Ship transport

Ship transport is often international by nature, but it can be accomplished by barge , boat , ship or sailboat over a sea , ocean lake , canal or river . This is frequently undertaken for purposes of commerce , recreation or military objectives. When a cargo is carried by more than one mode, the transport is termed intermodal or co-modal .

Ship transport is used for a variety of unpackaged raw materials ranging from chemicals , petroleum products , and bulk cargo such as coal , iron ore , cereals , bauxite , and so forth. So called "general cargo" covers goods that are packaged to some extent in boxes, cases, pallets, barrels, and so forth.

Transport is performed by various modes , such as air , rail , road , water, cable , pipeline and space . The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles , and operations .

Infrastructure consists of the fixed installations necessary for transport, and may be roads , railways , airways , waterways , canals and pipelines , and terminals such as airports , railway stations , bus stations , warehouses , trucking terminals , refueling depots (including fueling docks and fuel stations ) and seaports . Terminals may both be used for interchange of passengers and cargo, and for maintenance.

Vehicles traveling on these networks include vehicles of appropriate types such as automobiles , bicycles , buses , trains , trucks people, helicopters and aircraft . Operations deal with the way the vehicles are operated, and the procedures set for this purpose including financing, legalities and policies. In the transport industry, operations and ownership of infrastructure can be either public or private, depending on the country and mode.