Water
In addition, water service on the average is slower than rail. Availability or dependability of water service are greatly influenced by the weather. Movement on the waterways during the winter is impossible and floods and droughts may also interrupt service at other times as well. There is tremendous capacity available in water carriers with barge tows up to 40,000 tons and there are individual barges with standardized dimensions of 26 by 175 feet and 35 by 195 feet. Capability and handling are being increased as barged carrying ships are being developed and such improvements as satellite navigation with radar, refined depth finders and auto piloting mean around the clock service.
Water services are provided in all legal forms and most commodities shipped by water move free of economic regulation. In addition to unregulated private carriage, liquid cargoes in bulk moving in tank vessels and commodities in bulk such as flour, coal, sand and grain which make up over 80 percent of the total annual to-miles by water. Outside of the handling of bulk commodities, water carriers, especially those in foreign service do move some higher valued commodities. This freight moves in containers on containerised ships to reduce handling time, to affect intermodal transfer and to reduce loss and damage as well.
Loss and damage resulting from transportation by water are considered low relative to other modes because damage is not much of a concern with low valued bulk products and losses due to delays are not serious [large inventories are often maintained by buyers]. Claims involving transport of high valued goods as in ocean freight are much higher [approximately 4 percent of ocean ship revenues].
Substantial packaging is needed to protect goods mainly against rough handling during the lading and unloading operations or activities.
