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General Cargo Vessel Jobs

4 open vacancies · updated 26 Oct 2026

About General Cargo Vessels

General cargo vessels carry unitized, breakbulk and project cargo such as steel coils, bagged cement, timber, machinery and heavy lifts. Many are multi-purpose vessels with cranes and derricks. They work small ports, river berths and anchorages where gear is moved by ship or shore cranes. Work is more manual than on container ships or tankers. Deck ratings and officers are in demand because cargo handling, lashing and securing require more hands. Engine room staff keep cranes, winches, generators and main engines running during long port calls. This page covers general cargo, dry cargo, multi-purpose, coaster, heavy lift, cement carrier, timber carrier, reefer, livestock carrier and lash/barge carrier roles.

Cargo and operations

Cargo on these ships is mixed breakbulk: steel coils, pipes, timber packages, bagged cargo, crates, machinery and project loads. Some vessels carry cement, refrigerated goods, livestock or heavy lifts. Loading and discharge use ship cranes, derricks or shore gear. Crew lash and secure cargo to prevent shifting at sea. Main risks are suspended loads, falling objects, snap-back of lashings, manual handling and cargo shifting in heavy weather. Officers plan stowage to keep stability and prevent overloading of decks and hatches.

Crew on board

Deck crew on a general cargo vessel handle mooring lines, open and close hatches, rig cranes and derricks, give crane signals, and lash cargo. Bosun and ABs lead the deck work; OSs support under supervision. Officers plan stowage, keep cargo watch and operate ballast. Chief Officer is responsible for cargo operations. In the engine room, Chief Engineer and team maintain main engine, generators, winches, cranes and refrigeration plant if fitted. ETO and Electrician maintain electrical and automation systems. Cook and Messman work in the galley and mess. On smaller coasters and multi-purpose ships, crew often cover more than one role.

Special training

No special STCW chapter V training applies to general cargo vessels as a ship type. All seafarers need basic safety training under STCW VI/1 and security awareness under STCW VI/6. Deck ratings on ships of 500 GT or more fall under STCW II/4; ABs need STCW II/5. Engine watch ratings on ships of 750 kW or more fall under STCW III/4. Officers need navigation or engineering CoCs under STCW II/1 or STCW III/1. Additional training in cargo securing, crane signalling and rigging is practical and valued.

Requirements

DocumentConventionNote
Basic Safety Training (BST)STCW VI/1Seafarers must receive safety familiarization and basic training or instruction in line with section A-VI/1 of the STCW Code.
Security Awareness TrainingSTCW VI/6Seafarers must receive security-related familiarization and security-awareness training or instruction.
Medical certificateMLC 2006 Reg. 1.2Seafarers may not work on a ship unless they are certified as medically fit to perform their duties.
Officer in charge of a navigational watchSTCW II/1Every officer in charge of a navigational watch on a seagoing ship of 500 gross tonnage or more must hold a certificate of competency (CoC).
Officer in charge of an engineering watchSTCW III/1Every officer in charge of an engineering watch on a seagoing ship with main propulsion machinery of 750 kW or more must hold a certificate of competency.
Rating forming part of a navigational watchSTCW II/4Every rating forming part of a navigational watch on a seagoing ship of 500 gross tonnage or more must be certificated.
Able seafarer deckSTCW II/5Every able seafarer deck serving on a seagoing ship of 500 gross tonnage or more must be certificated.
Rating forming part of an engine-room watchSTCW III/4Every rating forming part of an engine-room watch on a seagoing ship with main propulsion machinery of 750 kW or more must be certificated.

Sea service

The table has no special sea service rule for general cargo vessels. Sea service rules depend on the certificate. For STCW II/4, a candidate needs approved seagoing service including not less than six months of training and experience, or special training plus approved seagoing service of not less than two months.

Medical fitness

Seafarers may not work on a ship unless they are certified as medically fit to perform their duties. Before beginning work on a ship, seafarers must hold a valid medical certificate. The certificate states that hearing and sight, and colour vision where relevant to the work, are satisfactory. A medical certificate is valid for a maximum of two years, or one year if the seafarer is under the age of 18.

Documents

  • Valid medical certificate
  • CDC / Seaman's book
  • Passport
  • STCW basic safety training certificate
  • Security awareness training certificate
  • Certificate of competency or proficiency as applicable

Ships in our database

47,000+ General Cargo Vessels in the Krew Guru ships database
Deadweight (DWT), most ships500–14,400
Gross tonnage (GT), most ships200–10,000
Range covers the middle 80% of ships of this type in our database.
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What employers on Krew Guru ask for

RanksChief Engineer 15%, Second Engineer 13%, Electro-Technical Officer (ETO) 12%, Master (Captain) 11%, Third Engineer 10%
Contracts in rank (median)1
Contract length (median)6 months
Open to any nationality89%
VisasUnited States of America 17%
Based on 194 vacancies on Krew Guru over the last 365 days.

Companies hiring on General Cargo Vessels now

Jobs on General Cargo Vessels: questions and answers

Do I need a special tanker certificate to work on a general cargo vessel?

No. General cargo vessels are not oil, chemical or gas tankers, so STCW V/1-1 and STCW V/1-2 do not apply just because of the ship type. You need the general basic safety training, security awareness training and the watchkeeping certificate for your rank.

What cargo will I handle on a general cargo vessel?

You may handle steel coils, pipes, timber, bagged cement, crates, machinery or heavy lifts. Some vessels carry refrigerated goods or livestock. You will lash, secure and stow cargo, and use ship cranes or derricks. The work is more manual than on container ships.

Do I need sea service on this ship type to get a job?

The STCW table has no special sea service rule for general cargo vessels. Sea service rules apply to your certificate, such as the six months of training and experience for a watch rating under STCW II/4. Practical cargo securing experience helps when signing on.

Which certificates do ratings need for general cargo vessels?

On ships of 500 gross tonnage or more, deck ratings need a watch rating certificate under STCW II/4; ABs need STCW II/5. Engine ratings on ships of 750 kW or more need STCW III/4. All seafarers need basic training under STCW VI/1 and security awareness under STCW VI/6.
31 vacancies in the last 90 days

Sources

Checked against the official texts on 26 Oct 2026.