Cargo shipped as individual pieces rather than in containers — machinery, steel, timber.
Break-bulk cargo is lifted on board piece by piece, often with ship’s cranes. It suits items too big for containers.
Related terms
- Project cargo — Large, heavy or complex shipments for industrial projects — turbines, transformers, plant.
- Flat rack — A container with no roof or side walls, for heavy or oversized cargo.
- Open top — A container with a removable tarpaulin roof, loaded from above by crane.