A
Accessorial Charges
Extra charges applied for services performed above what is considered standard.
Agent
When one party is authorized to transact certain business for the other.
Airbill
A shipping document used by carriers and indirect carriers for airfreight. It contains shipping instructions, a description of the commodity and applicable transportation charges. Airbills are not negotiable.
Airfreight Forwarding
All the activities required to organize the time-definite delivery of goods entrusted to an airfreight forwarder. The freight forwarder has the appropriate knowledge and contracts with all major airlines (commercial and cargo) and expedited ground providers. Representing the owner of the goods and protecting the owner’s interests, the airfreight forwarder recommends the best possible way to deliver the goods and tracks them up until the time of arrival.
B
Backhaul
The opposite of head haul. Traditionally referred to as the return trip of a transportation vehicle (usually a truck). Now, it generally refers to the least revenue-generating leg of a shipment haul. A backhaul can be with a full or partially loaded trailer.
Batch Picking
An order picking method where orders are grouped into small batches. An order picker will pick all orders within the batch in one pass.
Bill No Freight (BNF)
Entire shipment short.
Bill of Lading (B/L or BOL)
A legal document signed by the shipper and carrier tendering the responsibility of the freight to the carrier. The BOL states pertinent information for the shipment such as the complete address of the shipper and consignee, number of pieces, description, weight and any hazardous material information.
BNF
See Bill No Freight.
Bobtailing
Driving a tractor without a trailer attached.
Booking
An arrangement with a shipping company for the acceptance and carriage of freight.
Break a Trailer
Unload a trailer.
Break Terminal (Break-bulk)
The consolidation of freight from several terminals to build full loads that concentrate on longer haul lanes.
Broker
See Transportation Broker.
C
Carousel
A type of automated material handling equipment generally used for high-volume, small-parts order-picking operations.
Carrier
An individual, partnership or corporation engaged in the business of transporting goods.
Cash on Delivery
See COD.
City Dispatch
The part of the terminal operations charged with coordinating the pickup and delivery of shipments.
City Driver (P&D Driver)
A driver responsible for making pickups and deliveries from a specific terminal location. These drivers usually have a designated geographical operations area. A city driver typically makes deliveries in the morning and picks up freight in the afternoon.
City Loading Diagram
A form used by destination dock personnel to record each shipment on a city trailer as it is loaded. It must include the initials of each person loading the freight on the trailer. This form also includes such information as the date, trailer number, delivery area the P&D driver will be running, PRO number and the number of pieces in each shipment.
City Run (Pedal Run)
A route in which the driver stays within the boundaries serviced by the terminal.
Claim
A written request to a carrier from a shipper to be compensated for loss, damage, delay or overcharge of a package transported by that carrier.
COD (Cash on Delivery)
Refers to the payment for the goods being shipped. If this section of the Bill of Lading is filled in, the carrier cannot deliver the goods unless payment is collected at the time of delivery. This money is collected on behalf of the shipper.
Collect (COL)
Freight charges to be paid by the consignee upon delivery or charged to their established account.
Commercial Invoice/Pro Forma
The bill of sale featuring all relevant shipping information such as payment terms, quantities, prices, discounts and a complete description of the shipment.
Commodity
Goods shipped.
Common Carrier
Any person or company available to the general public for transportation of property by motor vehicle over regular or irregular routes in interstate and/or intrastate commerce.
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) introduced the Compliance, Safety, Accountability initiative (CSA) at the end of 2010 to help reduce accidents, injuries and fatalities through improvements in commercial motor vehicle safety. CSA includes safety performance measures and evaluations and seeks to identify and correct high-risk fleets and drivers.
Concealed Damage/Shortage
This is when the customer calls the carrier to declare an exception to their shipment after delivery has occurred and after the carrier has received a clear delivery receipt. The industry standard for reporting concealed damage is 5 days after delivery.
Condition of Contract
The terms and conditions established by the carriers for the carriage of goods. The conditions are printed on the airbill.
Consignee
The designated recipient (customer) of a shipment as indicated on the Bill of Lading.
Consignor
Synonym for shipper.
Consolidation
The act of combining multiple shipments into one larger shipment going to a specific destination.
Contract
A pricing program for a customer that must be approved and signed by an authorized representative of Regional Transportation and signed by the customer. This pricing contract takes precedence over tariff rates.
Cube
A term describing the space used in a trailer based on floor space and height.
D
Damage
Goods that sustain injury before, during or after transit, which can result in the shipper’s, consignee’s or carrier’s liability.
Dead Head (Dead-Heading)
A shipment from one terminal to another with no applicable freight charges. Also used to describe the return of an empty transportation container/trailer back to a terminal or facility (empty backhaul).
Declared Value (Code: “DEC”)
Documentation of the total dollar value of the goods being shipped by the shipper. This is necessary when the rates applied to a shipment are based on the value of the goods.
Dedicated Delivery
See Milk Run.
Delivery
The act of transferring freight from the carrier to the consignee.
Delivery Manifest
A listing of shipments loaded on a P&D unit for delivery.
Delivery Purpose Only (DPO)
Free astrays direct to consignees and/or designated salvage freight.
Delivery Receipt (DR)
A legal document signed by the consignee and Estes that completes the contract of carriage when the freight is received.
Department of Transportation (DOT)
The governing body for commerce that crosses state lines. Principally, this segment of the government regulates the interstate truck operations.
Destination Terminal (DT)
The terminal that will deliver the shipment within the geographical area that the terminal serves.
Direct Loading
The loading of shipments direct from one service center to another without an intermediate stop for rehandling.
Dispatch/Dispatcher
The scheduling and control of intercity traffic and intracity pickup and delivery; an individual tasked to assign available transportation loads to available drivers.
Disposition
Authorized instructions given to a common carrier regarding the movement of a shipment.
Distressed Freight
Any shipment that has a problem causing either a delay in delivery serviceor non-delivery.
Distribution
The activities associated with the movement of material—usually finished goods or service parts—from the manufacturer to the customer. Can include the following: assembly, transportation, warehousing, inventory control, material handling, order administration, site and location analysis, industrial packaging, data processing, and the communications network necessary for effective management.
Distribution Service
A service in which the carrier accepts one shipment from one shipper and, after transporting it as a single shipment, separates it into a number of parts at the destination and distributes them to many receivers.
Dock
A space used for receiving merchandise at a freight terminal.
Dock Personnel
Persons hired to load and unload freight from the trailers.
Dolly
An auxiliary axle assembly equipped with a fifth wheel (coupling device), for the purpose of converting a semi-trailer into a full-trailer (or for hauling multiple trailers behind a single power unit). The dolly, or converter dolly, is towed by a semi-trailer and supports the front of, and tows, another semi-trailer. Also known as a bogie.
DOT
See Department of Transportation.
DPO
See Delivery Purpose Only.
DR
See Delivery Receipt.
Drop Trailer
A situation where the carrier spots—or drops off—a trailer at the customer’s location for loading and/or unloading of freight without the carrier’s driver being present.
Drop Trailer Agreement
A mutual agreement in writing between the customer and Estes when a trailer is spotted for loading and/or unloading purposes.
Drum Truck
A manual device used to move metal and plastic drums.
Dunnage
Items such as scrap pallets or cardboard used to secure freight by filling in the spaces between boxes.
E
Eighteen Wheeler
Generally, a rig with 18 wheels. Some rigs can now have 26 or 34 wheels.
Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number, the EIN is used to identify a business entity.
Empties
Trailers without freight.
En Route
On the way to the destination.
Exclusive Use
Full use of a carrier’s trailer by one customer. No other customer’s freight is allowed on the trailer.
Expedite
Rush handling of a shipment.
F
FCL (Full Container Load)
The most common types of containers are 20′, 40′ and 40′ “High-Cube” containers.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCA)
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was established as a separate administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation. Its primary mission is to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses.
FEU (Forty-foot Equivalent Unit)
Two 20-foot containers or one 40-foot container equals an FEU.
FIFO
First-in-first-out. In warehousing, this describes the method of rotating inventory to use the oldest product first.
Fifth Wheel
A coupling device mounted to a tractor or a dolly that connects a semi-trailer and a tractor, or two semi-trailers. A semi-truck trailer is supported at the rear by its own wheels, and at the front by the fifth wheel, which is mounted to a tractor or dolly.
Fill Rate
A sales order processing measurement that quantifies the ability to fill orders. There are various ways of measuring fill rate. Line fill compares the number of line items shipped complete to the number of lines ordered (95 line items shipped complete out of 100 lines ordered would result in a 95% line fill rate).
Forklift (Tow Motor)
A motorized vehicle used to move freight that can't be handled with a dock cart.
Forklift Extensions
Longer blades that are attached to the regular blades of the forklift to enable it to move odd-shaped freight and long pallets.
Forklift Rug Pole
A specially designed forklift extension for moving rugs and large rolls of fabric.
Forty-Foot Equivalent Unit
See FEU.
Four-Wheeler
A car.
Free on Board (FOB)
The point at which the title of the goods passes from the shipper to the consignee.
Freight Charge
Payment due for freight transportation.
Freight Forwarder
The company authorized by a shipper to perform the services required to facilitate the export of items from the United States. This may include air couriers or carriers.
FSC
See Fuel Surcharge.
Fuel Surcharge (FSC)
An additional charge added to the freight bill for the price of fuel (per the National Fuel Index) to offset the high cost of fuel.
Full Trailer
A truck trailer with wheels on both ends (as compared to a semitrailer in which the front rests on the rear of the power unit).
G
Gaylord
The trade name for a large, reusable, standard-sized corrugated container used for shipping materials.
Gross Weight
The entire weight of a shipment including containers and packaging materials.
H
Hazardous Materials (Hazmat)
The Transportation Safety Act of 1974 defines hazardous material as “a substance or material in quantity and form which may pose an unreasonable risk to health and safety or property when transported in commerce.”
Hazmat Regulations
Standards set by the Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) Office of Hazardous Materials Transportation (OHMT) that regulates how hazardous materials are shipped.
Head Haul
The term used to define the highest revenue-generating shipping lane from shipper to consignee. Opposite of backhaul.
Head Load
The first load used to start a trailer.
High Value Freight
Freight with a value exceeding the limitations set in the EXLA 105 series rules tariff.
HOS
See Hours of Service.
Hostler
An individual employed to move trucks and trailers within a terminal or warehouse yard area. See yard jockey.
Hours of Service (HOS)
A ruling that stipulates the amount of time a driver is allowed to work, enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. On January 4, 2004, the HOS rule was changed from a driver being allowed to drive for 10 hours and break for eight consecutive hours, with 15 hours on duty in a day, to the current rule of driving for 11 hours and breaking for 10 consecutive hours, with 14 hours on duty.
I
Inbound
Freight moving toward a terminal.
Independent Service Contract
See ISC.
Inside Pickup and Delivery Service
Pickup or delivery service to locations other than the shipping dock.
Inspection
An examination to ascertain the quality, authenticity or conditions of an item or product.
Intact
To keep the shipment whole and/or undisturbed by shrink-wrap, banding, plastic straps or gaylords.
Interline Agreement
An arrangement between two or more road transport companies joining operations to bring cargo to a certain destination.
Interline Carrier
A carrier with whom another carrier has an interline agreement.
Interstate
Freight moving between states.
Intraregional
A haul moving within a region.
Intrastate
Freight moving within a state.
Inventory Management
The direction and control of activities that ensure the requirements for place, time, quantity, form and cost are all met.
ISC (Independent Service Contract)
A contract between a carrier and a shipper that, if executed in trade from or to the United States, must be filed with the Federal Maritime Commission and must include port pairs, minimum quantity commitment, rate levees and duration.
J
Jointline
Any shipment involving more than one carrier.
K
King Pin
A large steel pin located beneath the front of a trailer. The king pin fits down into the jaws on the fifth wheel of a tractor or a dolly, thereby hooking the tractor up to the trailer or the pup up to the first trailer.
Kitting
See Assembly.
L
LCL
Less-than-Container-Load
Left on Board (LOB)
Freight that has not been worked or taken off a trailer.
Legal Holidays
Any national, state, provincial or local legal holiday.
Less-than-Container-Load
See LCL.
Less-Than-Truckload (LTL)
Less than a truckload.
LGATE
See Lift Gate.
Lift Gate (Code: “LGATE”)
A power-operated tailgate capable of lifting a load from street level to the level of a truck or trailer floor or vice versa.
Line-haul
The movement of freight over the road/rail from the origin terminal to the destination terminal, usually over long distances.
Load Bars
Removable metal bars used to brace freight inside the trailer.
Load Lock
A device used to secure and brace freight in a trailer.
Load Manifest
See Manifest.
Load Racks
Racks used like shelves in a trailer to add an additional layer of loading space.
LOB
See Left on Board.
Local Pedal Run
A trailer loaded with numerous shipments that are to be delivered within the geographical area that a terminal services. Also referred to as a City Run.
Locator System
Inventory tracking systems that allow you to assign locations to your inventory to facilitate greater tracking and the ability to store product randomly. By using locator systems, you can increase space utilization by matching the physical characteristics of your product to a location whose physical characteristics meet those specified.
Log
A driver’s record of duty for hours of service.
Logistics
All activities involved in the management of product movement, including delivering the right product from the right origin to the right destination, with the right quality and quantity, at the optimal schedule and price.
Logistics Post Trailers
Trailers with slotted posts for attaching load beams for stacking and bracing to provide optimal freight protection.
Long-nose Conventional
A truck or tractor with a front bumper to back of cab dimensions (BBC) of 112″ or more.
Lot Labels
Labels attached to each piece of a multiple-lot shipment for identification purposes.
Low-Bed Trailer
See Lowboy.
Lowboy (Low-Bed Trailer)
An open truck trailer with a low platform height. It's designed for hauling heavy equipment.
LTL
See Less-Than-Truckload.
M
Manifest
A document that lists and describes in detail the goods on a vehicle's load. As a rule, agents at the place of loading draw up the manifest. Also referred to as the shipping document.
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
A document prepared by the manufacturer that provides detailed information on hazardous and nonhazardous materials, including potential hazardous effects, their physical and chemical characteristics, recommendations for appropriate protective measures, plus cleanup and disposal methods.
Milk Run
A pickup and/or delivery route involving several sequential stops. It usually refers to a regularly-run route, but it may also refer to a one-time run with several stops. Some consider a milk run to mean a route where shipments are delivered and inbound materials are picked up in the same run. Also known as dedicated delivery.
Moffit
A forklift attached to the back of a trailer to accomplish a ground drop.
MSDS
See Material Safety Data Sheets.
N
NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)
An agreement for free trade between the United States, Canada and Mexico that became effective in 1994.
National Fuel Index
Fuel surcharges are generally based on the National Fuel Index published by the U.S. Department of Energy every Monday. The index is based on several factors, including the average fuel costs by region. Whenever the cost of fuel exceeds a base range established by a carrier, a fuel surcharge may be added to base freight charges (before any accessorial charges).
National Motor Freight Classification
See NMFC.
NMFC (National Motor Freight Classification)
The NMFC item number is assigned according to commodity type and is used by LTL carriers to determine the level of rates for a shipment.
NOI (Not Otherwise Indicated)
The abbreviation used for chemicals that are either mixtures of hazardous materials or possibly new hazardous materials that have not been given their own proper shipping name. Also referred to as NOS (Not Otherwise Specified).
Non-Asset-Based Provider
A provider that does not have the assets (e.g., trucks, terminals, planes or warehouses) of a carrier. The non-asset provider supplies the Bill of Lading and assumes responsibility for a shipment, but uses the resources of asset-based carriers to provide physical pickup, line-haul and delivery service.
Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier
See NVOCC.
Nose
The front of the trailer closest to the tractor.
NVOCC (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier)
A firm that offers the same services as an ocean carrier, but which does not own or operate a vessel. NVOCCs usually act as consolidators, accepting small shipments (LCL) and consolidating them into full container loads. They then act as shippers, tendering the containers to ocean common carriers. NVOCCs are required to file tariffs with the Federal Maritime Commission and are subject to the same laws and statutes that apply to primary common carriers.
O
Outbound
Freight on a trailer that's moving out from a terminal.
Over Without Bill (OWB)
See Overage.
Overage
A situation where there is more freight than is specified on the freight bill.
Overflow
Added freight that, due to capacity, could not be loaded with the rest of the shipment in the original load.
P
P&D
Pickup and delivery. This is the local movement of freight between the shipper (or pickup point) and the origin terminal or between the destination terminal and the consignee (or delivery point).
Packing List or Packing Slip (Code: “PSA”)
A document provided by the shipper that travels with the freight and usually lists the contents of the shipment. It may be attached to the freight and/or the Bill of Lading or sent with the shipment as an additional piece of freight.
Pallet (Code: “PLT”)
A wooden frame, typically 48″ × 48″ used for unitizing freight.
Pallet Deck
See Load Racks.
Pallet Jack
A manual device with fork extensions that can be positioned under a pallet to move it from one location to another.
Palletized Freight
Freight that is being shipped on a pallet.
Payload
The total weight of the commodity carried on a truck at a given time, including packaging, banding, etc.
Pedal Run
See Local Pedal Run or City Run.
Perishables
Any goods transported that are subject to deterioration or spoiling if not used for their intended purpose within time restraints. (Examples: foodstuffs, drugs, flowers, flower bulbs, etc.)
Pick and Pack
A process, usually done in a warehouse facility, wherein a company or third party organization (usually from a warehouse facility) accepts retail orders, picks products from inventory, packs them and then ships them to an end user.
Pick Up
The act of transferring freight from the shipper to the carrier, ultimately delivering the freight to the consignee.
Pigtail
A cable used to transmit electrical power from the tractor to the trailer. It is so named because it's coiled like a pig’s tail.
Point of Origin
The terminal at which freight is received from the shipper.
Proof of Delivery (POD)
Information supplied by the carrier containing the name of the person who signed for the shipment, the time and date of delivery, and other shipment delivery-related information.
Pup
A 28-foot trailer.
Q
R
Rates
The basic cost of a shipment, excluding accessorial charges.
Reconsignment
Any changes made in the consignment of a shipment before delivery is accomplished.
Return to Shipper
A shipment being sent back to the shipper with or without freight and accessorial charges.
Returns
See Reverse Logistics.
Reverse Logistics
Sometimes called returns, the service that enables end users to reposition used, damaged or outdated products or reusable packaging. These items are retrieved from end users, consolidated and delivered back to the requestor’s centralized receiving locations.
Road Driver
A driver that does not usually perform the final delivery of the freight. Instead, road drivers haul the freight from terminal to terminal, generally during the night.
S
Safety Stock
A quantity of inventory used in inventory management systems to allow for deviations in demand or supply.
Salvage
The portion of damaged goods or property that has been saved or recovered.
Seal Intact
An unbroken seal placed on a trailer door.
Semi
A truck trailer with no front-end axle. A king pin underneath the front end of the trailer attaches to a fifth wheel allowing that end of the trailer to rest on a tractor or a dolly. It's supported at the rear by its own wheels.
Shipment
A single consignment of one or more pieces from one shipper at one address. Shipments are signed for in one lot and move on one waybill or airbill to one receiver at one destination.
Shipper
The person/company that gives the shipment to the carrier for delivery to the consignee; the person/company shipping the freight.
Shipper’s Load and Count (SLC)
The standard Bill of Lading and manifest clause used by mutual agreement of both shipper and carrier for containerized cargo that's loaded and sealed by the shipper. As a result, the piece count in the container is not checked or otherwise verified by the carrier.
Shipper’s Load and Count Agreement
A mutual agreement in writing between the shipper and the carrier. It's signed when a trailer is dropped for the shipper to load the freight without a driver being present.
Shipping Document
See Manifest.
Shortage
A situation that occurs when a shipment has fewer pieces than called for on the freight bill.
Shrink-Wrap
See Stretch-Wrap.
Skid (SK)
See Pallet.
SLC
See Shipper’s Load and Count.
Sleeper
A truck tractor with a sleeping compartment in the cab.
Sleeper Teams
Two drivers who operate a truck equipped with a sleeper berth. While one driver sleeps in the berth to accumulate mandatory off-duty time, the other driver operates the vehicle.
Sliding Tandem (Slider)
A mechanism that allows a tandem axle suspension to be moved back and forth at the rear of a semi-trailer for adjusting the distribution of weight between the axles and fifth wheel.
Spotting
Placing a container in a required place for loading or unloading.
Spread Axle (Spread Tandem)
A tandem axle assembly spaced further apart than the standard spacing of 54 inches. The U.S. federal bridge formula favors trailer axles with an 8-or-9 foot spread by allowing higher weight than on tandems with standard spacing.
Stop-Offs
Truckload shipments with multiple stops delivered in sequence.
Storage Charges
Costs that begin to accrue after the shipper has been notified of nondelivery and has not provided disposition.
Straight Truck
A vehicle with a cargo body and cab mounted on the same chassis.
Stretch-Wrap
A protective layer of stretchy plastic wrapping, usually clear, used to hold cartons and products together in transit. It shrinks slightly after it's applied, and is commonly used to secure product to skids. Also known as shrink-wrap.
Stripping
The act of unloading a trailer.
Supply Chain
The organization of processes for moving goods from the order through the raw materials stage, assembly, supply, production and final distribution to the customer.
SWS
Unitized freight on skids wrapped in plastic.