| Ad Valorem |
In proportion to the value: A phrase applied to certain freight or customs duties levied on goods, property, etc. set as a percentage of their value. |
| ADR |
European standard for transportation of dangerous goods |
| Agency Fee |
Fee payable by a ship owner or ship operator to a port agent. |
| Agent (Agt.) |
A person authorized to transact business for, and in the name of, another person or company. |
| Aggregate Inventory |
The inventory for any group of items or products, involving multiple stock-keeping units. |
| Allocation |
The process of assigning activities, costs or facilities e.g. space to a certain organisational units |
| Allotment |
A share of the capacity of a means of transport assigned to a certain party, e.g. a carrier or an agent, for the purpose of the booking of cargo for a specific voyage. |
| Always Afloat (AA) |
Provision in a charter party, that the vessel must remain afloat at all times when unloading and discharging. |
| Amidships |
At or in the middle of a vessel |
| Arbitration |
The process of referring to an agreed person for judgement on issues of dispute, without requiring the use of courts. |
| Audit |
A methodical examination and review of a situation or condition (as within a business enterprise) concluding with a detailed report of findings |
| Authentication |
Proof by means of a signature or otherwise that a certain document or certain data is of undisputed origin and genuine. |
| Authorised |
A trader authorised by the European Commission (regulation 2454/93) |
| Authorization |
The commission to a certain person or body to act on behalf of another person or body. The person or body can be authorised e.g. to issue Bills of Lading or to collect freight |
| Automatic Identification |
A means of identifying an item e.g. a product, parcel or transport unit by a machine (device) entering the data automatically into a computer. The most widely used technology at present is bar code; others include radio frequency, magnetic stripes and optical character recognition |
| AWB |
Air waybill |
| Axle load |
Maximum load permitted to be carried on each axle of a motor vehicle. |
| Back Haul |
The return movement of a means of transport which has provided a transport service in one direction. |
| Back Letter |
Back letters are drawn up in addition to a contract in order to lay down rights and/or obligations between both contracting parties, which, for some reason cannot be included in the original contract. This expression is sometimes used for letters of indemnity, which are drawn up if the condition of the goods loaded gives rise to remarks and, nevertheless, the shipper insists upon receiving clean Bills of Lading. Letters of indemnity are only allowed in very exceptional circumstances. |
| Back Order |
A customer order or commitment, which is unfilled due to insufficient stock. |
| Backlog |
1. The quantity of goods still to be delivered, received, produced, issued, etc., for which the planned or agreed date has expired.
2. The total number of customer orders which have been received but not yet been shipped. |
| BAF |
Bunker Adjustment Factor |
| Bank Guarantee |
An undertaking by a bank to be answerable for payment of a sum of money in the event of non performance by the party on whose behalf the guarantee is issued. |
| Bar Code |
System of printed bars in able to scan to identify parcel and content |
| Basic Stock |
Items of an inventory intended for issue against demand during the |
| Batch |
A collection of products or data which is treated as one entity with respect to certain operations e.g. processing and production re-supply lead time |
| Batch pick |
Combining a group of orders into single picking to optimize productivity |
| Berth |
A location in a port where a vessel can be moored often indicated by a code or name. |
| Best Practice |
The provision to a client of examples and constructive consultation for improved logistics processes in the delivery of goods and services. |
| Bilateral Transport Agreement |
Agreement between two nations or partners concerning their transport or co operation relations. |
| Bill of Exchange |
An unconditional order in writing to pay a certain sum of money to a named person. |
| Bill of lading (B/L) |
Official legal document representing ownership of cargo, a negotiable document to receive cargo, and the contract for cargo between the shipper and the carrier. clause can be standard and can be pre-printed on the B/L. |
| Bill of Lading Clause |
A particular article, stipulation or single proviso in a Bill of Lading. |
| Bimodal Trailer |
1. A road semi-trailer with retractable running gear to allow mounting on a pair of rail boogies.
2. A trailer which is able to carry different types of standardised unit loads, (e.g. a chassis which is appropriate for the carriage of one FEU or two TEU's). |
| Bin pallet |
Four sided superstructure mounted on a pallet base with or without cover |
| Block stacking |
Floor storage usually with more than one tier in height |
| Block train |
Railcars grouped in a train by destination so that segments (blocks) can be uncoupled and routed to different destinations as the train moves through various junctions. Eliminates the need to break up a train and sort individual railcars at each junction. |
| Bona Fide |
In good faith; without dishonesty, fraud or deceit. |
| Bonded |
The storage of certain goods under charge of customs viz. Customs seal until the import duties are paid or until the goods are taken out of the country. 1.)Bonded warehouse (place where goods can be placed under bond). 2.)Bonded store (place on a vessel where goods are placed behind seal until the time that the vessel leaves the port or country again). 3.)Bonded goods (dutiable goods upon which duties have not been paid i.e. goods in transit or warehoused pending customs clearance). |
| Bonded warehouse |
Warehousing in transit, not customs cleared |
| Booking |
The offering by a shipper of cargo for transport and the acceptance of the offering by the carrier or his agent. |
| Booking number |
A reference number for bookings registered. It should be unique without duplication for a three-year period. |
| Booking Reference Number |
The number assigned to a certain booking by the carrier or his agent. |
| Bordereau |
Document used in road transport, listing the cargo carried on a road vehicle, often referring to appended copies of the road consignment note. |
| Bottleneck |
A stage in a process which limits performance. Note: Generally this is interpreted as a facility, function, department etc. that impedes performance, for example a warehouse or distribution centre where goods arrive at a faster rate than they can be transported or stored, thus causing stock-piling at improper moments or in unwanted areas. |
| Box |
Common term for an ocean going freight container. |
| Box Pallet |
Pallet with at least three fixed, removable or collapsible, vertical sides |
| Box truck/-trailer |
A closed truck/trailer |
| Break-bulk cargo |
Goods shipped loose in the vessel’s hold and not in a container. |
| Break-even Weight |
The weight at which it is cheaper to charge the lower rate for the next higher weight-break multiplied by the minimum weight indicated, than to charge the higher rate for the actual weight of the shipment. |
| Broker |
Person who acts as an agent or intermediary in negotiating contracts. |
| Brussels Tariff Nomenclature |
The old Customs Co-operation Council Nomenclature for the classification of goods. Now replaced by the Harmonised System |
| Bulk Cargo |
Unpacked homogeneous cargo poured loose in a certain space of a vessel or container e.g. oil and grain |
| Bulk Container |
A container designed for the carriage of free-flowing dry cargoes, which are loaded through hatchways in the roof of the container and discharged through hatchways at one end of the container. |
| Bulk storage |
Storing materials in larger quantities |
| Bulletin |
Specialised reports for specific activity related events. |
| Bunker |
(Tank) spaces on board a vessel to store fuel. |
| Bunker surcharge (BAF,BSC) |
Bunker Adjustment factor (BAF), or Bunker Surcharge (BSC) are surcharges assessed by the carrier to freight rates to reflect current cost of bunker |
| Bunkers |
Heavy oil used as fuel for ocean vessels. |
| Bureau Veritas |
French classification society. |
| Business Process Redesign (BPR) |
The process of redesigning business practice models including the exchange of data and services amongst the stakeholders (i.e. finance, merchandising, production, distribution) involved in the lifecycle of a client's product |
| Buyer |
Party to which merchandise is sold. |
| Cabotage |
1. Transport of goods between two ports or places located in the same country.
2. Transport of cargo in a country other than the country where the vehicle is registered road-cargo).
3. The carriage of a container from a surplus area to an area specified by the Owner of that container, in exchange of which and during which the operator can use this container. |
| CAD |
Cash against document |
| CAF |
Currency adjustment factor |
| Cargo Assembly |
The separate reception of parcels or packages and the holding of them for later despatch as one consignment (air cargo). |
| Cargo Disassembly |
The separation of one or more of the component parts of a consignment (from other parts of such consignment) for any purpose other than that of presenting such part or parts to customs authorities at the specific request of such authorities (air cargo). |
| Cargo Handling |
All procedures necessary to enable the physical handling of goods. |
| Cargo manifest |
A manifest that lists only cargo, without freight and charges. |
| Carrier |
Loading unit, trucker , haulier |
| CBM |
Cubic meter, volume factor |
| Certificate of origin |
Document certifying the country of origin of goods which is normally issued or signed by a Chamber of Commerce or Embassy |
| Charge |
An amount to be paid for carriage of goods based on the applicable rate of such carriage, or an amount to be paid for a special or incidental service in connection with the carriage of goods |
| CIM |
Convention Internationale Concernant le Transport des Marchandises par Chemin de Fer Abbreviation: CIM International agreement, applied by 19 European railway companies, setting out conditions for international railway transport of goods and the liabilities of the carrier. |
| Claim |
A charge made against a carrier for loss, damage or delay. |
| Clean Bill of Lading |
A Bill of Lading which does not contain any qualification about the apparent order and condition of the goods to be transported (it bears no stamped clauses on the front of the B/L). It bears no superimposed clauses expressly declaring a defective condition of the goods or packaging (resolution of the ICS 1951). |
| Clean on Board |
When goods are loaded on board and the document issued in respect to these goods is clean. Note: Through the usage of the UCP 500 rules the term has now become superfluous. |
| Cleared Without Examination Abbreviation: CWE |
Cleared by customs without inspection. |
| Client |
A party with which a company has a commercial relationship concerning the transport of e.g. cargo or concerning certain services of the company concerned, either directly or through an agent. |
| Closing date |
Last day on which export cargo can be accepted for a nominated Sailing |
| CMR |
Convention Relative au Contrat de Transport International de Marchandise par Route Abbreviation: CMR Convention for the international carriage of goods by road, setting out the conditions of carriage and the liabilities of the carrier. Note: Adherence to this set of regulations reflects a desire to standardise items such as documentation and rules on the carriers liability |
| COD |
Collect (cash) on Delivery |
| Code |
A character string that represents a member set of values. |
| Congestion |
Accumulation of vessels at a port to the extent that vessels arriving to load or discharge are obliged to wait for a vacant berth. |
| Consensus |
General agreement, characterised by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of concerned interests and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments. Consensus needs not to imply unanimity |
| Consignee |
The party such as mentioned in the transport document by whom the goods, cargo or containers are to be received. |
| Consignee / Consignor |
to receive or despatch Consignments under transit procedures without having to present goods and documents directly at the customs office |
| Consignment |
A separate identifiable number of goods (available to be) transported from one consignor to one consignee via one or more than one modes of transport and specified in one single transport document. |
| Consignment Stock |
The stock of goods with an external party (customer) which is still the property of the supplier. Payment for these goods is made to the supplier at the moment when they are sold (used) by this party. |
| Consolidate |
To group and stuff several shipments together in one container/trailer. |
| Consolidated cargo |
Cargo containing shipments of two or more shippers, usually shipped by a firm called a consolidator. The consolidator takes advantage of lower F.C.L. rates, and savings are passed on to shippers. |
| Container |
Carrier in different sizes, 20´, 40 ´usually used for sea transport |
| Contract Logistics |
The contracting out of all the warehousing, transport and distribution activities or a part thereof by manufacturing companies |
| Conveyor |
A mechanical device in the form of a continuous belt for transporting Cargo |
| Core Competence |
The combination of individual skills and use of technologies that underlay the various products and or services of a business. |
| Country of Despatch |
Country from which the goods are shipped. |
| Country of Origin |
Country in which the goods have been produced or manufactured, according to criteria laid down for the purpose of application of the customs tariff, of quantitative restrictions, or of any other measure related to trade. |
| Crate |
A sort of packing |
| CT |
Control tower |
| Cubic foot |
1,728 cubic inches. |
| Currency |
A medium of exchange of value, defined by reference to the geographical location of the authorities responsible for it (ISO4217). In general, the monetary unit involved in a transaction and represented by a name or a symbol. |
| Currency Adjustment Factor |
Abbreviation: CAF Adjustment applied by liner conferences on freight rates to offset losses or gains for carriers resulting from fluctuations in exchange rates of tariff currencies. |
| Custom house |
A country Treasury Department office where duties, etc., on foreign shipments are handled. |
| Customs bonded warehouse |
A public or privately owned warehouse where dutiable goods are stored pending payment of duty or removal under bond. The storage or delivery of goods are under the supervision of customs officers and if the warehouse is privately owned the keeper has to enter into a bond as indemnity in respect of the goods deposited, which may not be delivered without a release from the customs. |
| Customs Broker |
An authorised agent specialised in customs clearance procedures on account of importers/exporters. |
| Customs Clearance Agent |
Customs broker or other agent of the consignee designated to perform customs clearance services for the consignee. |
| Customs Invoice |
Document required by the customs in an importing country in which an exporter states the invoice or other price (e.g. selling price, price of identical goods), and specifies costs for freight, insurance and packing etc., terms of delivery and payment, for the purpose of determining the customs value in the importing country of goods consigned to that country. |
| Customs Value |
The worth of an item or group of items expressed in a monetary amount, within a consignment declared to Customs for duty and statistical reasons. |
| Cut-off time |
Lastest possible time the cargo may be delivered to the vessel or designated point. |
| Cwt. |
Hundredweight (U.S.A., 100 pounds; United Kingdom, 112 pounds |
| CY |
Container Yard. |
| CY/CFS |
Cargo loaded in a full container by a shipper at origin, delivered to pier facility at destination, and then devanned by the carrier for loose pick up. |
| CY/CY |
Cargo loaded by the shipper in a full container at origin and delivered to the carrier's terminal at destination for pick up intact by consignee. |
| Cycle Stock |
That portion of stock available or planned to be available in a given period for normal demand, excluding excess stock and safety stock. |
| D.W. |
Dead Weight. The number of tons a ship can transport of cargo, stores and bunker fuel. (Also see "Deadweight Tonnage") |
| Damage Report |
Form on which physical damage is recorded (e.g. containers). |
| Dangerous Goods |
The term used by I.M.C.O. for hazardous materials which are capable of posing a significant risk to health, safety or property while being transported. |
| Dangerous Goods Declaration |
Document issued by a consignor in accordance with applicable conventions or regulations, describing hazardous goods or materials for transport purposes, and stating that the latter have been packed and labelled in accordance with the provisions of the relevant conventions or regulations. |
| DDC |
Destination Delivery Charges. A charge assessed by the carrier for handling positioning of a full container. |
| Dead freight |
Slots paid for but not used. |
| Dead Space |
Space in a car, truck, vessel, etc., that is not utilized |
| Declaration of Origin |
Appropriate statement as to the origin of the goods, made in connection with their exportation by the manufacturer, producer, supplier, exporter or other competent person on the commercial invoice or any document relating to goods |
| Declared Value for Carriage |
The value of the goods declared to the carrier by the shipper for the purpose of determining charges or of establishing the limit of thecarrier's liability for loss, damage or delay. It is also the basis for possible applicable valuation charges (air cargo). |
| Decoupling Inventory |
A stock retained to make the independent control of two successive operations possible. |
| Default Charge |
A (standard) charge applicable for a trade, stretch or location. In the absence of specifics (not otherwise specified/enumerated) a general amount has been set. |
| Degroupage |
Splitting up shipments into small consignments. |
| Delay in Transit (DIT) |
Delay of shipment at the customer’s request |
| Delivery Instruction |
Document issued by a buyer giving instructions regarding the details of the delivery of goods ordered. |
| Delivery Note |
A document recording the delivery of products to a consignee (customer). |
| Delivery Order |
A document authorizing delivery to a nominated party of goods in the care of a third party. Can be issued by a carrier on surrender of a bill of lading and then used by the merchant to transfer title by endorsement. |
| Delivery Time |
The time between order and delivery |
| Demand |
The quantity of goods required by the market to be delivered in a particular period or at a specific date. |
| Demurrage |
Cost for delay in loading or unloading |
| Demurrage |
1. A variable fee charged to carriers and/or customers for the use of Unit Load Devices (ULD's) owned by a carrier beyond the free time of shipment.
2. Additional charge imposed for exceeding the free time, which is included in the rate and allowed for the use of certain equipment at the terminal. |
| Density of Commodity |
The mass of a commodity to its volume. |
| Depot |
The place designated by the carrier where empty containers are kept in stock and received from or delivered to the container operators or merchants. |
| Despatch |
The process of sending goods. |
| Despatch Advice |
Information send by shippers to the recipient of goods informing that specified goods are sent or ready to be sent advising the detailed contents of the consignment. |
| Destination |
1. Place for which goods or a vehicle is bound.
2. The ultimate stopping place according to the contract of carriage |
| Detention |
Charges raised for detaining container/trailer at customer’s premises for longer period than provided in Tariff. |
| Deviation from a Route |
A divergence from the agreed or customary route. |
| Differential Rate |
An amount added or deducted from base rate to make a rate to or from some other point or via another route. |
| Dimensions |
Measurements in length, width and height, regarding cargo. |
| Direct Delivery |
The conveyance of goods directly from the vendor to the buyer. Frequently used if a third party acts as intermediary agent between vendor and buyer. |
| Disbursement |
Sums paid out by a ship's agent at a port and recovered from the carrier. |
| Discharge |
The unloading of a vehicle, a vessel or an aircraft. |
| Discrepancy |
Difference between the particulars given and the particulars found. |
| Dispositioning |
All activities relating to the inland movement of empty and or full containers. |
| Distribution |
The set of activities which ensure the availability of goods in the desired quality, quantity, place and time for the customer. |
| Dock |
Platform for loading or unloading |
| Document |
Anything printed, written, relied upon to record or prove something. |
| Domestic Carriage |
Carriage whereby the place of departure and the place of destination are situated within one country |
| Domestic Rate |
Rate applicable within a country |
| Door-to-Door |
Through transportation of a container and its contents from consignor's premises to consignee's premises. |
| Duty Free Zone |
An area where goods or cargo can be stored without paying import customs duties awaiting further transport or manufacturing. |
| Economy of Scale |
A phenomenon which encourages the production of larger volumes of a commodity to reduce its unit cost by distributing fixed costs over a greater quantity. |
| ECU |
European Currency Units. A financial unit used for EC accounting. |
| EDI |
Electronic Data Interchange, a particular set of standards for computer-to-computer exchange of information |
| EUR pallet |
A pallet with standardized measurements 1200x800 mm |
| European Pallet Pool |
Pool for the exchange of standard size pallets (the so-called Europallets) in European cargo traffic, formed in 1961 by a number of European rail administrators. |
| Exchange pallet |
Pallets used by several users in a kind of exchange system |
| Exchange Rate |
The rate at which one currency can be exchanged for another, usually expressed as the value of the one in terms of the other. |
| Exemption Clause |
A clause in a contract, which relieves the carrier's responsibility for certain events |
| Expiration |
Termination of a certain period. |
| Export Declaration |
A government document permitting designated goods to be shipped out of the country. |
| Export Licence |
Document granting permission to export as detailed within a specified time |
| F.A.K. |
Freight All Kind. System whereby freight is charged per container, irrespective of the nature of the goods, and not according to a Tariff. |
| F.A.S. |
Free Alongside Ship. |
| F.I.O. |
Free In and Out. |
| F.O.B. |
Stands for Free On Board which is a mercantile expression used in sale contracts denoting that goods have to be delivered by the shippers on board the vessel at a particular place, free of charge. |
| Facilitation |
The implementation of measures leading to the simplification, standardisation and harmonisation of the formalities, procedures, documents and operations inherent to international trade transactions. |
| FCL |
Full container load |
| FCR |
Forwarders certificate of receipt |
| Feed Back |
The flow of information back into the control system so that actual performance can be compared with planned performance. |
| Feeder Vessel |
Vessel employed in normally short sea routes to fetch or carry goods and containers to and from ocean going vessels. |
| FIATA |
International Federation of Freight Forwarders |
| FIFO |
First in, first out used in warehousing |
| Four Way Pallet |
A pallet of which the frame permits the entry of forks of e.g. a fork lift truck at all four sides. |
| Fragile |
Easily breakable. Term denoting that goods should be handled with care. |
| Franc Poincar |
Unit of value in which the limitation of the carrier's liability is sometimes expressed. One franc poincar consists of 65.5 milligram of gold with a fineness of nine hundred thousands. |
| Freight All Kinds |
Abbreviation: FAK Single freight which is charged irrespective of the commodity. |
| Freight Collect |
Freight and charges to be paid by the consignee. |
| Freight Prepaid |
Freight and charges to be paid by the consignor. |
| Freight Ton |
A unit for freighting cargo according to weight and/or cubic measurement. |
| FTL |
Full truck load |
| General Cargo |
Cargo, consisting of goods, unpacked or packed, for example in cartons, crates, bags or bales, often palletised. General cargo can be shipped either in break bulk or containerised. |
| Germanischer Lloyd |
German classification society. |
| Goods Flow |
The direction and path of the movement of goods and sequence of placement of those goods in a supply chain |
| Goods in Transit |
The goods which have departed from the initial loading point and not yet arrived at the final unloading point. |
| Goods Receipt |
Document issued by a port, warehouse, shed, or terminal operator acknowledging receipt of goods specified therein on conditions stated or referred to in the document. |
| Gross Weight |
Weight (mass) of goods including packing, but excluding the carrier's equipment expressed in whole kilograms. |
| Groupage |
The collection of several small consignments and the formation of one large shipment thereof . |
| Haulage |
The inland carriage of cargo or containers between named locations/points. Merchant inspired Carrier Haulage or customer nominated Carrier Haulage or shipper preferred Carrier Haulage service performed by a sub-contractor of the merchant |
| Haulier |
Road carrier |
| HUB |
Terminal for re-loading |
| Huckepack |
Combined transport by rail/road, also named piggy-back |
| I.M.C.O. |
International Maritime Consultative Organization. A forum in which most major maritime nations participate and through which recommendations for the carriage of dangerous goods, bulk commodities and maritime regulations become internationally acceptable. |
| IATA |
International Air Transport Association |
| Import License |
A document required and issued by some national governments authorizing the importation of goods into their individual countries. |
| Inbound |
Inward bound. Direction of vessel or cargo going to port of discharge or final destination |
| Incoterms |
Incoterms are a set of uniform rules codifying the interpretation of trade terms defining the rights and obligation of both buyer and seller in an international transaction, thereby enabling an otherwise complex basis for a sale contract to be accomplished in three letters. Incoterms are drafted by the International Chamber of Commerce. |
| Indemnification |
Compensation for a loss and/or the expenses incurred. |
| Insurance |
A system of protection against loss under which a party agrees to pay a certain sum (premiums) for a guarantee that they will be compensated under certain conditions for loss or damage. |
| Insurance Certificate |
Proof of an insurance contract |
| Intercontainer |
A co-operative formed by 19 European Railways, for the management of international rail container traffic in Europe. |
| Intermodal Transport |
The movement of goods (containers) in one and the same loading unit or vehicle which uses successively several modes of transport without handling of the goods themselves in changing modes. |
| International Air |
Abbreviation: IATA An international organisation of airlines, founded |
| Inventory |
1. A detailed list of goods located in a certain space or belonging to a specified object. 2. Goods available for satisfying certain demands.Inventories may consist of finished goods ready for sale, they may be parts or intermediate items, they may be work in process, or they may be raw materials. |
| IOD |
Information of delivery |
| IT |
Information technology |
| Itinerary |
The route of a means of transport, indicated by the names of the ports of call or other locations, often including estimated arrival and departure dates. |
| JIT |
Just-in-time, the practise of timing inbound material in time before they are required |
| Joint Venture |
A joint activity of two or more companies usually performed under a common name. |
| KAM |
Key Account Manager |
| Kanban |
Optimizing the warehouse processes |
| King Pin |
The coupling pin, welded or bolted in the centre of the front underside of a semi-trailer chassis, which couples to the fifth wheel of the towing tractor or dolly convertor. |
| Kitting |
Assembly of components into a combined packing |
| Label |
Hold identification and are placed on the packing |
| LCL |
Less than full container load |
| LDM |
Loading meter, volume factor used by road transport |
| Lead Time |
1. The amount of time between the request of a service and the actual provision of this service.
2. A span of time required to perform an activity. In a logistics context, the time between the initiation of a process and its completion. |
| Lease |
A contract by which one party gives to another party the use of property or equipment, e.g. containers, for a specified time against fixed payments. |
| Liability |
Legal responsibility for the consequences of certain acts or omissions. |
| Lien |
A legal claim upon real or personal property to pay a debt or duty. |
| Lloyd's Register of Shipping |
British classification society. |
| Lo/Lo, Lift-On/Lift-Off |
A container ship onto which containers are lifted by crane. |
| Load Factor |
Percent of loaded containers against total capacity of vessel or Allocation |
| Loading |
The process of bringing cargo into a means of transport or equipment. |
| Loading Dock |
Platform for loading and unloading |
| Logistics |
The organization, integration and utilization of the resources and transportation infrastructure needed to achieve the efficient flow of materials and information over the entire supply chain. |
| Long Ton |
2,240 pounds. (l.t., l.tn.) |
| LTL |
Less than full trailer load |
| Manifest |
List of a load, normally used by sea freight |
| Marks & Nos. |
Marks & Numbers placed on packages for export for identification purposes; generally a triangle, square, circle, diamond, or cross with letters and/or numbers and port discharge. |
| Maximum Payload |
Maximum cargo that can be loaded into a container or trailer either by weight or volume. |
| Mezzanine |
Self alone structure for storage in two levels to maximize floor space(entresol) |
| Minimum Charge |
The lowest charge that can be assessed to transport a shipment. |
| MT |
Metric Ton or Cubic meter. |
| Multimodal Transport |
The carriage of goods (containers) by at least two different modes of transport. |
| Negotiable |
In terms of documents, 'negotiable' means that e.g. a Bill of Lading is handed over/transferred in the right manner (viz. proper endorsement) to another person either endorsed in blank or endorsed to a person and that person acquires, by this transfer certain rights vis-à-vis the goods e.g. is entitled to take possession of the goods. |
| Negotiable B/L |
Original bill of lading endorsed by shipper that is used for negotiating with banks |
| Net Weight |
The weight of the goods, excluding all packing. |
| Non-negotiable B/L |
Copy of original bill of lading which cannot be negotiated with the bank. |
| Notify Address |
Address of the party other than the consignee to be advised of the arrival of the goods. |
| Notify Party |
The party to be notified of arrival of goods. |
| NSAB |
General Conditions of the Nordic Association of Freight Forwarders |
| NVOCC |
Non Vessel Operating Common Carrier, Abbreviation: NVOCC A party who undertakes to carry goods and issues in his own name a Bill of lading for such carriage, without having the availability of any own means of transport. |
| Ocean Bill of Lading (Ocean B/L) |
Document indicating that the exporter will consign a shipment to an international carrier for transportation to a specified foreign market. Unlike an inland B/L, the ocean B/L also serves as a collection document. if it is a Straight B/L the foreign buyer can obtain the shipment from the carrier by simply showing proof of dentity. If a negotiable B/L is used, the buyer must first pay for the goods, post a bond or meet other conditions agreeable to the seller. |
| One Stop Shop |
An organisation, which provides all needed requirements in one location |
| One way pallet |
Pallet used for one way use, not exchangeable |
| Open-Top Container |
A container fitted with a solid removable roof or with a tarpaulin roof that can be loaded or unloaded from the top. |
| Order Line |
Each line on a customer's purchase order. An order line always contains one Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) only, but the number may vary. |
| Order picking |
Picking of orders from a storage location |
| Out of Gauge Cargo |
Cargo which dimensions are exceeding the normal dimensions of a 20 or 40 feet container, e.g. overlength, overwidth, overheight, or combinations thereof. |
| Outbound |
Outward bound. Direction of vessel or cargo going out from port of loading or point/place of receipt. |
| Outsourcing |
Process of utilizing non employees to perform warehousing functions or other processes in the supply chain (see 3PL) |
| Overheight Cargo |
Cargo, exceeding the standard height. |
| Overlength Cargo |
Cargo, exceeding the standard length. |
| P.O.L. |
Port of Loading where loading to vessel takes place. |
| P.O.R. |
Point or Place of Receipt. Starting point of carrier’s liability where cargo is received from shipper and under carrier’s custody for transportation to final destination |
| Packing Instruction |
Document issued within an enterprise giving instructions on how goods are to be packed. |
| Packing List |
Document specifying the contents of each individual package |
| Pallet |
A platform on which goods can be stacked in order to facilitate the movement by a fork lift or sling. |
| Payment Against Documents |
Instructions given by a seller to a bank to the effect that the buyer may collect the documents necessary to obtain delivery of the goods only upon actual payment of the invoice. |
| Performance Indicator |
A variable indicating the effectiveness and/or efficiency of a process. |
| Perishable Cargo |
Cargo subject to decay or deterioration. |
| Pier-to-House (P/H) |
See CFS/CY. |
| Pier-to-Pier (P/P) |
See CFS/CFS. |
| Piggyback |
The carriage of road vehicles and trailers on railway wagons. |
| POD |
Proof of delivery |
| Precarrier |
The carrier by which the goods are moved prior to the main transport. |
| Prepaid (Ppd.) |
One of the payment status where freight and charges are required to be paid by shipper before original bill of lading is released to them. |
| Principal |
Person for whom another acts as agent. |
| Priority Order |
An order which is identified as taking precedence over other orders to ensure its completion in the minimum time. |
| Productivity |
Relative measure of output of labour hour or machine hour |
| Profit Centre |
An organisational unit which will be held responsible for its own profits and losses. |
| Rack |
Storage system, see shelf |
| RFID |
Radio frequency identification |
| Shelf |
Storage system with several racks |
| SKU |
Stock keeping unit |
| Slip sheet |
A piece of cardboard or plastic sheeting on which the load is placed. (as a pallet but needs not so much space) |
| Stackable (save space) |
The goods (pallets for instance) can be put on top of each other |
| 3PL |
Third Party Logistics is a business arrangement whereby logistics services, often including warehousing, and added value services are contracted to an independent business provider that specializes in such services. |
| T+T, track and trace |
Status reporting of the shipment in transit from consignor to consignee |
| Tier |
Generally refers to one layer of a unitized pallet load. Also, may refer to layers of storage which are of the same height. |
| TMS |
Transport Management System |
| TQM |
Total quality management |
| Transport Association |
in 1945, with the aim of promoting the commercial air traffic. Parties should achieve this by co-operation between the parties concerned and by performance of certain rules, procedures and tariffs, regarding both cargo and passengers. |
| Unctad |
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. |
| Underwriter |
In marine insurance, one who subscribes his name to the policy indicating his acceptance of the liability mentioned therein, in consideration for which he receives a premium |
| Valuable cargo |
A consignment which contains one or more valuable articles. |
| War risk |
Insurance coverage for loss of goods resulting from any act of war. |
| Warehouse |
A building specially designed for receipt, storage and handling of goods. |
| Warehousing |
Those activities of holding and handling goods in a warehouse (store). |
| Warsaw Convention |
The Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules Relating to International Carriage by Air, signed at Warsaw, 12 October 1929, or that Convention as amended by the Hague Protocol, 1955, stipulating obligations or parties and limitations and/or exonerations of carriers (air cargo). |
| Waste disposal |
Processing and or removal to final resting place or transfer to a place for re-use or recovering of waste. |
| Waste logistics |
The collection of used, damaged, or outdated products and or packaging from designated users. |
| Waybill |
Non-negotiable document evidencing the contract for the transport of cargo. |
| Weight cargo |
A cargo on which the transportation charge is assessed on the basis of weight. |
| Weight charge |
The charge for carriage of goods based on their weight (air cargo). |
| Weight ton |
A ton of 1000 kg |
| Vendee |
Buyer |
| Vendor |
Seller |
| Wholesaler |
An intermediary between manufacturers and retailers in various activities such as promotion, warehousing, and the arranging of transport and or distribution. |
| WMS |
Warehouse management system |
| Volume |
Size or measure of anything in three dimensions. |
| Voucher |
A receipt, entry or another document which establishes the accounts |
| Yard |
Fenced off, outdoor storage and repair area |
| Zone |
Area, belt or district extending about a certain point defined for transport and/or charge purpose. |
