Before bulk carriers were built, shippers had only two ways to move their bulk goods, either by longshoremen or with a crane but both the options were slow and labour intensive. The specialised bulk carriers were introduced in this space and made a benchmark in the merchant segment.

These kinds of cargos are very opaque, caustic or abrasive. So, a large hatchway for the bulk carrier was required for efficient cargo handling and safe transit, which led to the development of bulk carrier ships