{"id":99950,"date":"2026-10-23T11:32:26","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T11:32:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/what-is-a-bulk-carrier"},"modified":"2026-10-23T11:32:31","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T11:32:31","slug":"what-is-a-bulk-carrier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/what-is-a-bulk-carrier","title":{"rendered":"\u00bfQu\u00e9 es un buque granelero? Tipos, tama\u00f1os y qu\u00e9 transportan"},"content":{"rendered":"<head><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\n    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n    \"@graph\": [\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"BlogPosting\",\n            \"headline\": \"What Is a Bulk Carrier? Types, Sizes and What They Carry\",\n            \"description\": \"What is a bulk carrier? How bulk ships carry iron ore, coal, grain and more, the Handysize, Supramax, Panamax and Capesize classes, and how they compare.\",\n            \"mainEntityOfPage\": \"https:\\\/\\\/cargoholidays.com\\\/what-is-a-bulk-carrier\",\n            \"image\": \"https:\\\/\\\/cargoholidays.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/what-is-a-bulk-carrier-cargoholidays-1024x576.jpg\",\n            \"datePublished\": \"2026-10-23\",\n            \"dateModified\": \"2026-10-23\",\n            \"inLanguage\": \"en-GB\",\n            \"author\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n                \"name\": \"CargoHolidays\"\n            },\n            \"publisher\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n                \"name\": \"CargoHolidays\",\n                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/cargoholidays.com\"\n            }\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n            \"mainEntity\": [\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"What is a bulk carrier?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"A ship that carries loose cargo such as iron ore, coal or grain in large holds.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"What is a Capesize ship?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"A bulk carrier of about 100,000&ndash;200,000+ DWT, too large for the Panama Canal.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"What is the biggest bulk carrier?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"Valemax ore carriers of about 400,000 DWT are among the largest.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"What is the difference between a bulk carrier and a container ship?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"Bulk carriers carry loose raw materials, while container ships carry goods packed in containers.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"Can you travel as a passenger on a bulk carrier?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"Rarely. Most freighter passengers travel on container ships.\"\n                    }\n                }\n            ]\n        }\n    ]\n}<\/script>\n<\/head><div class=\"ch-post\"><p class=\"ch-updated\">\u00daltima actualizaci\u00f3n: 23 de octubre de 2026<\/p><p><strong>A bulk carrier is a ship that carries loose, unpackaged cargo such as iron ore, coal, grain, bauxite or cement in large holds.<\/strong> Bulk carriers make up a large share of the world&rsquo;s merchant fleet and move the raw materials that power industry and feed the world. Here&rsquo;s how they work.<\/p>What do bulk carriers carry?<div class=\"ch-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Cargo<\/th><th>Rutas t\u00edpicas<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Iron ore<\/td><td>Australia and Brazil to China<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Coal<\/td><td>Australia, Indonesia and others to Asia<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Grain (wheat, corn, soybeans)<\/td><td>The Americas, the Black Sea and Australia to the world<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Bauxite and alumina<\/td><td>West Africa and Australia to China<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Fertilisers, cement, steel products<\/td><td>Many routes<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><figure style=\"margin:1.6em 0\"><img src=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Cargo-Ship-Travel-Cargoholidays8-1024x401.jpg\" alt=\"Paisaje marino\" width=\"1024\" height=\"401\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:12px;display:block\" title=\"Paisaje marino\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:.85em;color:#6b7280;margin-top:.45em;text-align:center\">Bulk carriers sail tramp routes wherever cargo takes them.<\/figcaption><\/figure><h2>Bulk carrier sizes<\/h2><p>Bulk carriers are grouped by deadweight tonnage (DWT), the weight of cargo, fuel and stores they can carry.<\/p><div class=\"ch-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Class<\/th><th>Approx. DWT<\/th><th>Notas<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Handysize<\/td><td>10,000&ndash;40,000<\/td><td>Flexible; many have their own cranes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Handymax \/ Supramax<\/td><td>40,000&ndash;65,000<\/td><td>Often with cranes; very versatile<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Panamax<\/td><td>65,000&ndash;80,000+<\/td><td>Sized for the old Panama Canal locks<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Kamsarmax<\/td><td>about 82,000<\/td><td>Fits ports such as Kamsar in Guinea<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Capesize<\/td><td>100,000&ndash;200,000+<\/td><td>Too big for Panama; sails around the Capes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Very Large Ore Carrier (VLOC)<\/td><td>200,000&ndash;400,000<\/td><td>Including Valemax ships of about 400,000 DWT<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><h2>How bulk carriers are loaded and unloaded<\/h2><ul><li><strong>Loading:<\/strong> conveyors and shiploaders pour cargo into the holds.<\/li><li><strong>Unloading:<\/strong> grabs, conveyors or suction equipment for grain.<\/li><li><strong>Hatches:<\/strong> large covers seal each hold.<\/li><li><strong>Geared ships:<\/strong> smaller bulkers carry their own cranes for ports without equipment.<\/li><\/ul><figure style=\"margin:1.6em 0\"><img src=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/AdobeStock_251096093-1024x575.jpeg\" alt=\"Crane unloading cargo at a terminal\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:12px;display:block\" title=\"Crane unloading cargo at a terminal\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:.85em;color:#6b7280;margin-top:.45em;text-align:center\">Bulk cargo is loaded by conveyors, chutes and grabs.<\/figcaption><\/figure><h2>Bulk carrier vs container ship<\/h2><div class=\"ch-table\"><table><thead><tr><th><\/th><th>Bulk carrier<\/th><th>Container ship<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Cargo<\/td><td>Loose raw materials<\/td><td>Manufactured goods in boxes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Schedule<\/td><td>Often tramp: goes where the cargo is<\/td><td>Liner: fixed routes and schedules<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Speed<\/td><td>About 12&ndash;15 knots<\/td><td>About 14&ndash;20 knots. See <a href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/how-fast-do-container-ships-go\/\">how fast container ships go<\/a>.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Pasajeros<\/td><td>Rarely<\/td><td>Sometimes, on selected routes<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><h2>Can you travel on a bulk carrier?<\/h2><p>Occasionally, but it is much less common than container ships. Bulkers often don&rsquo;t follow fixed schedules, which makes planning difficult. Most freighter passengers travel on container ships. See <a href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/companias-navieras-que-transportan-pasajeros\/\">shipping lines that take passengers<\/a>.<\/p><p>More ship types: <a href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/what-is-a-ro-ro-ship\/\">what is a ro-ro ship<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/freight-ship-types-of-cargo-ships\/\">freight ship types<\/a> y <a href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/biggest-ships-in-the-world\/\">biggest ships in the world<\/a>.<\/p><h2>Preguntas frecuentes<\/h2><div class=\"ch-faq\"><h3>\u00bfQu\u00e9 es un granelero?<\/h3><p>A ship that carries loose cargo such as iron ore, coal or grain in large holds.<\/p><h3>What is a Capesize ship?<\/h3><p>A bulk carrier of about 100,000&ndash;200,000+ DWT, too large for the Panama Canal.<\/p><h3>What is the biggest bulk carrier?<\/h3><p>Valemax ore carriers of about 400,000 DWT are among the largest.<\/p><h3>What is the difference between a bulk carrier and a container ship?<\/h3><p>Bulk carriers carry loose raw materials, while container ships carry goods packed in containers.<\/p><h3>Can you travel as a passenger on a bulk carrier?<\/h3><p>Rarely. Most freighter passengers travel on container ships.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"ch-cta\"><strong>Travel on a working cargo ship<\/strong><p>Ask us about passenger cabins on container ships.<\/p><a class=\"ch-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/solicitar-un-crucero-de-carga\/\">Solicita un presupuesto para tu viaje \u2192<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<style>\n.ch-post{font-family:inherit;line-height:1.7;color:#1f2937;max-width:820px;margin:0 auto}\n.ch-post h2{font-size:1.6em;margin:1.8em 0 .6em;color:#0b2545;border-bottom:3px solid #f5a623;padding-bottom:.25em}\n.ch-post h3{font-size:1.15em;margin:1.4em 0 .3em;color:#0b2545}\n.ch-post p{margin:0 0 1em}\n.ch-post ul,.ch-post ol{margin:0 0 1.2em 1.3em}\n.ch-post li{margin:.35em 0}\n.ch-post .ch-updated{font-size:.9em;color:#6b7280;margin-bottom:1.2em}\n.ch-post .ch-table{overflow-x:auto;margin:1.2em 0 1.6em}\n.ch-post table{border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;font-size:.95em}\n.ch-post th{background:#0b2545;color:#fff;text-align:left;padding:.65em .8em}\n.ch-post td{padding:.6em .8em;border-bottom:1px solid #e5e7eb;vertical-align:top}\n.ch-post tr:nth-child(even) td{background:#f6f8fb}\n.ch-post .ch-faq{background:#f6f8fb;border-radius:12px;padding:1em 1.4em;margin:1em 0 2em}\n.ch-post .ch-faq h3{margin-top:1em}\n.ch-post .ch-cta{background:linear-gradient(135deg,#0b2545,#13315c);color:#fff;border-radius:14px;padding:1.6em 1.8em;margin:2.2em 0;text-align:center}\n.ch-post .ch-cta strong{display:block;font-size:1.35em;margin-bottom:.4em;color:#fff}\n.ch-post .ch-cta p{color:#dbe4f0;margin:.2em 0 1.1em}\n.ch-post .ch-btn{display:inline-block;background:#f5a623;color:#0b2545 !important;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;padding:.8em 1.6em;border-radius:999px}\n.ch-post .ch-btn:hover{background:#ffbb45}\n.ch-post em{color:#4b5563}\n<\/style>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00bfQu\u00e9 es un granelero? C\u00f3mo transportan los graneleros mineral de hierro, carb\u00f3n, cereales y otros productos; las clases Handysize, Supramax, Panamax y Capesize, y en qu\u00e9 se diferencian.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":99949,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single3.php","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[356,118],"tags":[1743,1745,1744,1588,1742],"yst_prominent_words":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99950"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99950"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99950\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99951,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99950\/revisions\/99951"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99950"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=99950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}