In economics, the word cargo refers in particular to goods or produce being conveyed—generally for commercial gain—by water, air or land. "Freight" is the money paid to carry cargo. Cargo was originally a shipload. Cargo now covers all types of freight, including that carried by rail, van, truck, or intermodal container. The term cargo is also used in case of goods in the cold-chain, because the perishable inventory is always in transit towards a final end-use, even when it is held in cold storage or other similar climate-controlled facility. The term freight is commonly used to describe the movements of flows of goods being transported by any mode of transportation.

Intermodal is a transportation method that uses multiple modes of transportation to move cargo. Very suitable for long-distance services, it is a cost-effective option and can save up to 30% on fuel costs. In the transportation industry, intermodal or ISO containers are the key to achieving strategic goals and regulating geographic traffic.

inter-是个词根，如interact, interchange, intercourse, international, interview等等。

Multi-modal container units, designed as reusable carriers to facilitate unit load handling of the goods contained, are also referred to as cargo, specially by shipping lines and logistics operators. Similarly, aircraft ULD [Unit Load Device] boxes are also documented as cargo, with associated packing list of the items contained within. When empty containers are shipped each unit is documented as a cargo and when goods are stored within, the contents are termed as containerised cargo.

Seaport terminals handle a wide range of maritime cargo.

• Break bulk cargo is typically material stacked on pallets [托盘;货板] and lifted into and out of the hold of a vessel by cranes on the dock or aboard the ship itself.
• Bulk cargo, such as salt, oil, tallow [动物脂], and scrap metal, is usually defined as commodities that are neither on pallets nor in containers.
• Container Cargo: Containers are the largest and fastest growing cargo category at most ports worldwide.
• Neo-bulk cargo comprises individual units that are counted as they are loaded and unloaded, in contrast to bulk cargo that is not counted, but that are not containerized.
• Project cargo and the heavy lift cargo include items like manufacturing equipment, air conditioners, factory components, generators, wind turbines, military equipment, and almost any other oversized or overweight cargo which is too big or too heavy to fit into a container.
• Roll-on/roll-off Cargo: Automobiles are handled at many ports and are usually carried on specialized roll-on/roll-off ships. 

所谓的“滚装船”。roll: 

[SOMETHING WITH WHEELS] [I,T always + adverb/preposition]
to move on wheels, or make something that has wheels move

• roll into/forwards/past etc
  • 　Her car was slowly rolling away from the curb.
• roll sth to/around etc sth
  • 　The waitress rolled the dessert trolley over to our table.

Air cargo, commonly known as air freight, is collected by firms from shippers and delivered to customers. Aircraft were first used for carrying mail as cargo in 1911. There are many commercial aircraft suitable for carrying cargo such as the Boeing 747 and the bigger An-124, which was purposely built for easy conversion into a cargo aircraft. Such large aircraft employ quick-loading containers known as unit load devices (ULDs), much like containerized cargo ships. The ULDs are located in the front section of the aircraft.

China's first indigenously-developed heavy military transport aircraft, Y-20, was built by Xi'an Aircraft Industry (Group), a part of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). It is also the biggest domestic strategic airlifter ever built in China.

The aircraft measures 44m to 47m in length and 18m-high, and has a wingspan of 50m. The maximum take-off weight of the aircraft is approximately 220t and the maximum payload carrying capacity is 66t. 有6~7层楼高(层高不到3米)！一天一斤粮食，80年才14.6吨。66吨是13.2万斤。

Xian Y-20 Heavy Military Transport Aircraft - Airforce Technology (airforce-technology.com)

An airlifter is an aircraft used to transport cargo or passengers to or from an often otherwise inaccessible area. 空投？

六级/考研单词: cargo, convey, freight, van, lorry, perish, inventory, transit, multiple, regulate, interact, intercourse, carrier, logistics, likewise, parcel, maritime, bulk, stack, vessel, crane, dock, aboard, scrap, commodity, comprise, manufacture, equip, component, militant, automobile, convert, aviation, liberty