Glossary term
Break Bulk Cargo
Goods shipped as individually handled pieces — crates, drums, bales — rather than in containers or as bulk.
Cargo loaded as separate units rather than inside containers or poured as bulk: crates, drums, bags, bales, machinery.
It persists where goods are too large, heavy or awkward to containerise. Because each piece is handled individually, it carries higher handling costs and more exposure to damage and pilferage than containerised cargo, and is documented piece by piece.