Handysize
Smallest of the modern bulk carrier classes: 10,000-40,000 DWT — flexible, port-restriction-tolerant.
In practice
Tramp-trade workhorses. Officers gain wide experience in many ports and cargoes.
Regulatory detail & full definition
Handysize is the smallest of the modern dry-bulk carrier classes, spanning roughly 10,000 to 40,000 deadweight tonnes, with a present-day average around 32,000 DWT and a length near 180 metres. Handysize bulkers are almost always self-geared — fitted with their own cargo cranes — which lets them work smaller and less-developed ports without shore cranes and makes them the flexible tramp-trade workhorses of the bulk fleet, carrying grain, fertilisers, cement, scrap, agribulk and project cargoes. Their spot earnings are tracked by the Baltic Handysize Index (BHSI).
Related
Source: Industry usage; Baltic Exchange BHSI
High confidence
Editorial confidence: how we grade.