The term CARGO AMOUNT can be broken down into two parts: TON (3 letters) and BOATLOAD (8 letters). A TON is a unit of measurement used to measure the weight of an object, usually equal to 2, 000 pounds. A BOATLOAD is a large amount of cargo that can be carried by a boat. It is usually used to refer to a large quantity of goods, such as those transported by a ship or barge. Together, these two terms refer to the total amount of cargo that can be carried by a vessel.