Tramp Shipping

irregular shipping, mainly over nonstandard routes, with no definite schedule. Tramp ships are used to transport bulk cargoes and break-bulk cargoes of low value that do not require fast delivery. The transportation of cargoes that are picked up or dropped off along the way plays a large role in tramp shipping. Tramp ships are slow and can transport a variety of cargoes. Specialized types of dry-cargo, liquid-cargo, and mixed-cargo ships are also used in tramp shipping. Tramp shipping plays an important role in the foreign trade of the capitalist countries. In the Soviet Union and other socialist countries tramp ships are not widely used, and cargoes are transported predominantly by line navigation.