Broken stowage refers to the unused or wasted cubic volume (space) within a shipping unit (such as a container or a vessel hold) that results from the irregular size, shape, or necessary orientation of the cargo.
This is unavoidable space that results because cargo rarely fits perfectly like geometric blocks. Commercial shippers and freight forwarders strive to minimize broken stowage because shipping rates are ultimately based on the total space reserved, meaning the shipper is paying for cubic volume they are not actively utilizing, resulting in higher freight costs.