Lift-on/lift-off
Lift-On/Lift-Off or LoLo ships are vessels with on-board cranes to load and unload cargo. While the common abbreviation of Lift-On/Lift-Off is LoLo, it is sometimes abbreviated as LOLO, LO/LO or Lo/Lo. Ships with cranes or other cargo handling equipment on-board are also termed as geared vessels.
As container ships usually have no cranes or other mechanism to load or unload their cargo, they are unable to load or unload their cargo. Most container ships are therefore dependent on dockside container cranes to load and unload. However Lift-On/Lift-Off vessels can load and unload their own cargo unassisted. Lift-On/Lift-Off vessels can operate out of docks with no dockside cargo handling equipment.