Tracking Docket Different types of Shipping companies explained: In ancient times, when the world got connected, it had only one way to do it: through the mighty oceans. And they built large vessels to carry not only themselves but other things too, like livestock, luxury goods, salt, timber, spices, textiles, and many more. To date, these large vessels, called “ships,” play a vital role in a country’s economy as they are still being operated and highly dependent on transportation.
But now, most of the ship companies use specialized kinds of ships for different types of transportation, whether it is the travelling of people from one place to another, carrying out crude oil, or anything else. So let’s dive deep and learn more about 10 different types of shipping companies.
Table of Contents
1. Container Shipping Companies
These companies have a huge grasp on the worldwide trade. Their ships work non-stop transporting from one country to another. All of these companies transport goods in large standardized containers, which eases the loading and unloading of cargo at the docks.
One of the oldest and leading companies in this sector in the world is Maersk, founded in 1904, which operates 700 container vessels globally.
2. Bulk Shipping Companies
Bulk shipping companies also supply goods to various places but are very different from the container shipping business as they offer to transport raw materials and natural resources like metal ores, coal, minerals, grain, etc. These companies have vessels designed specifically according to the type of goods they supply and the size restrictions across the various ports in the world. Some of these include:
- Bulk carriers
- Panamax vessels
- Capesize vessels
- Supramax vessels
Funky names, right? Well, one company that is an expert in bulk shipping is Golden Ocean Group Limited, founded in 2004 and has over 70 bulk carriers working efficiently.
3. Fishing Companies
Who would not know why the ships were first made and used in ancient times? The answer would be to get food for the people living near the coastal areas. And to mention, this type of work still exists where some companies play a significant role in providing seafood like various kinds of fish, lobsters, sea urchins and much more. These companies operate in all countries having a boundary with the ocean and rivers, providing energy sources for millions of people. But these fishing companies also face challenges like overfishing at a place, storms and typhoons in the sea and rusting due to salt water.
One famous fishing company is Nissui, headquartered in Japan and the largest operating fishing company in the world.
4. Tanker Shipping Companies
In the modern era, when we think of large ships, we notably imagine the picture of the large and bulky ships that transport liquid cargo such as crude oil and petroleum around the world. These tanker ships are specially designed so that they can easily carry natural gases and crudes in bulk. Companies that handle such operations make tankers spillproof and leakproof, ensuring a safe supply of energy resources to their destination.
Teekay Corporation has been a major player in tanker shipping operating since 1973 and is the world’s largest in their sector, equipped with the most advanced vessels.
5. Offshore Shipping Companies
Tanker ships help to transport crude oil and other petroleum products, but they are not the only ones as shipping companies that are engaged in the oil and gas industries. Offshore shipping companies are specialized in exploration, drilling and maintenance operations on the oil brigs. Most offshore shipping companies are now exploring opportunities in renewable energy segments like wind farm support over the ocean floor.
One of the leading offshore shipping companies is Tidewater Inc., founded in 1956, which provides support services to offshore oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea, Latin America, Asia and some parts of Africa.
6. Cruise Lines
Back in the 19th and 20th centuries, people had only one affordable option to roam the world, and that was with passenger-liner steamships like the Titanic. But these days, people love to travel on cruise ships, which are like a big amusement park but over the waters. These cruise ships play an important role in tourism, as many companies offer short-distance travel to many countries and coastal cities for tours.
One of the best cruise experiences is often delivered by the Dhow Cruise in Dubai. A blend of tradition and modernity in the field of tourism, these wooden boats used for fishing and trading in ancient times are now fully transformed into luxury water hotels for tourists. These Dhow cruise offer a serene view of some iconic buildings like Burj Khalifa and Pal Jumeirah while sailing along the Dubai Creek and Dubai Marina. These cruise ships also include live entertainment like dance performances and old folk singing, making it a must-try-out experience for the visitors.
7. Freight Forwarding Companies
Working similar to container ships, these ships may carry loose cargo, vehicles or oversized items. They are typically small in size, making them suitable for local routes and shallow waters ensuring that the goods reach their final destination efficiently. They offer streamlined transportation between the ports of a country.
Since these companies don’t send ships to other continents or long travel, there are different notable fright companies in each continent, like:
- Asia: Kerry Logistics (Hong Kong), Nippon (Japan)
- America: Ryder System (USA), Estafeta (Mexico)
- Middle East: Aramex (UAE), DB Schenker (UAE)
- Europe: Gefco (France), TNT Express (Netherlands)
8. Roll-on/Roll-off Shipping Companies
Working closely with the automobile industry, the roll-on/roll-off shipping companies, or RoRo, help the car-making companies transport vehicles over long distances. Since these companies handle highly valued and bulky goods, they are efficient in handling loading and unloading the cargo.
Wallenius Wilhelmsen is a renowned company in RoRo transportation service and is the first shipping company in the world to use wind-powered propulsion in 2019 to make a step towards zero-emission vessel development.
9. Underwater exploration companies
Some companies deal with the study of marine life and exploration of the underwater world. They use vessels that are designed to be operated under high pressure in the ocean, like submersibles and others, which can carry humans to explore the deep-sea ecosystem. They help in understanding the geographical features of the sea, which might come in handy for saving endangered marine life or making preventions before any natural disaster.
OceanX is one such company that offers ships used in underwater exploration, both in research as well as for tourism experience.
10. Specialised Shipping Companies
Some cargo requires extra care during transportation, such as some spices or machinery which require a particular temperature to be maintained since transportation might take days to reach its destination. These companies set up separate chambers for special deliveries to ensure delicate or complex goods can reach their destinations safely without any damage.
Expeditors International is one such notable company in this sector that provides temperature-controlled and refrigerator cargo services worldwide.
Conclusion
The shipping industry is a diverse sector dealing with numerous goods transportation every day. It plays a crucial role in the economy and connecting the world. Travelling for goods delivery has made long-distance trading, especially between the oceans, possible. Today, we have things in our homes like smartphones, other electronics, exotic fruits and vegetables, Fiji water, and many more only because some companies transport all of these from one continent to another. Either sending goods or taking a tour on a Dhow cruise, a lot of the world’s development depends on their services. As the industry grows with time, there is no doubt that they will adapt and evolve more ways to transport goods with more ease and in more ecological ways.
