OCEAN TRANSPORTATION

Ocean Transportation analyzes the current status of ocean shipping trade systems and develops projections of future trends in marine commodity movement. Integrated ocean transportation is a major economic activity whose health and growth has a significant impact on national and world economics. Because of rapid advances in shipping technology and operation, ocean transportation decisions should no longer be based solely on determining the economic performance of a particular route or of a certain trade, or on ship design and function. A review of ocean transportation demand and supply includes projections of ship capacity demand and world shipbuilding capacity under various economic and political assumptins. Recent developments and current gaps in ocean transportation technology are examined, with considerations of the whole system of commodity transport and of composite subsystems such as hull, outfit, propulsion, cargo handling, automation, and control and transfer methods. The future use of ocean barging for commodity movement is evaluated in light of current barge and tug technology, investment and operating costs, and terminals. A review of ocean transportation economics includes the effects of government subsidies to the merchant marine and the results of a study on the financing of shipping. U.S. maritime labor relations, costs, and training, the classification and regulation of ocean transportation, and U.S. vessel and cargo insurance, with emphasis on foreign investments in this market, are discussed in detail. This study also evaluates various measures of effectiveness or productivity of ocean transportation specifically as affected by changing ship technology, cargo handling technology, operational and economic integration of ocean and feeder transport modes, and financial structure of the transportation companies.

• Corporate Authors:

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Sea Grant Program, 77 Massachusetts Avenue
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02139
• Authors:
  • Frankel, E G
  • Marcus, H S
• Publication Date: 1974-4

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Financing; Labor relations; Marine insurance; Productivity; Ship operations; Shipbuilding; Ships; Trade; Trend (Statistics); Tug ship interaction
• Old TRIS Terms: Ship financing; Ship systems concepts; Tug barge systems
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Education and Training; Marine Transportation; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00057124
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Report/Paper Numbers: MITSG 72-17
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 16 1974 12:00AM