thumb|right|Obchodní lodě Hanzovních měst (1 . a 3. Cologne, 2. Wismar, 4. Lübeck, 5. Danzig, 6. Elbing.
thumb|right|Obchodní loď, zasažená [[Torpédo|torpédem německé ponorky.]]
thumb|right|[[Supertanker ''AbQaiq'']]

'''Obchodní loď''' je válek námořnictvům svých zemí a často dopravují USA válečný materiál do Velké Británie nebo do Sovětského svazu).

Obchodní lodě se dělí do různých kategorií podle velikosti a svého účelu.

Většina států vlastní svou obchodní flotilu. Vzhledem k vysokým provozním nákladům ale mnohé z nich plují pod vlajkou třetích zemí, které mají nízké daně či poskytují posádky a údržbu. Patří k nim Libérie a Panama.

Největší obchodní flotilu vlastní Řekové. V současnosti tvoří řecké lodě 16% světové obchodní tonáže. 

=== Lodě pro suchý náklad ===
Dopravní loď je jakékoliv mořích plují tisíce dopravních lodí a zajišťují podstatnou část mezinárodního jeřáby a dalšími nástroji pro nakládku a vykládku jejich nákladu. 

Dvě hlavní rudu,pšenici či kontejnerové lodě, které pojmou jakékoliv zboží.

A '''merchant vessel''' is a navies of their respective countries, and are called upon to deliver military personnel and materiel.

Most countries of the world operate fleets of merchant ships. However, due to the high costs of operations, today these fleets are in many cases sailing under the flags of nations that specialize in providing manpower and services at favourable terms. Such flags are known as "Liberia and Panama are particularly favoured. Ownership of the vessels can be by any country, however.

The Greek-owned fleet is the largest in the world. Today, the Greek fleet accounts for some 16 per cent of the world’s tonnage; this makes it currently the largest single international merchant fleet in the world, albeit not the largest in history.

In English, "Merchant Navy" without further clarification is used to refer to the British Merchant Navy; the United States merchant fleet is known as the United States Merchant Marine.

Merchant ships may be divided into several categories, according to their purpose and/or size.
==Dry cargo ships==

right|thumb|200px| ''Sabrina I'' carries bulk cargo inside her holdsA '''cargo ship''' or '''freighter''' is any sort of cranes and other mechanisms to load and unload, and come in all sizes.

Dry cargo ships, today are mainly bulk carriers and container ships. Bulk carriers or bulkers are used for the transportation of homogeneous cargo such as coal, rubber, copra, tin, wheat. Container ships are used for the carriage of miscellaneous goods.

===Bulk carriers===

A '''bulk carrier''' is vessel used to transport bulk cargo items such as iron ore, bauxite, coal, cement, grain and similar cargo.  Bulk carriers can be recognized by large box-like hatches on deck, designed to slide outboard or fold fore-and-aft for enable access for loading or discharging cargo.  The dimensions of bulk carriers are often determined by the ports and sea routes that they need to serve, and by the maximum width of the Panama Canal.  Most lakes are too small to accommodate bulk carriers, but a large fleet of lake freighters has been plying the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway of North America for over a century.

===Container ships===

thumb|200px|right|The ''[[Colombo Express'', one of the largest container ships in the world, owned and operated by Hapag-Lloyd of Germany]]'''Container ships''' are cargo ships that carry all of their load in truck-size containers, in a technique called containerization. They form a common means of commercial intermodal freight transport.

==Tankers==

right|thumb|200px|Commercial crude oil [[supertanker ''AbQaiq''.]]
A '''tanker''' is a bulk.

Tankers for the transport of fluids, such as crude oil, petroleum products, liquefied petroleum gas, liquefied natural gas and chemicals, also vegetable oils, wine and other food - the tanker sector comprises one third of the world tonnage.

Tankers can range in size from several hundred tons, designed for servicing small harbours and coastal settlements, to several hundred thousand tons, with these being designed for long-range haulage. A wide range of products are carried by tankers, including:
* LPG, and LNG
* Chemicals, such as styrene monomer
* fresh water
* wine

Different products require different handling and transport, thus special types of tankers have been built, such as "chemical tankers" and "oil tankers". "LNG carriers" as they are typically known, are a relatively rare tanker designed to carry liquefied natural gas.

Among oil tankers, supertankers were designed for carrying oil around the Horn of Africa from the Middle East; the FSO ''Knock Nevis'' being the largest vessel in the world. Knock Nevis was formerly the ULCC "Jahre Viking".