Deadweight Tonnage (DWT)
Deadweight tonnage (DWT) is the total weight a ship can carry at its summer load line, including cargo, fuel, fresh water, stores and crew. It differs from gross tonnage (GT), which measures enclosed volume. On container ships, the nominal TEU capacity often cannot be fully used when boxes are heavy, because deadweight or stability runs out first. That is why lines also quote a homogeneous capacity: the number of TEU at a stated average weight per box.
Related terms
- Draft (Draught)
Draft, or draught, is the vertical distance from the waterline to the keel, read from draft marks at the bow, midships and stern.
- TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit)
A TEU is the unit of capacity equal to one 20-foot container.
- Mother Vessel
A mother vessel is a large container ship on a main intercontinental service that calls at hub ports and collects boxes brought in by feeder vessels.
- Feeder Vessel
A feeder vessel is a small to mid-sized container ship that moves boxes between hub ports and smaller ports.
- Stowage Factor
Stowage factor is the volume occupied by one tonne of cargo, usually in m³ per tonne or cubic feet per long ton.