Glossary of Logistics Terms

A

🔹 Accessorial – Special services provided by the carrier for an additional fee.
🔹 Air Cargo – Freight shipping that uses planes instead of trucks, ships, or trains.

B

🔹 Backhaul (Inbound) – A return shipment picked up after a delivery, reducing empty miles and maximizing efficiency.
🔹 Bill of Lading (BOL) – A legal document issued by the shipper, serving as proof of receipt and shipment details.
🔹 Bobtail – A truck operating without a trailer, often involving an additional fee.

C

🔹 Capacity – The availability of trucks and equipment in a specific region.
🔹 Carrier Arrival Notice – A document notifying the consignee of a shipment’s arrival.
🔹 Chassis – A wheeled frame used to transport shipping containers.
🔹 Chassis Split – A fee charged when a chassis must be transported separately to a container’s location.
🔹 Claim – A request for compensation due to damaged or lost goods.
🔹 Consignee (Buyer) – The person or business receiving the cargo.
🔹 Consignor (Seller) – The person or company shipping the cargo.
🔹 Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) – A mandatory license for operating commercial vehicles.
🔹 Containers – Standardized metal boxes used for transporting goods via rail, sea, or truck.
🔹 Cross Dock – A logistics process where products are transferred directly from inbound to outbound transportation without long-term storage.
🔹 Customs Broker – A professional responsible for clearing shipments through customs.

D

🔹 Deadhead – Miles traveled by a truck without a load.
🔹 Demurrage – A fee charged when cargo remains at a port beyond the allowed free time.
🔹 Detention – A fee for extended wait times during loading or unloading.
🔹 Discharge – The unloading of a container from a vessel at a port.
🔹 Distribution Center (DC) – A warehouse used to store and distribute goods.
🔹 Domestic Transportation – The movement of freight within the United States.
🔹 Drayage Transportation – Short-distance transport of goods, usually between a port and a nearby location.
🔹 Drop Trailer (Drop/Pick or Drop/Hook) – An arrangement where a carrier leaves a trailer for the shipper to load at their convenience.

E

🔹 ELD (Electronic Logging Device) – A digital tool that records a driver’s hours of service.
🔹 ERD (Earliest Return Date) – The earliest a loaded container can be returned to the port.
🔹 ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) – The expected time a shipment will reach its destination.
🔹 ETD (Estimated Time of Departure) – The scheduled time a shipment leaves its origin.
🔹 Export – The process of shipping goods out of the country.

F

🔹 FCL (Full Container Load) – A shipment that occupies an entire container.
🔹 Flatbeds – Open trailers used to haul oversized or heavy cargo.
🔹 FMCSA – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which regulates trucking in the U.S.
🔹 Freight Broker – A company or individual that arranges transportation between shippers and carriers.

G

🔹 Gate In – The entry of a loaded container into a port or terminal.
🔹 Gate Out – The exit of a loaded container from a port or terminal.
🔹 Gross Weight – The total weight of a truck, trailer, and cargo combined.

H

🔹 Hazmat – Hazardous materials requiring special handling and transport.
🔹 Headhaul (Outbound) – The primary shipment a carrier moves away from its home base.
🔹 Hot Load – A time-sensitive shipment that requires urgent delivery.

I

🔹 Import – A shipment entering the country.
🔹 Intermodal – Freight transport using two or more modes, such as truck and rail.
🔹 Intrastate Carrier – A carrier operating within a single state.

L

🔹 Last Free Day (LFD) – The final day before demurrage fees begin at a port.
🔹 LCL (Less Than Container Load) – A shipment that does not fill an entire container, shared with other shipments.
🔹 Logistics – The planning and execution of freight transportation.

M

🔹 Motor Carrier – A company responsible for transporting freight.

N

🔹 Net Weight: Weight of the goods being shipped does not include truck weight.

O

🔹 Oversized Freight – Cargo that exceeds standard dimensions and requires special transport.
🔹 Out-Gate – The removal of a container from a port or terminal.

P

🔹 Packing List – A document detailing the contents of a shipment.
🔹 Per Diem – A daily charge for containers held beyond the allowed free days.
🔹 Port of Discharge – The port where cargo is unloaded from a ship.
🔹 Proof of Delivery (POD) – A signed document confirming shipment delivery.

R

🔹 Reefer (Refrigerated Trailer) – A temperature-controlled trailer for perishable goods.
🔹 Rejected Load – A shipment refused by the consignee.
🔹 Route Optimization – The process of determining the most efficient transportation route.

S

🔹 Seal – A tamper-evident device placed on trailer doors for security.
🔹 Shipper – The entity that sends cargo for transportation.
🔹 Steamship Line (SSL) – A company that owns vessels used for container shipping.
🔹 Supply Chain Management – The coordination of freight movement from production to delivery.

T

🔹 Tare Weight – The weight of a truck and trailer without cargo.
🔹 Third-Party Logistics Provider (3PL) – A company that manages logistics and freight on behalf of shippers.
🔹 Tracking – Monitoring a shipment’s progress in real-time.
🔹 Transload – The process of transferring cargo between different transportation modes.

W

🔹 Warehouse – A facility used for storing goods before distribution.

Y

🔹 Yard Storage – The temporary storage of containers at a trucking yard to avoid high port fees.