes:

Using automated processes in dry bulk cargo handling will enhance efficiency and safety, reduce human error, and even lower costs, moreover, the great impact of this automation is highly noticed in large-volume cargo handling.

This could be done with automated loading and unloading systems, conveyors, and competitive robotic equipment.

To conclude,

The handling of dry bulk cargo is highly important in the success of the whole international maritime shipping process, especially, since it is responsible for delivering the required ore cargoes from one market to another.
However, to ensure efficiency you need to train your team, provide the latest and limited equipment, and organise all the details of the handling process.