How the bulk carrier classes compare
Dry bulk carriers are grouped into classes by deadweight tonnage, and the class is shorthand for a deadweight band, a set of dimensions, and the berths and canals the ship can use. The table below reads the mainstream classes side by side so a cargo owner can see, at a glance, which class fits a parcel size and a pair of ports. Each class name links to its full specification page.
The deadweight bands and dimensions below follow Clarksons Research fleet data and Lloyd’s Register class data, the same figures used on the individual class pages. They are working broker definitions rather than hard regulatory limits; the one true hard limit in the table is beam at a canal lock, which is set by the canal authority.
| Class | DWT band | Typical LOA / beam | Gear | Dominant cargoes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handysize | 28,000 to 40,000 t | 150 to 180 m / 23 to 28 m | Geared | Grain, cement, fertilizer, steel, sugar |
| Handymax | 40,000 to 50,000 t | 175 to 190 m / 28 to 32 m | Geared | Grain, coal, fertilizer, steel |
| Supramax / Ultramax | 50,000 to 65,000 t | 185 to 200 m / 31 to 32 m | Geared | Grain, coal, bauxite, cement, sugar |
| Panamax / Kamsarmax | 60,000 to 82,000 t | 225 to 230 m / 32.2 to 32.31 m | Mixed | Coal, grain, iron ore, bauxite |
| Capesize | 150,000 to 180,000 t | 280 to 300 m / 43 to 47 m | Gearless | Iron ore, coal, bauxite |
Reading the table: weight, gear, and ports
Three columns do most of the work when choosing a class. The deadweight band sets the parcel size, gear decides whether the ship can work cargo without shore equipment, and the dimensions decide which ports and canals are open.
Deadweight band. Deadweight tonnage is the total weight a vessel can carry, including cargo, bunkers, stores, and water. It is the headline figure that matches a class to a parcel. A 30,000 tonne parcel of bagged or bulk cargo is a Handysize job; a 75,000 tonne coal cargo is a Panamax; a 170,000 tonne iron ore cargo is a Capesize. See deadweight tonnage for how the figure is defined and why cargo deadweight is always a little less than the headline number.
Gear. A geared vessel carries its own cranes and can load or discharge at a berth with no shore equipment, which is what keeps the smaller classes flexible across minor ports. Handysize through Supramax are geared as standard. Panamax tonnage is split, roughly half geared and half gearless. Capesize ships are gearless because the iron ore and coal terminals they serve have heavy shore loaders and unloaders.
Dimensions and access. Beam is the dimension that defines the classes by name. Panamax beam clusters at 32.2 to 32.31 m because it is dimensioned to the original Panama Canal locks; a vessel wider than that 32.31 m limit cannot use those locks and becomes, by name, a larger class. Capesize tonnage is too large for both the old Panama and the Suez locks and historically routed around the Cape of Good Hope, which is where the name comes from. For the full treatment of how length, beam, and draught govern port and canal access, see vessel dimensions.
Choosing a class for a cargo
The class follows from three questions, in order. First, how large is the parcel? That sets a floor on deadweight. Second, what does the load or discharge port allow? A shallow or short berth, or a canal on the route, can cap the class below what the parcel alone would suggest, and the cargo is then split across more voyages or down-tiered to a smaller ship. Third, does the terminal have shore gear? If not, the cargo needs a geared vessel regardless of size.
Stowage factor then checks the fit from the other side. A light, high-volume cargo such as wood pellets or grain can fill a vessel’s holds by volume before it reaches the deadweight, so the binding constraint becomes cubic capacity rather than weight. A dense cargo such as iron ore reaches deadweight with the holds part full. The stowage factor page explains how to test which constraint binds, and the specifications guide defines the capacity and measurement terms used here.
For the wider context, the bulk carriers hub catalogues every class, and the dry bulk shipping hub covers the cargoes. When you have a parcel and a pair of ports, tell us about your cargo and our desk will source tonnage in the right class.