Coordination of maritime freight operations

Optimization of Shipping Processes

Over the last decade, maritime technology has undergone a fundamental paradigm shift. This evolution was driven by the urgent need to automate manual labor and decrease vessel turnaround time during stevedoring operations.

• Uniformity: To implement specialized transport-technological systems, diverse goods with varying dimensions and packaging were first consolidated into standardized cargo units.
• Intermodal Synergy: Since production and consumption centers are geographically dispersed, the movement of goods often involves multimodal corridors (2-3 different transport modes). This necessitates seamless synchronization between sea, rail, and road to ensure cargo safety through multiple transshipment points.

Core Transport-Technological Systems

The foundation of modern break-bulk handling is the modularization of dimensions and the alignment of vessel parameters with unitized cargo. This ensures maximum slot utilization and equipment throughput. Based on the flow structure, three primary TTS models are utilized:

Containerized Transport System

This is the optimal solution for high-value goods like electronics or consumer products. It requires balanced export-import flows and a robust «door-to-door» infrastructure.

• Cellular Container Ships: Single-deck vessels with vertical guides (cells). Capacity ranges from small feeders (up to 600 TEUs) to ultra-large ocean carriers (20,000+ TEUs).
• Feeder Services: Smaller vessels that bridge regional hubs with major deep-sea terminals, often operating in ports with limited infrastructure.

Container ship MSC Venice

Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) System

Ro-Ro vessels (or Ro-Pax) offer greater versatility than container ships.

• Loading Method: Cargo is moved via ramps (horizontal loading).
• Versatility: These ships accommodate trailers, roll-trailers, flats, and heavy machinery. They are ideal for routes with diverse cargo mixes or ports lacking expensive crane infrastructure.

Ro-Ro vessel

Lighterage (LASH/SeeBee) Systems

Used for barge-carrier operations, primarily in river-to-sea transitions or shallow-water regions.

• LASH (Lighter Aboard Ship): Small barges (lighters) are lifted via a massive gantry crane at the stern.
• SeeBee: Utilizes a heavy-duty syncrolift elevator to transport larger barges (up to 1,000 tons) onto multiple decks.

LASH

SeeBee

Classification of Cargo Units

Photo cargo units

Baled cargo

ISO Container

Tank-container

Roll-trailer

Trailer

Multi-axle trailer

Flat