Maritime Transportation Terms and Their Meanings

Maritime transportation is a critical logistics sector that forms an important part of world trade and enables the transportation of large volumes of cargo. Understanding the key terms related to maritime transportation can help you better grasp the processes involved in this sector. Here are some of the maritime transportation terms and their meanings:

1. Container: Metal boxes of standard sizes and shapes used in transportation. The 20 and 40 foot lengths are most commonly used in maritime transportation.
2. Ro-Ro: It is an abbreviation of the words "Roll-on, Roll-off". This refers to a method of transport in which vehicles (e.g. vehicles or trains) are easily driven and driven onto ships or ferries.
3. Port: The starting or destination point of maritime transportation. Ports are used to load or unload cargo from ships.
4. NO (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit): The standard unit used to measure the size of a container. A 20 foot container equals 1 TEU.
5. Feeder Ship: They are ships that are smaller than large mainline ships and carry cargo and containers between ports.
6. Unloading: The process of removing cargo from a ship or container.
7. Transport Document: An official document documenting the delivery of a cargo to the buyer or carrier.
8. Draught (Draft): The depth of a ship under water. A certain level of immersion is required for ships to navigate certain waters.
9. Demurrage: The fee paid when a ship must wait in port.
10. Shipping Agency: An intermediary person or organization that deals with the loading, unloading and port operations of the ship.
11. Maximum Ship Carrying Capacity: A ship's carrying capacity refers to the maximum amount of cargo it can carry.
12. Container Ship: Large capacity ships designed and optimized specifically for container transportation.
13. Transshipment: The process of transferring a cargo from a ship to another ship or means of transportation.
14. Transport in Inland Waters: The term maritime transport refers to the transportation process in inland waters (rivers, lakes, canals).
15. Cabotage: Maritime transportation between the coasts of a country.
16. Transport Way: The manner or method by which cargo is loaded onto or unloaded from the ship. This may include different methods such as container transportation, Ro-Ro (roll-on, roll-off), conventional transportation or bulk transportation.
17. Container Terminal: Facilities where containers are handled, stored and loaded and unloaded onto ships. These terminals form an important part of ports.
18. Irrigation: The process of pumping water during a ship's cargo unloading process. This is important for the balance and stability of the ship.
19. Above Deck: The upper floor or deck of a ship. It generally refers to the area where containers are loaded or unloaded.
20. Marine Insurance: A type of insurance used to cover possible losses or damage during maritime transportation.
21. Port Authority: An organization or authority that oversees the operation and management of a port.
22. Skin Pipe (Hull): The hull or outer shell of a ship. It ensures the ship's water resistance and structural integrity.
23. RORO Port: Roll-on, roll-off taşımacılığına özgü limanlar. Bu limanlar, taşıtların (arabalar, kamyonlar, trenler) gemilere kolayca sürülüp sürüldüğü terminalleri içerir.
24. Ship Charter: The process of renting a ship for a certain period of time by a shipping company or cargo owner by agreement with the ship owner.
25. TIR Carnet (Carnet TIR): A document used in international transportation and facilitating border crossings. This document ensures that the migration process is faster and smoother.

Maritime transportation is an important part of world trade, and understanding these terms is critical to manage logistics and transportation operations more effectively. These terms help professionals and businesses working in the shipping industry better understand their business.