Dry Bulk Brokers

Bulkargo’s dry bulk brokers find the ship, negotiate the freight, and settle demurrage after the voyage, on cargoes from mini-bulker to Capesize. One broker handles your fixture, the signed charter deal, from the first inquiry to the final settlement.

What our dry bulk brokers do

We find ships that suit your cargo. We negotiate the freight and the other commercial terms. We check the charter party, your contract with the ship owner, before you sign. Since 2022 we have fixed cement, quicklime, bitumen, and mining ores and earths, along with the major and minor bulk cargoes.

The same broker stays with you after the fixture is signed. We handle the vessel nomination, the notice of readiness, the hold cleanliness inspection and the statement of facts review. We calculate laytime and demurrage once the cargo is discharged. No separate operations desk takes over between the negotiation and the settlement.

How a dry bulk fixture runs

Every fixture follows the same steps, whatever the cargo or ship size. We watch the market the whole time. We track the Baltic Dry Index and the index for each ship size: BCI for Capesize, BPI for Panamax, BSI for Supramax and Ultramax, and BHSI for Handysize. It tells us whether you should fix now or wait for the next session.

What it costs

You pay for a voyage charter by the tonne of cargo, and for a time charter by the day. In a normal market, a Capesize voyage costs a few dollars a tonne on a short run and USD 25 a tonne or more to carry iron ore from Brazil to China. A Panamax on time charter usually costs USD 12,000 to USD 30,000 a day. Handysize and Supramax ships cost less, and a Capesize can cost a lot more when the market is busy.

Try our bulk shipping rate calculator for a rough freight number before you send an inquiry.

What we need from you to start

To start, we need the cargo type and rough tonnage, the load and discharge ports, and the laycan. The laycan is the date window when the ship must arrive to load. A window of 7 to 14 days is normal. Send the stowage factor too if your cargo is unusual. Then we ask about your preferred charter type, hold cleanliness or gear needs, draft or ship age limits, and your budget if you have one.

For a regular programme, add your yearly or seasonal volume forecast, the port pairs, and any COA terms you already have. Once we have the cargo, ports and laycan, we handle the rest. That covers the charter party draft and review, the fixture recap, bill of lading instructions, the statement of facts review, and the certificates your trade requires: the certificate of origin, phytosanitary or quality certificates, the DG declaration for IMDG cargo, and sanctions and compliance statements.

Cargoes we handle

We cover major bulks, minor bulks, industrial cargo and specialty cargo. A dry cargo shipbroker who works only one of these groups sees less of the market than a desk that covers all four.

Why work with an independent dry bulk broker

We are an independent broker. We own no ships, so we recommend the ship that fits your cargo.

We run a full-service desk. The broker who takes your inquiry also calculates the demurrage at the end.

We work seven days a week. Short-notice deals, tight laycans and weather delays do not keep office hours. We answer on a Sunday just as we do on a Tuesday.

Frequently asked questions