Bulk carrier sizes: Handysize, Supramax, Ultramax, Panamax and Capesize
Bulk carriers are grouped into size classes by deadweight, and each class has its own market, rates and typical trades. Knowing the classes helps a cargo owner ask for the right ship, and helps a shipowner see which cargoes their vessel really competes for.
Bulk carrier size classes at a glance
| Class | Approx. deadweight | Gear | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handysize | 15,000 to 40,000 dwt | Usually geared | Minor bulks, steel, smaller ports and draft-restricted trades |
| Handymax | 40,000 to 50,000 dwt | Usually geared | Grain, fertiliser, steel, cement |
| Supramax | 50,000 to 60,000 dwt | Geared, often with grabs | Grain, coal, fertiliser, minor bulks |
| Ultramax | 60,000 to 67,000 dwt | Geared | As Supramax, with more cargo per voyage |
| Panamax / Kamsarmax | 65,000 to 85,000 dwt | Usually gearless | Grain, coal, larger minor bulk stems |
| Post-Panamax | 85,000 to 100,000 dwt | Gearless | Coal, grain on longer routes |
| Capesize | 100,000 dwt and above, often about 180,000 | Gearless | Iron ore and coal between large terminals |
Handysize and Handymax
The smallest ocean-going bulk carriers are the most flexible. Their cranes let them work ports without shore equipment, and their shallower draft opens river ports and smaller terminals. They carry a wide spread of minor bulks and steel products, typically in parcels of 10,000 to 35,000 mt.
Supramax and Ultramax
Supramax and Ultramax ships are the workhorses of the geared bulk market. Four cranes, often with grabs, let them load and discharge efficiently where shore cranes are limited, and their size suits common grain, fertiliser and coal stems of 45,000 to 63,000 mt. The Ultramax is a newer, larger design built to carry more cargo on similar port limits.
Panamax and Kamsarmax
Panamax originally meant the largest ship that fitted the old Panama Canal locks. Kamsarmax is a slightly longer Panamax variant of about 82,000 dwt. These ships are usually gearless and rely on shore equipment, so they suit larger terminals handling grain and coal.
Capesize and larger
Capesize ships were named for sailing around the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn because they were too large for the canals. They carry iron ore and coal between deep-water terminals. Larger designs, such as ore carriers of 200,000 dwt and above, serve dedicated long-haul trades.
Choosing the right size for a cargo
- Cargo quantity and tolerance against the ship's intake
- Stowage factor: light cargoes fill the holds before the ship reaches its deadweight
- Draft and length limits at both ports
- Whether the ports have shore cranes, or the ship needs its own gear
- Market availability of each size near the load port in the laycan
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between Supramax and Ultramax?
- Both are geared bulk carriers. A Supramax is roughly 50,000 to 60,000 dwt; an Ultramax is a newer, larger design of roughly 60,000 to 67,000 dwt that carries more cargo on similar dimensions.
- What does dwt mean?
- Deadweight tonnage: the total weight a ship can carry, including cargo, bunkers, water and stores, at its summer draft.
- Are Panamax bulk carriers geared?
- Most are gearless and load and discharge with shore equipment, although a small number of geared Panamax ships exist.
Where this applies on our desk: Handysize chartering, Supramax and ultramax chartering, Panamax and kamsarmax chartering and Bulk carrier chartering.