A ferry crossing is a way of crossing of relatively small water barriers without a bridge being built. The ferry crossing consists of a ferry, one or several pairs of piers, and if necessary, a tow, place for winter parking in frozen water areas and access ways.

Ferries can be grouped in various ways. By location, they can be river and sea. By designation – automobile, railroad, cargo-and-passenger and passenger. They can also be grouped by driver type, material, self-propulsion and other features. For crossing large water barriers, in majority of cases self-propelled ferries are used.

It is necessary to note cargo ferries. Since ferry routes are short, delivery time from one bank to another is less. Cargo ferries make unnecessary transshipment operations when changing a vehicle. Owing to this, time is saved and material losses which are inevitable in case of transshipment are minimum or absent.

With the course of time and emerging of new technologies, ferries do not reach back. By contrast, they are developing and improving.