ABSTRACT
Advancements in the handling of bulk commodities occurred when barrels and casks were replaced by specially designed ships into which oil, coal or grain would be poured, but the advancement in the transportation of general cargo was limited. Prior to containerization, general cargo was loaded to/from break-bulk vessels docked at the finger piers of break-bulk ports using the on-board cranes of the docked vessels. Another type of port equipment that also can be used to both transport and stack port containers is the top loader, a fork lift truck equipped with a spreader bar. Dry-bulk cargo is non-liquid cargo that is loaded to and unloaded from a vessel in a loose, unpackaged form. Liquid-bulk ports unload and load liquid-bulk cargoes such as unrefined petroleum, petroleum products, liquid natural gas, chemicals, from and to port-berthed tanker vessels, respectively. Neo-bulk ports unload and load neo-bulk cargoes from and to ships.
