The lowest tariffs for cargo transportation services by sea. An important role in the calculations, which reduces the cost of imported goods, is played by the distance of transportation, huge volumes of consignments, wide geography, safety and security. Any types of cargo are packed into 20 or 40-foot containers and loaded onto a bulk carrier barge. International shipping involves the use of two systems for organizing maritime deliveries:
- linear – characterized by the systematic execution of flights and the attachment of ships to a certain route, the development of a stable working schedule and a detailed calculation of the number of transport units operating on one route;
- tramp – single trips, lack of regularity in the formation of flights. Each flight is carried out after the volume of the consignment in the right direction, regardless of the previous route – the ports of destination and departure of the dry cargo ship change.
Sea freight forwarding services by the tramp service method receives tariffs in accordance with the market conditions at a given time. The linear style of transportation is characterized by the scheduling of traffic between the same ports according to the schedule, seasonality and strict periodicity. Linear service tariffs do not change during the validity of the contract, which is concluded every year, updating the terms of cooperation.
Features of the tramp and linear method of organizing transportation
The organization of liner transportation by shipping transport requires the following measures and technical solutions:
- selection of ships of the same type with the same characteristics – capacity, carrying capacity, speed, equipment;
- transport must have the same performance characteristics.
The main advantage of organizing liner service for ports of departure and arrival is the regular delivery of goods. Due to the impressive volume of containers, carriers form international deliveries in groupage lots. Several ships operate on the same route to ensure fast cargo deliveries. The ports operate loading and unloading equipment, calculated on the specified volumes of container shipping. Most of the ports in the world are served by a linear mode of cargo delivery by sea.
Shipping on sea lines is carried out in accordance with two systems of transportation:
- by bill of lading;
- by charter.
The first type of transport service is carried out on the basis of international legal sources and is suitable for a linear type of service with regular flights and a long-term type of cooperation. When concluding a contract for transport services, the parties strictly comply with the imperative norms of agreements and international conventions.
Charter service is different in that the interaction of suppliers is not regulated by international legal agreements and other regulations. This type of service is suitable for the tramp service system when it is necessary to conclude one-time contracts for the supply of a certain volume of products. Contractual relationships are regulated on the basis of national legislation. The dispositive nature of the legal norms of national legislation gives the freedom to choose contractual terms between the consignor, consignee and carrier.
In the field of merchant shipping, there are other forms of contractual terms of interaction, when one of the parties leases a vessel without a maintenance team or with a full crew. A long term lease of a cargo or passenger ship is called leasing.