The Logistics and Transport of Industrial Shipping

It’s not enough that a port has the latest and greatest technologies to facilitate the efficient transport of goods off one ship and onto another. Many freight containers have goods that can be consolidated, as they are continuing onto the same port. Time must also be spent figuring out which goods are best re-packed onto the same ship. Both of these problems are logistical issues, a separate but important sub-area of the industrial shipping industry.

Types of Ports: Not all ports handle all goods. This division can make shipping easier and more efficient. Monofunctional ports are designed to handle only one type of good, and their entire infrastructure is geared around that item. These types of ports usually handle bulk materials, such as the oil ports located on the Persian Gulf. Polyfunctional ports or comprehensive ports handle the transshipment of all types of goods, from manufactured products to raw materials.

The Revolution of Containerized Shipment: Those brightly colored containers about the size of a semi-truck trailer mark one of the most important revolutions in sea shipping. Containerized shipment streamlines ports, making different ports the world over able to handle any type of incoming good.

Port Authority: In today’s world, it doesn’t make sense for one owner to control the shipping cranes, while another own the locks, while yet another controls the shipyard’s bridges. A port authority was an idea generated in the early 20th century, to eliminate this issue. It is a branch of state or local government or a private entity that consolidates and run all aspects of a single port.

The Emergence of Transshipment: Just as it does not make sense for one air carrier to fly an airplane directly between every single airport, it also doesn’t make sense for one shipping company to call at every single port. Most shippers use intermediate hubs, locations where goods may be sent before they are again parceled out and shipped onto their next destination. Goods are stored in the port’s shipyard until their next shipment.  

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