Glossary

The carrier offers special services for an additional fee.

Freight shipping using planes instead of trucks, boats, or trains.

After delivering a shipment, drivers may return to their origin with an empty trailer. A backhaul is a shipment picked up near the original delivery point, destined for a facility near the point of origin, allowing carriers to earn money by avoiding empty trips.

When a driver picks up a load, the shipper provides a BOL, serving as proof of receipt for shipment details. The driver signs it, becoming responsible for delivering the goods in the same condition as loaded into the trailer.

A truck (tractor) traveling without a trailer. A fee is charged when the truck picks up a trailer not belonging to the trucker.

The availability of equipment in a specific region.

A document sent by the ocean freight forwarder, freight carrier, or agent to the consignee or Notify Party, indicating the shipment's arrival date at a specific location, typically the destination.

Critical equipment in drayage, besides the truck, connected to transport containers over the road.

Occurs when the container is not in the same place as the chassis. The trucking company may charge a chassis split fee to cover bringing the chassis to the container location.

Request for compensation for damage or loss of product.

The party to whom ownership of goods transfers when the cargo is released at the destination.

The sender in a contract of carriage, sending a shipment for delivery by land, sea, or air.

Required for operating a commercial motor vehicle. Drivers must pass a written test and demonstrate safe operation.

Constructed of corrugated steel; shipped via rail or on ocean vessels.

Unloading products from a truck or railroad car, sorting, and directly reloading onto outbound trucks or rail cars to consolidate transport for products going to the same destination.

Represents importers/exporters in dealings with customs, responsible for obtaining and submitting documents, arranging transport, and paying related charges.

Miles covered without hauling a load.

Fee charged by the terminal if cargo remains at the port after the last free day; also known as storage.

An accessorial fee may be charged if the driver waits more than two hours past the appointment or check-in time for loading or unloading.

Unloading a container from the vessel into the port; constant monitoring to check its availability.

A facility for storing and distributing goods.

Information needed by the Warehouse/Customer to send to the Steamship Line for the container, specifying when the empty container must be at the warehouse.

Movement of freight within the United States.

Short-distance movement of goods as part of the larger intermodal transportation process.

Loads requiring the driver’s assistance with loading or unloading tasks.

An arrangement where the carrier leaves an empty trailer for loading and replaces it with a new one for transport to the destination.

When a trucker cannot successfully complete the pickup or delivery of a shipment; full price is charged for the extra trip.

Versatile trailers used for various freight types, often with a wooden floor and walls.

Electronic logging device monitoring a driver’s duty status, location, and hours of service; federally mandated since December 2017.

Earliest return date; the earliest a loaded container can be gated into the port.

Estimated time of arrival.

Estimated time of departure.

A shipment leaving the U.S.

Code on the Arrival Notice identifying customs clearance location and freight availability.

Trailers for hauling bulky or heavy items, secured with tarps or chains.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; regulates the U.S. trucking industry.

Matches shippers with carriers; finds trucks, trains, planes, or boats for moving freight.

Ocean shipment where cargo fills a full container. GATE IN: Entry of the full container (exports) or empty container (imports) into the port/terminal.

Exit of the full container (imports) or empty container (exports) from the port/terminal.

Combined weight of tractor, trailer, and loaded materials.

Endorsement required for drivers delivering hazardous materials.

The load a carrier hauls away from its home base. HOT

Time-sensitive shipment with ASAP delivery or the first shipment for a new customer.

Legal limit to consecutive hours a driver can be on duty before rest. HRHV: Term for high-risk, high-value shipments exceeding $100,000.00; typically expedited and prone to theft.

A shipment entering the U.S.

Doing business between different divisions within a company (e.g., drayage handling part of an international shipment).

Freight shipped using two or more modes of transportation (e.g., truck-rail truck).

Authorized to operate between U.S. states or provinces in Mexico and Canada.

Operates entirely within a single state.

Returning containers to the port.

A load where the driver, on time for pickup or delivery, cannot be loaded/unloaded that day and must wait until the following day to be offloaded.

The final day a container is at the port before accruing storage fees; the goal is to pull the container by the LFD.

Ocean shipment where cargo doesn’t fill a full container; goods for different consignees are consolidated.

A lift on some trucks assisting with freight on/offloading, often used instead of a loading dock.

Another term for shipment, referring to the transported commodity.

A facility platform for loading and unloading goods from trucks.

Operate within a small city radius and often use smaller vehicles.

Planning and executing the movement of goods from one location to another.

Third-party workers charging the driver to offload the trailer, typically in food/beverage warehouses.

Entity responsible for moving freight using trucks, trains, planes, or boats.

Weight of shipped goods excluding truck weight.

Foreign freight handler, also known as a booking agent.

Pulling containers from the port.

Document for customs declaration and delivery orders, specifying quantity, weight, dimensions, and piece count within a container.

Fee charged by the ocean carrier for each day a container is away from the port beyond the free days.

May be required for overweight or oversized shipments, priced beforehand and included in the overall rate when quoting.

Location where goods will be delivered.

The latest date and time a loaded container can be gated into the port.

Location where a ship or aircraft unloads shipments.

Shipment notice sent by the origin freight forwarder to the destination.

Load booked well in advance of pickup.

Load with predetermined pickup/delivery appointments.

Owned by the shipper and charges no fee to its owner.

Document confirming the load’s delivery condition.

Amount charged to the customer for the load.

Charge for delivering to a different facility than originally planned.

Temperature-sensitive trailer for perishable goods.

When a consignee refuses a delivered product.

Doors that roll up into the trailer, reducing floor space.

Determining the most efficient route for transporting goods.

Device securing trailer doors to prevent claims.

Point of origin for a load, where the driver picks up goods.

Company owning vessels for container transport.

Trailer doors that swing out, allowing for more freight.

Fee for splitting a shipment between two delivery locations.

Coordination of activities in the production and delivery of goods.

Total weight of tractor and trailer without loaded materials.

Charge for tarps on a load, especially for open deck shipments.

20ft. equivalent unit, measuring container volume.

Freight broker acting as an intermediary between customers and carriers.

Truck ordered but not used, charged when a load is canceled after dispatch.