Deadweight (DWT)

Deadweight is defined as the maximum weight of cargo, cargo equipment, bunkers, spare parts, etc., in tonnes loaded onto the vessel. In other words, it is a measure of the ship’s maximum carrying capacity. Deadweight can be calculated by taking the weight of a vessel that is not loaded with cargo and subtracting that from the weight of the vessel loaded to the point where it is immersed to the maximum safe depth.