Un granelero (en inglés bulk carriers) es un barco que se dedica al transporte de cargas secas a granel. Suele tratarse de un buque mercante de gran tamaño (hasta 200 000 tonelaje de peso muerto —TPM—), superando en algunos casos los 300 m de eslora, que normalmente navega a baja velocidad. Estos buques de transporte de carga sólida a granel son fácilmente identificables por tener una única cubierta corrida con varias escotillas (normalmente impares) y unas correderas a uno o ambos lados por donde corren la tapa o tapas de las escotillas. Los graneleros tipo panamax, como el resto de familias de este tipo de buques, tienen el máximo tamaño permitido para pasar por el canal de Panamá, con una serie de limitaciones de calado y manga, lo que equivale a 60-70 000 toneladas de peso muerto. Pueden transportar cereales, minerales o cargas mixtas (oil/bulk/ore carrier) (cargas secas y crudo). En el caso del transporte de cargas pesadas, sus bodegas están reforzadas para resistir golpes. Los cementeros y alumineros son un tipo especial de graneleros o bulk carrier, ya que son muy especializados. Suelen ser pequeños (6000 TPM) y tienen medios propios de carga y descarga mediante tuberías por medios neumáticos.

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A bulk carrier, bulk freighter, or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo, such as grains, coal, ore, and cement in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, economic forces have fuelled the development of these ships, causing them to grow in size and sophistication. Today's bulkers are specially designed to maximize capacity, safety, efficiency, and durability. Today, bulkers make up 15% - 17% of the world's merchant fleets and range in size from single-hold mini-bulkers to mammoth ore ships able to carry 400,000 metric tons of deadweight (DWT). A number of specialized designs exist: some can unload their own cargo, some depend on port facilities for unloading, and some even package the cargo as it is loaded. Over half of all bulkers have Greek, Japanese, or Chinese owners and more than a quarter are registered in Panama. South Korea is the largest single builder of bulkers, and 82% of these ships were built in Asia. A bulk carrier's crew participates in the loading and unloading of cargo, navigating the ship, and keeping its machinery and equipment properly maintained. Loading and unloading the cargo is difficult, dangerous, and can take up to 120 hours on larger ships. Crews can range in size from three people on the smallest ships to over 30 on the largest. Bulk cargo can be very dense, corrosive, or abrasive. This can present safety problems: cargo shifting, spontaneous combustion, and cargo saturation can threaten a ship. The use of ships that are old and have corrosion problems has been linked to a spate of bulker sinkings in the 1990s, as have the bulker's large hatchways, important for efficient cargo handling. New international regulations have since been introduced to improve ship design and inspection, and to streamline the process of abandoning ship.

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