What exactly do shipping schedules, vessel names/voyages, and routes mean?
Weefreight will provide a detailed explanation in this article, hoping it will be helpful.
Shipping schedules
Referring to a shipping company’s ship utilization schedule, including the type of vessel, schedule, and timeframe from the port of departure to the port of destination.
Based on the type of cargo loaded, these schedules can be categorized as follows:
① Container schedules refer to the schedule for vessels carrying containers;
② Bulk cargo schedules refer to the schedule for vessels carrying bulk cargo, such as coal and ore.
Vessel name/voyage
A voyage is the time it takes a vessel to complete a transport mission during operation.
- A voyage is the basic unit of a vessel’s transport production activities and serves as the basis for assessing a vessel’s production efficiency and economic benefits.
- A voyage is the complete process of a ship transporting passengers and cargo. It is a production process, including loading, sailing, and unloading, and is also called the production cycle of ship transport.
- For passenger ships, cargo ships, and barges, the start and end times of voyages are defined as the time from the time the cargo is unloaded (or all passengers are disembarked) at the previous voyage’s destination port to the time the cargo is unloaded (or all passengers are disembarked) at the current voyage’s destination port.
- Once a ship is in operation, its completed voyages are continuous in time; the end of the previous voyage marks the beginning of the next, unless the ship is docked for maintenance.
- In transportation production, a round-trip voyage is also called a round-trip voyage. This means that a ship departs from its port of departure, arrives at its destination port (or, after an intermediate port, returns to its original port of departure), and returns to its original port of departure without loading cargo. A voyage that arrives at its destination port, loads cargo, and returns to its original port of departure completes two transportation production cycles, or two voyages.
The time spent on a voyage is called the voyage time.
When the laydown of a passenger or cargo ship (barge) is calculated separately, the voyage duration generally begins when the ship completes unloading (or disembarking passengers) at the previous port of destination and ends when it arrives at the new port of destination empty.
The voyage duration of a scheduled liner can be calculated based on the voyage schedule. The time when a transport pusher (tug) delivers a barge to the anchorage at the destination port or transfers the barge to another pusher (tug) for transfer is considered the end of the current voyage and the beginning of the new voyage. The time when the transport pusher (tug) delivers the barge to the anchorage at the destination port or transfers the barge to another pusher (tug) for transfer is considered the end of the current voyage and the beginning of the new voyage.
The voyage duration of newly added ships and ships returning to service after repairs is calculated based on dispatch orders.
The Four Phases of a Voyage
1) Preparatory Phase: This refers to the phase when the ship proceeds to the loading port.
2) Loading Phase: This refers to the entire period from the ship arriving at the loading port, docking at the loading port, waiting for a berth, and loading cargo.
3) Navigation phase: refers to the entire phase when the ship leaves the loading port and heads for the unloading port. 4) Unloading phase: refers to the entire phase when the ship arrives at the unloading port, waits for a berth, and docks at the terminal to unload. Classification of voyages 1. Classification based on the characteristics of ship transport production organization (1) Simple voyage. Refers to the voyage in which the ship completes a complete cargo transportation process between two ports. (2) Complex voyage. Refers to the voyage completed by the ship between multiple ports, that is, the ship not only transports cargo from the departure port to the destination port, but also loads or unloads part of the cargo or adds or removes barges at one or more ports along the way. 2. Round trip voyage. It refers to the voyage in which the ship engages in transportation between two or more ports, arrives at the destination port to unload the cargo, and then returns to the departure port. According to the operation organization form, round trip voyages are divided into the following three types: (1) One-way round trip voyage. Refers to the voyage in which the ship completes a one-way cargo transportation task between two ports, and the return trip is empty. Most bulk carriers and oil tankers use this type of round trip voyage for their transport organization.
(2) Two-way round trip voyage. This refers to a simple voyage in which the ship operates between two ports and is heavily loaded on both the way there and back. The ship completes two transport production cycles during this voyage.
(3) Two-way complex round trip voyage. This refers to a complex voyage in which the ship operates between two ports and is heavily loaded on both the way there and back. The ship completes two transport production cycles during this voyage. This type of voyage is used for the transport organization of most scheduled routes.
Voyage plan
A voyage plan usually refers to the specific measures and countermeasures for ensuring navigation safety during the process of sailing from one port berth to another port berth after a ship accepts a new voyage mission. The quality of the voyage plan is directly related to safety and the protection of the marine environment. The voyage plan covers a wide range of content and should be combined with the actual navigation, taking into account various factors in the voyage and making comprehensive use of the professional knowledge of ship navigation.
The main contents of a voyage plan include: preparation and revision of nautical literature and materials; inspection and activation of various navigational aids; crewing and completion of loading (and unloading) plans; provision of fresh water, fuel, and daily necessities; route determination; calculation of departure time, sailing time, and transit times for important waterways; research on navigation methods for crossing important waterways or narrow channels; selection of starting and arrival points for great circle routes for transoceanic voyages; potential sea conditions and adverse weather conditions encountered in a particular sea area; overview of the port of arrival, communications, pilotage, and waterway characteristics.
Maritime Routes
Maritime routes are the routes used by ships to transport passengers and cargo by sea between two or more ports.
Characteristics of Maritime Routes
Maritime routes are the link connecting various elements, the trajectory that ships follow within a system, and they play a connecting role within the maritime spatial system. Maritime transport routes are distributed across the oceans, a key advantage of maritime transport over other modes of transportation. How to most effectively utilize this advantage is a crucial issue in system organization. Shipping routes are constrained by other elements within the system. When selecting a route, the conditions of cargo, ships, and ports must be considered. A comprehensive assessment of the system’s organization is crucial before a reasonable choice can be made. Therefore, it is a relatively passive element.
Types of Maritime Routes
Compared to other modes of transportation, maritime routes require less investment and are naturally formed. However, they are also more influenced and constrained by natural conditions, which are clearly reflected in their classification. Maritime routes can be divided into different types based on different classification criteria.
- Classification by Waters traversed
1) Ocean routes, also known as ocean routes, refer to international maritime transport between countries or regions across one or more oceans. Examples include maritime transport from China to the United States and some European countries. These routes are collectively referred to as ocean routes.
2) Near-sea routes refer to maritime transport routes between ports in a country and ports in neighboring countries. Examples include maritime transport routes from China to ports in Japan and South Korea.
3) Coastal routes refer to shipping routes between ports in a country’s coastal region. Examples include the maritime route from Shanghai Port to Dalian Port.
4) Global routes refer to routes connecting the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.
- Classification by Route Validity
1) Seasonal Routes
Routes that change with the seasons are called seasonal routes. Ship navigation is influenced by natural conditions, particularly ocean currents and monsoons. These currents and monsoons can change direction or volume due to climate change. For example, the direction and volume of ocean currents, as well as the direction and strength of winds, change with the seasons. To leverage wind and currents, conserve shipping capacity, and increase speed, ships typically take different routes in different seasons. For example, to avoid winter fog and summer storms in the North Pacific, routes connecting ports on the Far East and the west coast of North America shift northward in the summer and southward in the winter.
2) Year-Round Routes
Routes that do not change with the seasons.
- Classification by Capacity, Distance, and Volume
1) Trunk Routes
Also known as trunk lines, these are sea routes connecting hub ports or central ports, primarily referring to the world’s major container liner routes. These routes connect container hub ports around the world and are operated by large container vessels. For example, the main global container liner routes are the Far East/North America, Far East/Europe, and Europe/North America routes. These routes, along with the global pendulum routes, are the three main global container shipping routes. Most of the world’s major container hub ports are located along these three routes.
2) Branch Routes
Also known as feeder lines, these are sea routes connecting diversion ports or interchange ports, serving the main routes. Vessels operating on these feeder routes are mostly small vessels, and the ports they connect are often regional hub ports or diversion ports.
- Classification by Organizational Form
1) Direct Routes
These routes are within the scope of water transport, where a vessel travels from the port of departure (origin) to the port of destination without making any intermediate stops, loading or unloading cargo, or adding or removing barges. Direct routes offer advantages such as high transport speed, rapid vessel turnover, and cost savings, but they require a relatively stable cargo flow between the two ports. These routes are often considered main routes in liner shipping.
2) Transit Routes
These are routes within the water transport system, where a vessel makes stops along the way to load and unload cargo, or uses barges, from its port of origin to its destination.
- Classification by Departure Time
1) Scheduled Routes (Liner Routes)
These are routes within the water transport system, where vessels operate on fixed routes, fixed points, and regular schedules. These routes are currently mostly container liner routes, typically employing the “five fixed” principles of time, route, vessel, cargo type, and port. When designing routes, especially trunk liner routes, consideration must be given not only to the cargo and route conditions, but also to the comprehensive port conditions, including natural conditions, hinterland conditions, loading and unloading capacity, storage capacity, loading and unloading efficiency, and other parameters.
2) Irregular Routes
These are alternative ship operating methods compared to scheduled shipping. Unlike liner shipping, tramp shipping lacks a pre-determined schedule, fixed routes, or ports of call. Instead, it follows the flow of cargo, and the vessel’s route is arranged according to the charter contract signed between the shipowner and charterer. Tramp ships primarily transport bulk cargoes such as grain, oil, ore, coal, timber, sugar, fertilizer, and phosphate rock. They typically ship by the entire shipload.
- Classification Based on Navigational Technology
1) Great Circle Route
This is the shortest route between two points on the Earth’s spherical surface. However, it intersects all meridians at varying angles (except the meridians and the equator), meaning that when sailing along a great circle, constant course changes are necessary.
2) Rhumb Route: This is not the shortest route between two points on the Earth’s surface (except the meridians and the equator), but at low latitudes or when heading close to north and south, the distance between these routes and the great circle route is not much different.
3) Isoparallel Routing
If two locations are at the same latitude, the route follows the latitude circle, meaning the planned track is 90° or 270°. This is a special case of the rhumb line route.
4) Mixed Routing
To avoid high-latitude navigation hazards, a shortest-range route combining a great circle route and an isoparallel route is used, with a set latitude restriction.
In addition, in ocean voyages, the distance between two locations is considerable, and depending on the specific circumstances, a fixed route may not be used for the entire voyage.
- Classification Based on Climate and Weather Conditions
1) Climatic Routing
This refers to a route designed based on the shortest-range route, taking into account the climate conditions of the sailing season and other possible factors. Examples include routes recommended in route design charts and “World Ocean Routes.”
2) Weather Route
This refers to the route recommended by a weather routing company to a vessel based on the route, short- and medium-term weather forecasts, meteorological conditions, and the vessel’s own conditions.
The optimal route, determined from these various routes, minimizes sailing time, maximizes vessel turnover, and achieves the highest operational efficiency.
The Formation of Shipping Routes
A route is a specific route available to ships in waters around the world, limited by natural conditions such as harbors, currents, wind direction, water depth, and distance across the Earth’s surface. A route is the operating path selected by a maritime carrier to maximize economic efficiency, taking into account objective and subjective factors among many different routes. The formation of a route is primarily determined by the following factors:
(I) Safety Factors
Safety factors refer to the fact that a ship’s route must take into account various natural phenomena, such as wind direction, waves, tides, currents, reefs, and ice floes, as these factors can affect the safety of a vessel’s navigation.
(2) Freight Factors
Freight factors refer to the volume of cargo carried along a route. High cargo volumes and a large number of ships operating along the route indicate a busy route.
(3) Port Factors
Port factors refer to whether the ports where ships pass through and dock have suitable water depths, favorable weather, wide waterways, adequate storage and loading facilities, convenient inland transportation, low port usage fees, and sufficient fuel supplies.
(4) Technical Factors
Technical factors refer to the technical considerations used by ships to choose the most economical and fastest routes. In addition to the above factors, changes in the international political landscape, the economic policies of relevant countries, and shipping policies also have a certain impact on route selection and formation. The quality of route selection is directly related to the economic benefits of the shipping industry, and therefore, shipping companies attach great importance to route selection.
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