DWT

Definition

DWT is the most-quoted commercial measure of a ship’s carrying capacity. It is calculated as the difference between the loaded displacement at the summer load line and the light-ship displacement, expressed in metric tonnes. DWT determines freight earnings, governs charter rates, and dictates which terminals a vessel can call. Tankers, bulkers, and gas carriers are almost always sized by DWT; container ships are more often quoted in TEU but still carry a DWT figure on the certificate.

Worked example

A "VLCC" — Very Large Crude Carrier — is roughly 200,000–320,000 DWT. A "Capesize" bulk carrier is 150,000+ DWT, named because it is too large for the Suez Canal and historically rounded the Cape of Good Hope.

How Vessel Hunter uses DWT

Filter the Vessel Hunter fleet explorer by DWT band to see only the vessels in your commercial window — by tonnage, vessel class, and beneficial owner.

Filter vessels by DWT →

Related terms

• GTGross Tonnage

  A unitless measure of a vessel’s total enclosed volume — used for port dues, pilotage fees, and SOLAS thresholds.

• NTNet Tonnage

  Gross Tonnage minus the volume of spaces not available for cargo — used for canal tolls and certain port dues.

• LOALength Overall

  The maximum length of a vessel from the foremost to the aftmost point, including any fixed projections.

• Draught

  The vertical distance from the waterline to the deepest point of the hull — the constraint that decides which ports a loaded vessel can enter.

The bigger picture

DWT is one piece of the commercial maritime picture Vessel Hunter pulls together for shipyards, port agents, and service providers. 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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