Introduction Many ships today, such as large containerships or bulk carriers, rely entirely on shoreside cargo handling equipment to load and discharge their cargo. But many types of ship are still equipped with systems which, in cargo-handling terms, provide self-sufficiency. A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers play the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usually specially designed for the task, often being equipped with cranes and other mechanisms to load and unload, and come in all sizes.