Characteristics of Sea Transportation

Ocean transportation is one of the most important modes of transportation in international commodity exchange. Cargo transportation volume accounts for more than 80% of all international cargo transportation volume. Ocean transportation has the following characteristics:

natural waterway

Ocean transportation is carried out with the help of natural waterways, which are not restricted by roads and tracks, and have stronger passing capacity. As the political, economic and trade environment and natural conditions change, routes can be adjusted and changed at any time to complete transportation tasks.

Large carrying capacity

With the development of the international shipping industry, modern shipbuilding technology has become increasingly sophisticated, and ships have become increasingly larger. The number of very large oil tankers has reached more than 600,000 tons, and the capacity of fifth-generation container ships has exceeded 5,000 TEU.

low shipping cost

Maritime transportation channels are naturally formed, and port facilities are generally built by the government. Companies operating shipping businesses can save a lot of investment in infrastructure. Ships have large carrying capacity, long service time, long transportation mileage, and low unit transportation cost, which provide favorable conditions for the transportation of low-value bulk cargo.

The international nature of transportation

Ocean transportation is generally a kind of international trade. Its production process involves individuals and organizations in different countries and regions. Ocean transportation is also subject to international law and international management, and is also subject to the political and legal constraints and influences of various countries.

Slow and risky

Ocean transportation is the slowest mode of transportation among all modes of transportation. Since ocean transportation is at sea, it is greatly affected by natural conditions. For example, a typhoon can drag a transport ship into the seabed, which is a relatively high risk. In addition, there are also attacks by pirates, which are also risky.

incompleteness

Ocean transportation is only one link in the entire transportation process. The ports at both ends must rely on the connection and cooperation of other transportation modes.

Ocean transportation also has obvious shortcomings: for example, ocean transportation is easily affected by natural conditions and climate, the voyage schedule is not easy to be accurate, and the possibility of distress is also high.