Glossary term
Bulk cargo
Unpackaged homogeneous cargo — grain, ore, oil — loaded loose into a hold or tank.
Cargo carried loose and unpackaged: dry bulk such as grain, coal, ore and fertiliser, or liquid bulk such as crude oil and chemicals. It is loaded by conveyor, grab or pipeline rather than handled as pieces.
Quantity is established by draft survey or metering rather than by counting, so bulk trades have their own conventions for tolerances and loss in transit.