Break Bulk

The term break-bulk derives from the phrase breaking bulk, a term for unloading part of a ship’s cargo, or commencing unloading the cargo. Ships carrying break-bulk cargo are often called general cargo ships. Break-bulk/general cargo consists of goods transported, stowed and handled piecemeal to some degree, typically bundled somehow in unit loads for hoisting, either with cargo nets, slings, or crates, or stacked on trays, pallets or skids. Ideally, break-bulk cargo is lifted directly into and out of a vessel’s holds, and this is mostly the case today. Otherwise, it must be lifted onto and off its deck, by cranes or derricks present on the dock or on the ship itself.