Maritime Logistics
Introduction
Maritime transport can transport people (passengers) or things (solid, liquid or gaseous cargo) by sea from one geographical point to another, on board a ship. Maritime transport, worldwide, is the most used mode for international trade. It is the one that supports the greatest movement of goods, both in containers and dry or liquid bulk. Maritime transport is by its very nature international, although cabotage exists along the coasts of a country.[1].
Taking into account that planet Earth is two-thirds covered by water, man has sought a way to travel on water. Thus, water has united different parts of the globe because ships navigate through them.
The transportation of people by sea has lost much of its importance due to the development of commercial aviation. It subsists significantly only in two areas: short crossings (small distances between islands or two banks of a river) and tourist cruises "Cruise (trip)").
Merchant fleet
The fleet of ships of a country or city and/or "merchant navy" is the set of ships manned by properly trained Merchant Seafarers, who are dedicated to the transport of passengers or goods in compliance with the requirements of the International Maritime Organization.
Updated data on the world's merchant marine can be found in The World Factbook.[2].
Types of ships
There are many types of ships, suitable for different types of cargo. Most merchant ships can be placed in one of the following categories:.
Container ships are the most versatile and have been evolving rapidly. Since most goods can be transported in 10, 20 and 40 foot containers; The 20-foot containers are the most used, 20 feet = 1 TEU Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit. Likewise, these containers can be refrigerated, adapted for the transportation of liquids, vehicle transportation, practically everything can be transported in containers.