This book gives a complete picture of the Maritime Transport Industry so that those involved with shipping can see their own specific field of interest in perspective and understand how the basic model of this mode of transport operates. The sixth edition of Reeds Sea Transport has been updated reflecting recent changes in the industry. It includes new data and statistics, new advice on safety, a review of ship types including the growth in tonnage and the increase in container ship sizes, as well as the effect of the 'depression' over recent years, all of which make esssential reading for professionals as well as students on courses concerned with Shipping Ports and Transport. Modern transport professionals must be able to adapt to and anticipate the implications of changes in their industry; this book gives an insight into how management has coped with change over the last century, and enables the reader to see how this essential commercial activity has developed.