Cargo

Cargo is the term for goods moved by land, water, or air, whereas freight refers to the act of transporting them. In economics, freight specifically describes goods shipped at a commercial rate. The word cargo also applies to items in the cold-chain, since perishable goods are always considered in transit toward their final use, even when stored in climate-controlled facilities like warehouses. Multi-modal containers, built as reusable units to simplify handling, are themselves called cargo by shipping lines and logistics operators. When empty containers are shipped, each unit is documented as cargo; when goods are inside, the contents are known as containerized cargo. Similarly, aircraft ULD boxes are documented as cargo, with a packing list of their contents.

In marine transport, seaport terminals handle many types of cargo. Break bulk or general cargo consists of goods handled and stowed piece by piece, unlike bulk or containerized cargo. These items are usually bundled in batches using nets, slings, or crates, or stacked on pallets or skids, and lifted into or out of a ship's holds by cranes or derricks on the dock or vessel. If hoisted onto the deck instead of directly into the hold, stevedores then manually stow them. Dunnage is used to secure break bulk and general freight inside a ship. Without hoisting equipment, break bulk was once carried on and off by hand over a plank or via a human chain. Since the 1960s, break bulk cargo has declined sharply worldwide in favor of containers. Bulk cargo—such as salt, oil, tallow, or scrap metal—is defined as commodities not on pallets or in containers. It is not handled as individual pieces, unlike heavy-lift or project cargo. Examples include alumina, grain, gypsum, logs, and wood chips. Bulk cargo is classified as liquid or dry.

Air cargo refers to any goods shipped by air, while air freight specifically means goods transported in the cargo hold of a dedicated cargo plane. Aircraft first carried mail as cargo in 1911, and later manufacturers designed planes for other freight. Many commercial aircraft, like the Boeing 747 and the An‑124 (built for easy conversion to cargo use), carry freight. These large planes use standardized quick-loading containers called unit load devices (ULDs), similar to ISO containers on ships. ULDs can be stowed in the lower decks of many wide-body aircraft and on the main deck of some narrow-bodies. Some dedicated cargo planes have a large opening front for loading. Air freight shipments are similar to LTL shipments in size and packaging, but they typically need to move faster than 800 km per hour. Although shipments move faster than standard LTL, air shipments do not always travel by air. They can be booked directly with carriers, through brokers, or via online marketplaces. In the US, restrictions apply to cargo on passenger aircraft, especially rechargeable lithium-ion battery shipments. Shippers must be approved and listed in the Known Shipper Management System before their shipments can go on passenger planes.

Trains can carry a large number of containers from shipping ports, as well as water, cement, grain, steel, wood, and coal. They are used because they handle large volumes and often have direct routes. Under the right conditions, rail freight is more economical and energy-efficient than road transport, especially for bulk or long distances. The main disadvantage is its lack of flexibility, which has caused rail to lose much freight business to road. Rail freight often incurs transshipment costs when transferred between modes, but containerization aims to minimize these. For point-to-point bulk loads like cement or grain, with specialized handling facilities at rail sidings, rail remains the most convenient option. Many governments encourage shippers to use rail over road due to trains' lower environmental impact.

Many firms, including Parcelforce, FedEx, and R+L Carriers, transport various cargo by road, such as letters, houses, and cargo containers. Food is commonly moved by road to regularly supply supermarkets with fresh goods. Retailers and manufacturers use delivery trucks ranging from full semi trucks to smaller vans. Organizations like the World Bank sometimes use the volume of commercial freight moved by smaller businesses as a measure of healthy economic development.

Less-than-truckload (LTL) cargo is the first category of freight shipment, representing most freight shipments and most business-to-business shipments. LTL shipments are also called motor freight, and their carriers are motor carriers. LTL shipments typically weigh between 50 and 7,000 kg and are usually less than 2.5 to 8.5 meters in length.