Freighters

/ˈfreɪtərz/ noun

Definition

Ships or trucks designed specifically to carry cargo and goods rather than passengers.

Etymology

From Middle Dutch 'vracht' meaning 'cargo,' which became 'freight' in English. 'Freighter' emerged in the 19th century as steamships specialized into cargo-carrying vessels.

Kelly Says

Modern freighters are absolutely enormous—some container ships are longer than four football fields and carry 20,000 boxes—yet they only need 13-23 crew members because of automation, which is why we see so few sailors today compared to a century ago.

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