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Vessel Options in Days · Mini-bulker to VLOC

Charter a Bulk Carrier

Charter a bulk carrier from mini-bulker to Capesize. Send cargo, ports, and laycan; get a market-benchmarked offer the same business day.

Charter a bulk carrier: red-hulled vessel approaching port with hatch covers open, aerial daylight view

Charter a bulk carrier through Bulkargo and get vessel options, a freight estimate, and a charter party moving in days. We source the tonnage, negotiate the rate, and stay on the file from your first inquiry through post-fixture settlement.

What you get when you charter a bulk carrier with us

One inquiry gets you a shortlist of vessels, a rate benchmarked against recent fixtures, and a charter party that has already been reviewed clause by clause. The same broker who fixes the vessel stays with the file through demurrage and settlement.

Vessel options

Three to six qualified vessels for your cargo and laycan, sourced from our owner and operator network.

A freight estimate

A rate benchmarked against recent comparable fixtures.

A charter party

Gencon or the trade-specific form for your cargo, reviewed clause by clause before you sign.

One broker to settlement

The broker who fixes the vessel stays on the file through demurrage and final settlement.

How to charter a bulk carrier

The sequence runs the same shape for a one-off spot voyage and a long-term contract of affreightment. A routine dry cargo voyage charter takes three to seven business days from inquiry to signed fixture. Project cargo, heavy lift, and specialist fixtures need four to eight weeks lead time because the vessel pool is narrower and engineering reviews take longer.

  1. 01

    Define your requirement

    20 to 30 min

    Cargo type and tonnage, load and discharge ports, laycan window, any vessel constraints. We ask what closes the gap so the offers that come back are easy to compare.

    You provide
    Cargo, ports, laycan
    We handle
    Stowage and vessel-fit questions
  2. 02

    Market canvass

    24 to 72 hrs

    We approach the owner and operator network for tonnage matching your cargo, laycan, and constraints.

    We handle
    Vessel shortlist, three to six options
  3. 03

    Offer evaluation and negotiation

    24 to 48 hrs

    We benchmark each offer against recent comparable fixtures and negotiate freight, laytime, demurrage, and the surrounding terms.

    We handle
    Rate negotiation, full term sheet
  4. 04

    Fixture and charter party

    24 to 72 hrs

    Recap exchanged, then the formal charter party: Gencon or the trade-specific form. Every clause reviewed before signature.

    We handle
    CP review, signature coordination
  5. 05

    Pre-loading coordination

    Vessel nomination, notice of readiness, port agent appointment, hold cleanliness inspection and surveys.

    We handle
    Liaison with master, owner, port agents
  6. 06

    Voyage execution and post-fixture

    Loading, bill of lading, discharge, and statement of facts review. After discharge: demurrage settlement and dispute support where needed.

    We handle
    Settlement, documentation, dispute support

What it costs to charter a bulk carrier

Voyage charter rates are quoted per tonne of cargo. Time charter rates are quoted per day. Both move with route, cargo, vessel size, and market direction, so the table below gives indicative ranges.

Charter TypeRate BasisIndicative Range
Voyage charter USD per tonne A few USD/tonne on short-haul routes, up to USD 25+/tonne on Brazil to China iron ore
Time charter, Panamax/Kamsarmax USD per day USD 12,000 to USD 30,000 per day
Time charter, Handysize/Supramax USD per day Below the Panamax band
Time charter, Capesize USD per day Can move materially higher in firm markets

Brokerage commission is paid by the vessel owner out of freight. You pay no direct cost for using a broker: the rate we negotiate is the number you pay.

What we need from you

Send what you have. The list below mirrors the fields on our quote form, and each item shapes the vessel shortlist, the rate, or both.

What to sendExampleWhy it matters
Cargo spec and quantity Approximately 32,000 MT bulk urea Sets stowage factor and hold cleanliness needs, and anchors the vessel class
Load port or region Specific port, or a range for early-stage inquiries Determines draft and air-draft limits, loading rate, and available berths
Discharge port or region Specific port, or a range Same logic in reverse, plus receiver-side vessel age or P&I requirements
Laycan window 7 to 14 day window is normal Tighter windows narrow the vessel pool and tend to push rates up
Target rate basis Voyage per tonne, time charter per day, or "advise" Points the desk to the right charter type before the canvass starts

Special requirements (hold cleanliness, loading or discharge gear, draft restrictions, vessel age limit) act as hard filters on the shortlist, so flag them at inquiry stage. Budget expectations are optional but useful. We do not negotiate to that number; it gives us a quick reference for whether the market sits above, below, or in line with where you are. For a recurring programme, add your annual or seasonal volume forecast, port pairs, and any existing COA terms. A broker responds the same business day.

Bulk carrier classes we access

We access the full dry bulk vessel stack, from mini-bulker up through VLOC on iron ore programmes.

Vessel ClassDWT RangeMinimum Cargo Size
Mini-bulker ~3,000 to 10,000 DWT From ~3,000 MT
Handysize ~25,000 to 40,000 DWT From ~25,000 MT
Handymax ~45,000 to 55,000 DWT N/A
Supramax/Ultramax ~58,000 to 63,000 DWT From ~50,000 MT
Panamax/Kamsarmax ~75,000 to 82,000 DWT 65,000 to 80,000 MT
Capesize ~180,000 DWT 150,000 to 180,000 MT+
VLOC 320,000+ DWT Iron ore programmes, long-haul owner relationships

Parcels under 3,000 MT do not fit a mini-bulker economically. The practical route for a small parcel is a part cargo on a multipurpose vessel, or, for liquids, a slot on a parcel or chemical tanker. Vessel selection runs on more than DWT: age and class, last cargo, current position, geared versus gearless, and trading restrictions all factor into which ship we put in front of you.

Which charter type fits your cargo

Charter type follows cargo pattern. A single stem points to voyage charter. A rolling programme or an annual lifting commitment points to time charter or a contract of affreightment.

Charter TypeFits
Voyage charter A single cargo on a specific laycan. The owner carries vessel risk; this is the default structure for most fixtures.
Time charter A rolling shipping programme where you want flexibility over routing and intake.
Contract of affreightment An annual or seasonal lifting commitment where you want to lock in tonne-mile cost over a defined volume.
Consecutive voyages A repeating route where the same vessel runs the same loop and the owner amortises ballast across legs.

Voyage charter is the default if you want to rent a cargo ship for one shipment: you fix the vessel for a single lift and the owner carries vessel risk for that voyage. Time charter, a COA, or consecutive voyages fit better if you want to hire a bulk carrier on a repeating route or under an annual lifting commitment, and we will advise on which structure suits the volume and the trade. The minimum size holds across all four structures: mini-bulker from about 3,000 MT, with smaller parcels routed to a multipurpose vessel or a tanker slot for liquids.

Why charter through an independent broker

We are an independent broker. We do not own vessels, so the ship we recommend is the one that fits your cargo.

We are a full-service desk. The same broker stays on the fixture from inquiry through post-fixture documentation and demurrage. We do not hand off to a separate operations team.

We work the desk seven days. Bulk freight does not stop for weekends, and prompt cargoes, vessel windows, and weather-driven dislocations often turn up outside business hours.

Bulkargo was founded in 2022 and is led by a trading team with more than 30 years in dry-bulk commodities.

Common questions

How do I charter a bulk carrier?
Send cargo type, tonnage, load and discharge ports, and your laycan window. We can work with partial information and fill in the rest on the inquiry call. From there, expect a vessel shortlist within 24 to 72 hours from the market canvass, offer evaluation and negotiation in another 24 to 48 hours, and recap through to signed charter party in a further 24 to 72 hours. A routine dry cargo voyage charter typically closes in three to seven business days from first inquiry to signed fixture. A broker responds the same business day.
How much does it cost to charter a bulk carrier?
Voyage charter rates are quoted per tonne of cargo, and time charter rates are quoted per day. Indicative ranges in normal market conditions: Capesize voyage freight runs from a few USD per tonne on short hauls up to USD 25 or more per tonne on the Brazil to China iron ore route; Panamax time charter typically runs USD 12,000 to USD 30,000 per day; Handysize and Supramax fall below that band; Capesize daily rates can move materially higher in firm markets. Brokerage commission is paid by the vessel owner out of freight, so there is no direct cost to you for using a broker.
How long does it take to charter a bulk carrier?
Three to seven business days for a routine dry cargo voyage charter, from inquiry to signed fixture. Project cargo, heavy lift, and specialist fixtures need four to eight weeks lead time because vessel availability is narrower and engineering reviews take longer. Market tightness can compress or extend either window: when prompt tonnage is scarce even routine fixtures stretch, and when the market is long, owners come back the same day.
What's the smallest cargo I can charter a vessel for?
Mini-bulkers can be chartered from around 3,000 MT. For parcels below that, the practical route is a part cargo on a multipurpose vessel, or, for liquids, a slot on a parcel or chemical tanker where multiple shippers share the vessel. Handysize starts from around 25,000 MT, Supramax and Ultramax from 50,000 MT, Panamax from 65,000 to 80,000 MT, and Capesize from 150,000 to 180,000 MT and above.
Do I need a broker, or can I hire a bulk carrier direct from an owner?
You can approach owners direct. Most cargo owners use a broker because market access, a benchmark against recent comparable fixtures, and post-fixture continuity on demurrage and disputes are hard to replicate in-house. Brokerage commission is paid by the vessel owner out of freight, so going direct does not save you a fee. It only removes the market access and the post-fixture support that come with the broker.
Can I charter a bulk carrier for one voyage, or does it have to be a long-term contract?
A single voyage charter is the default and the most common structure. Time charter, contract of affreightment, and consecutive voyages are available if your cargo is recurring: a rolling shipping programme, an annual lifting commitment, or a repeating route where the same vessel runs the same loop.

Related references

Chartering terms

Cargoes we have fixed since 2022

  • Cement
  • Quicklime
  • Bitumen
  • Project cargo
  • Machinery
  • Mining ores and earths
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Ready to fix?

Tell us about your cargo. A broker will respond the same business day with an initial market read and next steps.