break-bulk
Non-containerized freight handling
Break-bulk refers to cargo that is loaded and unloaded piece by piece rather than in standardized containers.
Before containerization revolutionized shipping in the mid-20th century, nearly all freight was break-bulk: individual crates, barrels, sacks, and pallets handled separately.
The term persists for oversized or irregularly shaped items that won't fit in containers.
As a verb, to break bulk means to begin unloading cargo or to open packaging for smaller distribution.
Flat freight platforms
- cratesSturdy shipping containers
- boxesSix-sided containers
- barrelsCylindrical storage vessels
- balesTied agricultural packages
sacks · drums · cartons · bundles · general cargo · unitized · stackable · rolled steel
Storing goods commercially
- inventoryCatalog of held assets
- distributionAllocation across recipients
- bill of ladingCargo shipment receipt
- consignmentBatch delivered for selling
transshipment · storage · consolidation · deconsolidation · documentation · customs clearance
Sleeping space on transport
- wharfShip docking structure
- dockMooring structure at water's edge
- quayWaterfront loading platform
- terminalAt the endpoint
pier · stevedore · longshoreman · warehouse · apron · cargo handler · gang · checker
pallets
Flat freight platforms
bales · sacks · drums · cartons · bundles · general cargo · unitized · stackable · rolled steel · coils
warehousing
Storing goods commercially
- inventoryCatalog of held assets
- distributionAllocation across recipients
- bill of ladingCargo shipment receipt
consignment · transshipment · storage · consolidation · deconsolidation · documentation · customs clearance
berth
Sleeping space on transport
terminal · pier · stevedore · longshoreman · warehouse · apron · cargo handler · gang · checker · harbor
stevedoring
Loading and unloading ships
stowage · slinging · rigging · cargo nets · spreader bars · hooks · strapping · chocking · bracing · hoist
steel
Carbon-hardened iron alloy
paper rolls · newsprint · coffee bags · cocoa · sugar · rice · flour · bauxite · aluminum · machinery
break-bulkcontainerized
Placed in standardized units
container shipping · containerization · palletized · bulk cargo · intermodal
break-bulkcontainerized
Placed in standardized units
consolidated · unitized · aggregated · bundled · grouped
break, bulk, breaks, broke, broken, breaking, breaker, breakers, breakage