ABSTRACT
The term “break bulk” relates to trades where the cargoes are carried in unitised form such as palletised, bagged, strapped, bundled, drummed and crated like below and also non unitised general cargo. The term tramper is derived from the British meaning of “tramp” as an itinerant beggar or vagrant; in this context it is first documented in the 1880s, along with “ocean tramp”. The tramp trade first emerged in the UK around the mid-19th century, at the time of the development of steamships. The dependability and timeliness of steamships was found to be more cost-effective than sail. The size of tramp ships remained relatively constant from 1900 to 1940, between around 7,000 and 10,000 deadweight tons. However, the British fleets suffered massive losses in the early months of the Second World War owing to U-boat attacks, resulting in the construction by the United States of the “Liberty” ships.
