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Freight & Logistics Glossary
Clear explanations of freight, transportation, warehousing, ports, shipping and logistics terminology.
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- 76 terms defined
- 15 categories
- 23 freight answers
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Every term opens with a one-sentence definition, then the detail, an example, related tools and the sources behind it. Filter by category or search above.
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- 20-ft ContainerA 20-ft container is a standard shipping container about 20 feet long and 8 feet wide, equal to one TEU, and often used for heavy, dense cargo.Containers · International Shipping
- 40-ft ContainerA 40-ft container is a standard shipping container about 40 feet long, 8 feet wide and 8 feet 6 inches tall, equal to two TEU.Containers · International Shipping
- 40-ft High Cube Container (40HC)A 40-ft high cube container is a 40-ft shipping container that is 9 feet 6 inches tall, one foot taller than a standard 40, with the same floor.Containers · International Shipping
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- Accessorial ChargeAn accessorial charge is a fee added to the base freight rate for extra services or events, such as detention, liftgate, inside delivery, redelivery or a residential stop.Freight Pricing · Trucking · LTL
- Advance Ship Notice (ASN)An advance ship notice (ASN) is the electronic message a shipper sends a receiver before delivery, describing what is on the truck pallet by pallet and carton by carton.Freight Documentation · Warehousing
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- Bill of Lading (BOL)A bill of lading (BOL) is the document a carrier issues for freight it receives: a receipt for the goods and the contract of carriage between the shipper and the carrier.Freight Documentation · Freight · Trucking · International Shipping
- Blocking and BracingBlocking and bracing is restraining cargo with structures placed against or around it, such as blocks, shoring bars (load bars) and bulkheads, so it cannot slide or tip.Cargo Handling · Equipment · Trucking
- Bonded WarehouseA bonded warehouse is a CBP-approved facility where imported goods are stored under customs control before duty is paid; duty is due when goods are withdrawn for consumption.Customs · Warehousing
- Break BulkBreak bulk has two meanings in freight: cargo that is not in containers and is handled piece by piece, and the act of splitting one large inbound shipment into smaller outbound loads.Freight · International Shipping · Warehousing
- Bridge FormulaThe federal bridge formula limits the weight on any group of two or more consecutive axles based on how many axles there are and how far apart they are, to protect bridges.Trucking · Equipment
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- Cargo SecurementCargo securement is restraining freight on or inside a vehicle, with walls, blocking, bracing, dunnage or tiedowns, so it cannot shift, tip or fall in transit.Trucking · Cargo Handling · Equipment
- Carmack AmendmentThe Carmack Amendment (49 U.S.C. 14706) is the federal law that makes interstate motor carriers liable for actual loss or injury to the property they transport, and sets minimum claim and lawsuit deadlines.Freight Recovery · Freight Documentation · Trucking
- Centralized Examination Station (CES)A centralized examination station (CES) is a privately operated facility where imported merchandise is made available to CBP officers for physical examination.Customs · Ports · Warehousing
- ChassisA chassis is a wheeled trailer frame built to carry a shipping container over the road; the container is locked onto it for drayage.Equipment · Drayage · Containers
- Chassis SplitA chassis split is a drayage move where the chassis and the container are at different locations, so the driver makes an extra stop to pick up or drop the chassis; truckers bill it as a chassis split fee.Drayage · Freight Pricing · Ports
- Commercial InvoiceA commercial invoice is the seller's invoice for imported goods; U.S. Customs uses it to identify, value and classify the merchandise.Freight Documentation · Customs · International Shipping
- ConsigneeThe consignee is the party a shipment is sent to, usually the buyer; the receiver is the facility where it is actually delivered, which is not always the same party.Freight Documentation · Freight · International Shipping
- Container Freight Station (CFS)A container freight station (CFS) is a facility where cargo is loaded into or unloaded from containers, typically to consolidate or split less-than-container-load (LCL) shipments.Ports · Warehousing · International Shipping · Customs
- Container SealA container seal is a numbered, tamper-evident device locked through a container's door hardware after loading, so anyone receiving the box can check that it was not opened on the way.Containers · Customs · Freight Documentation
- Cross-DockingCross-docking is moving freight from inbound trucks or containers straight onto outbound trucks at a dock, with little or no time in storage.Warehousing · Cargo Handling · Freight
- Cubic Meter (CBM)A cubic meter (CBM) is the unit of volume used across ocean freight: a space 1 meter long, 1 meter wide and 1 meter high, about 35.31 cubic feet.International Shipping · Freight Pricing · Containers
- Customs BondA customs bond is a financial guarantee filed with CBP that the importer will pay duties, taxes and charges and meet its customs obligations; imported goods are generally not released without one.Customs · International Shipping
- Customs BrokerA customs broker is a person or company licensed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to conduct customs business, such as filing entries and paying duties, on behalf of importers.Customs · International Shipping · Freight Documentation
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- Delivery Order (D.O.)A delivery order (D.O.) is a document issued by the consignee or its customs broker that authorizes release of import cargo to the inland carrier who will pick it up.Freight Documentation · Ports · Drayage
- DemurrageDemurrage is a charge for a loaded container that stays at the marine terminal after its free time runs out.Ports · Containers · Freight Pricing · International Shipping
- DetentionDetention is a charge for holding equipment beyond the free time allowed: in ocean shipping, for keeping the carrier's container out too long (often called per diem); in trucking, for keeping a truck and driver waiting at a shipper or receiver.Ports · Trucking · Freight Pricing · Containers
- DevanningDevanning is unloading freight from a shipping container, also called stripping or container unloading.Cargo Handling · Containers · Warehousing
- Dimensional WeightDimensional weight is a billing weight calculated from a package's size, length x width x height divided by a carrier's divisor; carriers charge the higher of dimensional and actual weight.Freight Pricing · Freight
- Distribution Center (DC)A distribution center (DC) is a warehouse that holds inventory and ships it out to stores or customers as orders come in.Warehousing · Freight
- DrayageDrayage is the short-distance truck move of ocean or rail freight, such as hauling a container from a marine terminal to a warehouse.Drayage · Ports · Trucking
- Dry VanA dry van is an enclosed, non-refrigerated box trailer for general freight; the 53-ft dry van is the most common on U.S. highways.Equipment · Trucking · FTL
- DunnageDunnage is loose material used to support and protect cargo, such as boards, blocks, void fill and inflatable dunnage bags placed between articles or between cargo and the vehicle wall.Cargo Handling · Equipment · Containers
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- Floor-Loaded FreightFloor-loaded freight is cartons stacked directly on the floor of a container or trailer, without pallets underneath.Containers · Cargo Handling · Warehousing
- Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ)A foreign-trade zone (FTZ) is a site licensed by the Foreign-Trade Zones Board where imported goods can be stored, handled or manufactured under special customs procedures, with duty deferred until they enter U.S. commerce.Customs · Warehousing · International Shipping
- Free TimeFree time is the number of days a container can stay at the terminal, or stay out with the importer, before demurrage or detention begins; the last free day (LFD) is the final day of it.Ports · Containers · Freight Pricing
- Freight BrokerA freight broker arranges truck transportation for compensation, for shippers or carriers, without being the motor carrier that moves the freight; brokers must be registered with the FMCSA.Trucking · Freight
- Freight ClassFreight class is the category from 50 to 500 that the National Motor Freight Classification assigns to a commodity for LTL pricing, based on density, handling, stowability and liability.LTL · Freight Pricing · Freight
- Freight ConsolidationFreight consolidation is combining several smaller shipments into one larger load, such as several LTL shipments into one truckload, so they move together.Freight · Warehousing · LTL
- Freight DensityFreight density is the weight of a handling unit divided by the space it occupies, usually stated in pounds per cubic foot (pcf).LTL · Freight · Freight Pricing
- Freight ForwarderA freight forwarder arranges the transportation of other people's shipments, often consolidating them; U.S. law defines surface freight forwarders and ocean freight forwarders separately.International Shipping · Freight · Freight Documentation
- Freight ReworkFreight rework is the physical correction of a shipment that a carrier, receiver or retailer will not accept as it is, such as restacking shifted pallets, rebuilding broken ones, relabeling or sorting mixed freight.Freight Recovery · Cargo Handling · Warehousing
- Full Truckload (FTL)Full truckload (FTL) is a shipment that has a trailer to itself, usually moving directly from pickup to delivery without being handled at terminals in between.FTL · Trucking
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- Importer of Record (IOR)The importer of record (IOR) is the party responsible for an import entry: making sure it is correct and that duties, taxes and fees are paid.Customs · International Shipping
- Importer Security Filing (ISF)The Importer Security Filing (ISF, often called 10+2) is advance shipment data that must be filed electronically with CBP for ocean cargo bound for the U.S., generally no later than 24 hours before it is loaded on the vessel at the foreign port.Customs · Freight Documentation · International Shipping
- ISPM 15ISPM 15 is the international standard for wood packaging material, such as pallets, crates and dunnage, that requires it to be heat-treated or fumigated and marked before it moves in international trade.International Shipping · Customs · Equipment
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- LayoverA layover is a charge for a driver and truck held overnight or for a long unplanned stop because a load could not be picked up or delivered as scheduled.Trucking · Freight Pricing
- Less-Than-Truckload (LTL)Less-than-truckload (LTL) is freight shipping in which several shippers' shipments share one trailer, each paying for its portion, and the freight moves through the carrier's terminals.LTL · Trucking · Freight Pricing
- Load ShiftA load shift is freight moving from its loaded position inside a trailer or container during transit, such as pallets sliding, leaning or toppling, enough to change the load's stability or weight distribution.Freight Recovery · Trucking · Cargo Handling
- LumperA lumper is a third-party worker hired to load or unload a truck, usually at a receiving warehouse; the charge for that labor is the lumper fee.Trucking · Cargo Handling · Freight Pricing
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- NMFCThe National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) is the standard, published by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association, that LTL carriers use to assign freight classes to commodities.LTL · Freight Documentation · Freight Pricing
- NVOCCAn NVOCC (non-vessel-operating common carrier) is an ocean carrier that issues its own bills of lading and acts as the carrier to its customers, but does not operate the ships.International Shipping · Freight Documentation
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- Out-of-Gauge Cargo (OOG)Out-of-gauge (OOG) cargo is freight too long, wide or tall to fit inside a standard container, so it travels on a flat rack or in an open-top container with parts extending beyond the normal container outline.Containers · International Shipping · Cargo Handling
- Overages, Shortages and Damages (OS&D)Overages, shortages and damages (OS&D) is the receiving record of freight that arrived over the expected count, short of it, or damaged.Freight Documentation · Freight Recovery · Warehousing
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- Packing ListA packing list is a document that details what is in each package of a shipment: the contents, quantities and, usually, the weights and dimensions of each carton or pallet.Freight Documentation · International Shipping · Customs
- PalletA pallet is a flat, portable platform, usually wood, with a top deck and a bottom structure that lets a stack of freight be lifted and moved as one unit by forklift or pallet jack.Equipment · Cargo Handling · Warehousing
- Port of EntryA port of entry is a place officially designated where U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers can accept entries of merchandise and collect duties.Customs · Ports · International Shipping
- Pre-PullA pre-pull is picking up a container from the port before its delivery day and parking it at the trucker's yard until the delivery appointment.Drayage · Ports · Freight Pricing
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- ReeferA reefer is a refrigerated container or trailer with its own cooling unit, used to move freight that must stay at a controlled temperature.Equipment · Containers · Trucking
- RepalletizingRepalletizing is moving freight onto a new or different pallet, or building loose cartons onto pallets, so the load is stable, meets the receiver's pallet rules and can be moved by forklift.Cargo Handling · Freight Recovery · Warehousing
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- ShipperThe shipper is the party that tenders goods for transportation, usually the seller; in trucking the shipper is also called the consignor.Freight Documentation · Freight
- Shipper Load and Count (SLC)Shipper load and count (SLC or SL&C) is a bill of lading notation meaning the shipper loaded and counted the freight without the carrier's driver checking it.Freight Documentation · Trucking · Freight Recovery
- Shipping ContainerA shipping container is a standardized steel box, most often 20 or 40 feet long and 8 feet wide, built to move freight by ship, rail and truck without unloading the cargo between modes.Containers · International Shipping · Equipment
- SSCCAn SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code) is an 18-digit number that identifies one specific logistic unit, such as a pallet or a carton, usually printed as a GS1-128 barcode on its shipping label.Freight Documentation · Warehousing · Cargo Handling
- Street TurnA street turn is reusing an empty import container for an export load without first returning it to the terminal.Drayage · Containers · Ports
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- TEUA TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) is the standard unit for counting containers: one 20-ft container is 1 TEU and one 40-ft container is 2 TEU.Containers · Ports · International Shipping
- Third-Party Logistics (3PL)A third-party logistics provider (3PL) is a company that performs transportation, warehousing or other logistics services for a customer, work the customer might otherwise do itself.Freight · Warehousing
- Ti-HiTi-Hi describes how cases are stacked on a pallet: Ti (tier) is the number of cases on one layer, and Hi (high) is the number of layers.Cargo Handling · Warehousing · Freight Documentation
- TONUTONU (truck ordered, not used) is a charge a carrier bills when a truck is dispatched for a load that is canceled or not ready when the driver arrives.Trucking · Freight Pricing
- TransloadingTransloading is moving freight from one type of transport equipment to another on the way to its destination, such as from an ocean container into a domestic 53-ft trailer.Warehousing · Cargo Handling · Containers · Freight
- TWICA TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential) is the federal credential that workers, including truck drivers, need for unescorted access to secure areas of regulated port facilities and vessels.Drayage · Ports
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Start with these concepts
Concepts that come up on almost every import move through the Port Newark and Elizabeth corridor, picked by the dock team as a starting point.
- Cross-DockingMoving freight between trucks with little or no storage.
- TransloadingGetting freight out of an ocean container and onto domestic equipment.
- DrayageThe short truck move between the port and a warehouse.
- DemurrageThe charge for a loaded container left at the terminal.
- DetentionTwo meanings: container per diem, and truck driver wait time.
- Freight ClassHow LTL freight is classified from 50 to 500.
- Bill of LadingThe contract of carriage and receipt for the goods.
- ChassisThe wheeled frame a container rides on over the road.
Browse by category
Terms often belong to more than one category. Categories are listed here only when they hold terms.
Freight
Core freight concepts that cut across modes.
Trucking
Motor carriers, drivers, trucking rules and charges.
Warehousing
Storage, cross-docking, transloading and distribution.
- Advance Ship Notice
- Bonded Warehouse
- Break Bulk
- Centralized Examination Station
- Container Freight Station
- Cross-Docking
- Devanning
- Distribution Center
- Floor-Loaded Freight
- Foreign-Trade Zone
- Freight Consolidation
- Freight Rework
- Overages, Shortages and Damages
- Pallet
- Repalletizing
- SSCC
- Third-Party Logistics
- Ti-Hi
- Transloading
Ports
Marine terminals, port charges and port-side paperwork.
Containers
Ocean container types, sizes, weights and ratings.
Drayage
Short truck moves between the port, rail and warehouses.
Customs
CBP entry, bonds, holds, exams and customs warehouses.
International Shipping
Ocean shipping parties, documents and rules.
- 20-ft Container
- 40-ft Container
- 40-ft High Cube Container
- Bill of Lading
- Break Bulk
- Commercial Invoice
- Consignee
- Container Freight Station
- Cubic Meter
- Customs Bond
- Customs Broker
- Demurrage
- Foreign-Trade Zone
- Freight Forwarder
- Importer of Record
- Importer Security Filing
- ISPM 15
- Marine Terminal Operator
- NVOCC
- Out-of-Gauge Cargo
- Packing List
- Port of Entry
- Shipping Container
- TEU
- Verified Gross Mass
LTL
Less-than-truckload classification and pricing.
FTL
Full truckload moves and dedicated trailers.
Equipment
Trailers, chassis, pallets and securement gear.
Freight Pricing
How freight charges and accessorials are built.
Freight Documentation
Bills of lading, invoices, filings and labels.
Cargo Handling
Loading, unloading, palletizing and securing freight.
Freight Recovery
Shifted, damaged, refused or reworked freight.
Where to go next
- Freight Questions & AnswersPractical how, why and how-many questions, answered with sources.
- Freight ToolsFree calculators for freight class, pallets, CBM, dimensional weight and containers.
- Freight Emergency HelpShifted, rejected, overweight or damaged load: find the next step.
- Freight GuidesIn-depth guides on ports, demurrage, securement, rework and transloading.