Freight Terms Flashcards
General Knowledge About Shipping
Accessorial
and additional service requested for a freight shipment; most accessorials require an additional payment that varies based on the service or carrier.
Ex: liftgate services, residential delivery
Accounts Payable
part of the billing department in charge of paying carriers, operators, or factoring companies for services rendered
Accounts Receivable
part of the billing department in charge of collecting payment from carriers or customers for services rendered
Air Cargo
forms of freight shipping that uses planes instead of trucks or trains– more expensive, but also more expedited
Auditing (Freight)
process performed by some freight brokers to confirm any additional charges before passing the final freight bill on to the customer
Backhaul
in truckload shipping, transit required to reposition a truck and its driver after the initial load he was hired to transport
AKA “headhaul”
Billing
department at carriers or brokers in charge of invoices and payments
Bill of Lading (BOL)
document given to the carrier at the time of freight pickup will all necessary information for the shipment. this information includes: pickup and delivery locations, weight, class, commodity, and much more
Bonded Warehouse
a customs-controlled facility/warehouse used for the retention of imported goods until the duty-owed is paid
Bracing
technique used to secure freight in the truck during full truckload shipments
Broker (Freight)
third party logistics provider that acts as a conduit between customer carrier to secure freight pricing and services, among other things
Bundle
a grouping of products shipped that are generally unassembled, similar to pallets or crates
Business to Business (B2B)
standard LTL shipment protocol that deems both the pickup and delivery location to be certified businesses, often with loading docks. if the shipment is not B2B, then additional services such as residential delivery will be required
Capacity
in truckload shipping, capacity is determined by the amount of goods to be shipped, and the number of carriers/trucks to ship them. it is a large factor in truckload pricing
Cartage
common term in truckload shipping referring to the actual commodities and freight being shipped
Carrier
a company or operator that transports both LTL and truckload freight
Cash on Delivery
“Freight Collect” the process of paying (in cash) for a shipment at the time of delivery
Claim
a charge made against the freight carrier for shipments that are damaged or lost
Class
freight class is an identification number assigned to all freight shipped LTL that helps determine price
Commercial Invoice
document from the manufacturer that determines an item’s value, often used for freight claims
Consignee
the receiver of an LTL or truckload shipment, opposite of a shipper
Cubic Capacity
the carrying capacity of a truck or other piece of equipment measured in cubic feet
Customer Service Representative (CSR)
an individual that works with customers to schedule pickups, deliveries, and freight tracking. CSR works closely with drivers, dispatchers, and claims departments.
Customs
government authorities that collect duties on freight imports
Customs Broker
broker that handles all necessary paperwork and practices to get freight across the border (not included in all freight broker services)
Deadhead
when a driver returns to point of origin or market carrying no freight
Declared Value
value of the freight declared on BOL at the time of pickup, often used for claims purposes
Delivery Appointment
appointment set with the consignee to deliver freight. in LTL scenario, most delivery appointments are considered accessories and require additional payment
Delivery Receipt (DR)
also known as proof of delivery (POD) document signed at the time of delivery notating if the freight is accepted in good condition or not– most often used for claims purposes
Density
measurement of an item’s pounds per cubic foot, important for freight quotes and density-based freight class
Detention
fee assessed by a carrier when a truck is held up at delivery or pickup longer than the time allotted for the service
Diversion
when freight is diverted to a different location while in transit
“reconsignment”
Drop Trailer
a carrier trailer that is left at a location for pickup at a later date after its filled
Dry Van
standard truckload trailer either 48 ft or 53 ft long- neither heated or cooled
Dunnage
packing material used to protect freight in the trailer during transit
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
computer to computer transmission used primarily is freight to schedule pickups with carriers through transportation management system
ETA
estimated time of arrival
ETD
estimated time of departure
Expedited shipping
freight that is delivered fatster than standard shipping, for an additional fee
Flatbed
equipment used in truckload shipping to transport large items or machinery
Freight Forwarder
Logistics company that acts as an intermediary between the shipper and the carrier
Freight of all Kinds (FAK)
a rate agreement between shipper/broker and the carrier
Global Positioning System (GPS)
a system that uses satellites to find exact positions of objects on earth- used in truckload freight to track carrier trucks/loads
Gross Weight
total weight of an item including packaging and palleting-
Guaranteed Shipment
an LTL shipment that is guaranteed for delivery by a certain time. an additional fee is paid for this service, and if the delivery time is not met the shipping charges can be wiped away
Handling
a factor in determining an item’s freight class- items that are fragile or oversized are often hard to handle, resulting in a higher freight class
Hazardous Materials
items designated by the Dept. of Transportation that pose a risk to health and safety; require special permits, carriers, and drives to move
Household Goods
common shipping commodity in LTL is household goods that moves at a class of 150
In Bond
when freight is held by Customs until fees or other charges are paid- In Bond shipments have not cleared Customs
Insurance (Freight)
system where the shipper or broker will agree to pay a premium for coverage in case of loss or damage to the freight. Most carriers carry insurance, and third party insurance is often available as well– coverage and deductible amounts vary
Interline
the process of using multiple carriers to transport freight to its final destination
Intermodal
the process of using multiple forms of transportation to move freight, such as van to train or shipping vessel
Less Than Truckload (LTL)
a form of freight shipping focused on moving freight that takes up less space than a full truckload. LTL has different pricing and functions than full truckload freight shipping
Liftgate
a lift on the back of some trucks that assist in getting freight on and off the truck- often used in place of a loading dock
Load Board
online message board where jobs/loads are posted allowing carriers and brokers to schedule pickups and deliveries
Lumping
when the driver helps load or unload the truck at pickup or delivery
National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC)
tariff containing descriptions, classifications, and rules for shipping commodities– NMFC codes are tied to freight class
Net Weight
weight of a shipment not including packaging
Notify Consignee
additional service where the carrier will call the receiver to alert them that their shipment is out for delivery
Over, Short, and Damaged (OS&D)
carrier department that is in charge of overages, shortages, and damages. they are in charge of finding lost freight, and play a part in the filing of freight claims for loss or damage
Parcel Shipment
small package shipping that is usually handled by carriers like UPS or FedEx
Pooling
the act of combining multiple shipments into one truckload to cut down on freight costs
Pro Number
Tracking and identification number given to freight once it is picked up and in transit
Proof of Delivery (POD)
also known as a Delivery Receipt (DR)- document signed at the time of delivery notating damage or loss, or if the freight is delivered as expected. PODs are valuable in the filing of freight claims
Reclass
invoice discrepancy where the carrier invoices the shipment at a higher or lower class that notated on the BOL
Reefer
the type of equipment that is temperature controlled, most often a refrigerated truck used to transport perishable items
Reweigh
invoice discrepancy where the carrier invoices the shipment at a higher or lower weight than notated on the BOL
Shipper
origin party of a freight shipment, and the opposite of a consignee. shippers are responsible for getting the BOL to the carrier at the time of pickup
Short Shipment
when freight is delivered but missing pieces as notated by the BOL
Step Deck
type of equipment used in truckload shipping for larger pieces
Tariff
in transportation, a tariff refers to any fees, agreements, or rules that a carrier has in relation to a broker or customer
Terminal
carrier hub where freight is loaded and unloaded during LTL transit
Third Party Logistics Provider (3PL)
a freight broker that acts as a go-between for customers and carriers, 3PLs often have discounted freight rates and offer customer service
Tracing
the act of tracking a shipment from pickup to delivery
Transit Time
the time between when a shipment is picked up and delivered. Standard LTL shipments have estimated transit times
Transportation Management System (TMS)
web-based tool that assists customers in scheduling pick ups, creating BOLs, tracking shipments, and more
Truckload (TL)
type of freight shipping that specializes in moving freight that takes up a full truckload of space. Truckload shipping is different from LTL and has its own carrier and pricing structures
Vendor
the manufacturer or distributor of a product- many carrier pickups occur directly at vendor warehouses
Volume Quote
a type of LTL quote for shipments that are larger than the standard LTL size, but smaller than a full truckload quote
Waybill
Document used by the carrier containing relevant shipment information such as pickup and delivery locations- also known as BOL
Weight and Inspection Certificate (W&I)
document created by the carrier when a shipment is reweighed or reclassed- W&I certificates contain the date, location, and agent responsible for the discrepancy
