Maritime glossary
Aframax
A crude tanker of roughly 80,000 to 120,000 DWT, named after an old freight-rate scale.
Definition
An Aframax is a crude oil tanker of about 80,000 to 120,000 DWT. The name comes from the Average Freight Rate Assessment (AFRA) scale, not from any canal or strait. Aframaxes are prized for flexibility: they fit most crude terminals and work shorter regional routes in the North Sea, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and Asia. The coated product version of this size is often called an LR2.
How Vessel Hunter uses Aframax
Vessel Hunter’s class and trade filters isolate the Aframax fleet and the operators running it on each regional route.
Related terms
- Suezmax
A tanker sized to the maximum that can transit the Suez Canal fully laden, around 120,000 to 200,000 DWT.
- VLCCVery Large Crude Carrier
A crude oil tanker of roughly 200,000 to 320,000 DWT, the workhorse of long-haul crude trades.
- Oil Tanker
A tanker built to carry crude oil or refined petroleum products in bulk liquid form.
- Worldscale
The standardised freight-rate index used to price tanker voyage charters as a percentage of a published reference.
The bigger picture
Aframax is one piece of the commercial maritime picture Vessel Hunter pulls together for shipyards, suppliers, service providers, and port agents. Every vessel record bundles AIS, ownership, inspections, dry-dock history, casualty record, classification status, and a verified contact for the operator decision-maker behind the ship, so the team that reaches out first wins the work.
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