Our planet is encompassed by the trade flows which grew up from the caravan paths of anciency into the modern pattern of routes and act like blood vessels to the industrial society: instead of blood, in the literal sense, nations and communities get channelled food, water, equipment, materials, and other goods. Routes transport the blood of the Economy - values.
One type of the goods that concentrate in itself a pretty great value pro unit of mass is cars.
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| So many cars - so much value overseas (Newark, USA) |
Cars are not only valuable, they are also fascinating. Russian writer Nikolai Gogol wrote about addiction to speed when describing the national character of his compatriots. My own humble observations indicate that all people in the world are too much alike and definitely enjoy speeds more than that of a pedestrian. Moreover shiny and comfortable, powerful and technological means of transport and self-propelled power tools have always attracted us humans. So how do they get transported? The answer is by road, by rail, by air, and by sea.
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| Con-Ro ship loads Ro-Ro cargo (Bremerhaven, Germany) |
It is not surprising that the largest share in the transporting cars worldwide belongs to ships. The lowest cost per unit of a rolling-on rolling-of cargo (Ro-Ro) is achieved by utilising specialized Ro-Ro ships, particularly Pure Car-Truck Carriers (PCTC's), and specialized Ro-Ro terminals. The driving strive for the efficiency in the highly competitive environment has resulted in creating a net of dedicated port terminals and dry hubs. The Ro-Ro terminals are highly flexible or, I would say its the other way, mutable as they are often easily responsive to the fluctuations in the type of cargo. What remains more or less stable, it is the pattern of the channelling trade routes. This in its turn contributes to the relative stability of the main terminals' locations.
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| Bremerhaven is one of the largest auto hubs of the world |
For the subject region, Europe an wider Mediterranean, one could observe new emerging hubs and port terminals; though, many old places hold the grounds and remain stable. For a "car carrier man" the names would sound familiar:-
Mediterranean Sea:
Tartous
Beirut
Derince
Piraeus
Koper
Livorno
Genoa
Gioia Tauro
Sete
Tarragona
Barcelona
Alexandria
Tripoli
Casablanca
Northern Europe:
Immingham
Tilbury
Southampton
Antwerp
Rotterdam
Bremerhaven
Wallhamn
Le Havre
Malmo
Gothenborg
Hanko
Emden
Black Sea:
Illichivsk
Constanza
The list does not include many other smaller ports that serve for the automotive industry. As well as those involved in the container transport of vehicles, which became the trend recently.
A.O. Chepok
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