As a part of the shipping industry, you must have heard of the Barge in general or official conversations. While a lot of traders tend to pay less attention to terms that do not directly serve their interest, you should not do the same. The more information you gather about everything related to the trade industry, the greater will be your involvement in the process. So, if you have been wondering what is barge, you should keep on reading this article for all you need to know.
What is Barge?
While trying to figure out what is barge, some traders tend to think that it is a shipping vessel for seaborne shipments. However, you should know that barges are only for transporting goods through canals and rivers. A barge is a flat-bottomed and long shipping vessel that can take heavy loads and transport the freight through waterways. Traditionally, these vessels did not come with any self-propelling engine, which is why one had to pull it using a tug-boat or a tow. However, nowadays the advanced barges have a slow-revving engine and a propeller to move by itself.
How many types of Barges are there?
Now that you know what is barge, you must also be well-aware of its types to understand how it works. If you start counting by the quality, companies and sizes of a barge, you will find dozens of types of barges. However, there some of the common ones that are most commonly used.
Dry Bulk Cargo Barges
The dry bulk cargo barges are made of steel to give a strong platform for carrying bulk cargo easily. These barges are used for transporting gravels or sand, coal, finished steel, and many such similar materials that are heavy.
Barrack Barges
If you have seen houseboats, you can probably picturise how the barrack barges look like. These types of barges come with a non-self-propelled mechanism. Most commonly available in Kashmir, Canada, Laos, Australia and Cambodia, the barrack barges provide full cover as these are used by civilians.
Liquid Cargo Barges
All types of liquid cargo including chemical, liquid fertilizers, petrochemicals, refined products, diesel and fuel, etc. can all be transported using the liquid cargo barges.
Split Hopper Barges
The split hopper barges are very unique and one of their kind, as they have all the unloading tools installed in them. The cylinder unit and hydraulic motor help split opening the hull easily, making it easier to load and unload the materials. Because of its characteristics, the split hopper barges are used during marine construction activities.
Power Barges
The power barges are somewhat mobile and small power plants to work as an energy-generating resource. These barges have a power plant installed inside of them that make it possible to avail portable plants.
Car-Float Barges
The Car-float barges have rail tracks mounted on the deck to carry rail-carts and transport them from one place to the other using waterways. These helped in overcoming the water obstacles to move the railroad cars to different locations.
What are the benefits of Barges?
Every trader who knows what is barge and its uses and importance of barges is aware of its benefits. The barges serve as the perfect alternative for transporting goods and freight through the location where roadways are either not well-developed or do not connect with the national highways. Also, there are some towns in India that are mostly covered with rivers or canals so the barges help a lot in those places.
As an active trader in the international shipping industry, you might need to use barges very often. Being well-updated about its types and uses will allow you to make efficient use of the service. After all, the more you know, the better it is in the trade market!
