Glossary of Freight and Logistics Terms
Navigate the logistics industry confidently with our easy-to-use glossary of essential terms.
A
- Accessorial: Additional carrier services beyond basic shipping for an extra fee.
- Air Cargo: Freight transported by airplanes.
B
- Backhaul: Return shipment allowing carriers to avoid empty trucks.
- Bill of Lading (BOL): Document proving cargo pick-up and shipment details.
- Bobtail: Truck operating without a trailer.
C
- Capacity: Availability of transportation equipment.
- Carrier Arrival Notice: Notification of shipment arrival sent by carriers.
- Chassis: Frame equipment for container road transport.
- Chassis Split: Fee for moving chassis to a container location.
- Claim: Compensation request for cargo loss or damage.
- Consignee: Recipient of goods at the destination.
- Consignor: Sender of shipment.
- Commercial Driver's License (CDL): Certification required to operate commercial vehicles.
- Containers: Steel units for ocean and rail shipments.
- Cross Dock: Facility for transferring goods between trucks directly.
- Customs Broker: Firm handling import/export documentation and clearance.
D
- Deadhead: Traveling without cargo.
- Demurrage: Port storage fee after free days expire.
- Detention: Charges for loading/unloading delays beyond appointment times.
- Discharge: Unloading containers from vessels.
- Distribution Center (DC): Facility for goods storage and distribution.
- Domestic Transportation: Freight moving within the United States.
- Drayage Transportation: Short-distance goods transportation.
- Driver Assist: Loads requiring driver participation in loading/unloading.
- Drop Trailer: Arrangement leaving trailers for loading/unloading without driver waiting.
- Dry Run: Unsuccessful pickup/delivery attempt.
- Dry Van: Standard enclosed freight trailer.
E
- ELD: Device electronically recording drivers' service hours.
- ERD: Earliest date to return loaded containers to port.
- ETA/ETD: Estimated time of arrival/departure.
- Export: Goods shipped out of the U.S.
G
- Gate In/Out: Container entry/exit at port.
- Gross Weight: Combined weight of vehicle and cargo.
H
- HAZMAT: Hazardous material requiring special transportation endorsements.
- Headhaul: Outbound shipment from carrier's origin.
- Hot Load: Time-sensitive shipment.
- Hours of Service (HOS): Maximum legal driving hours for truck drivers.
- HRHV: High-risk, high-value shipment.
I
- Import: Goods entering the U.S.
- Intercompany: Business transactions between company divisions.
- Intermodal: Using multiple transportation methods.
- Interstate Carrier: Carrier operating across state/province lines.
- Intrastate Carrier: Carrier operating within one state.
- In-Gate: Returning containers to port.
L
- Layover: Overnight delay in unloading/loading.
- Last Free Day: Last day before port storage charges apply.
- Less Than Container Load (LCL): Partial container cargo.
- Liftgate: Platform assisting freight loading/unloading.
- Load: Freight shipment.
- Loading Dock: Facility platform for goods transfer.
- Local Drivers: Drivers operating in limited city radius.
- Logistics: Planning/execution of goods movement.
- Lumper: Third-party unloading personnel.
M
- Motor Carrier: Entity responsible for freight transportation.
N
- Net Weight: Weight of goods without vehicle.
O
- Overseas Agent: Foreign freight handler.
- Out-Gate: Container removal from port.
P
- Packing List: Document detailing shipment contents.
- Per Diem: Daily container rental fee beyond free days.
- Permits: Required for oversized/overweight freight.
- Place of Delivery: Final delivery location.
- Port Cut: Latest date container can enter port.
- Port of Discharge: Location where cargo is unloaded.
- Pre-Alert: Advance shipment notification.
- Pre-Book: Shipment booked far in advance.
- Preset Appointment: Scheduled loading/unloading times before shipment acceptance.
- Private Carrier: Owned by shipper, no fees for owner.
- Proof of Delivery (POD): Signed confirmation of cargo receipt.
R
- Rate to Customer: Customer billing amount for freight.
- Redelivery/Additional Mileage: Fee charged for rerouted delivery.
- Reefer (Refrigerated Trailer): Temperature-controlled trailer.
- Rejected: Cargo refused by receiver.
- Route Optimization: Determining most efficient shipment route.
S
- Seal: Device securing trailer cargo.
- Shipper: Cargo origin facility.
- Steamship Line (SSL): Company owning sea transport vessels.
- Swing Doors: Trailer doors opening outward.
- Stop Off: Delivery split between multiple locations.
- Supply Chain Management: Coordinating goods production and delivery.
T
- Tare: Vehicle weight without cargo.
- Tarp Fee: Charge for cargo requiring tarps.
- TEU: Standard container volume measure (20-foot equivalent unit).
- Third Party Logistics Provider (3PL): Broker coordinating between customers and carriers.
- TONU (Truck Ordered Not Used): Charges for canceled shipments after dispatch.
- Tracking: Monitoring cargo progress.
- Trailers: Vehicles towed by trucks carrying freight.
- Triaxle: Chassis with three axles for heavier loads.
- Transload: Transferring cargo from containers to trucks.
- TWIC Card: Security credential required for maritime workers.
W
- Warehouse: Facility storing goods.
- Yard Storage: Container storage in trucker’s yard to avoid port storage charges.
