While geared container ships are more flexible in that they can visit ports that are not equipped with pierside container cranes, they suffer from several drawbacks.[1] To begin with, geared ships will cost more to purchase than a gearless ship.[26] Geared ships also incur greater recurring expenses, such as maintenance and fuel costs.[26] The United Nations Council on Trade and Development characterizes geared ships as a "niche market only appropriate for those ports where low cargo volumes do not justify investment in port cranes or where the public sector does not have the financial resources for such investment".[26]