Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Absolute Minimum
- Minimum charge which the carrier will not discount.
Accessorial Fee
- Services not considered "standard procedure" by a carrier. Requires additional fees. Theses fees are referred to as an accessorial service or fee. Examples include:
  - Hazardous materials
  - Inside delivery
  - Lift gate service
  - Fuel Surcharge
  - Arrival notification
  - Additional Insurance
  - COD
  - Residential
- Standard shipping procedures includes a truck backing up to a dock to be loaded by the consignor (shipper) and driving the cargo to the receiving destination to be unloaded by the consignee (receiver).
Arrival Notification (ANC)
- Carrier notifies and schedules a delivery date and time with the consignee (receiver) for additional fees.
Astray Freight
- Freight that has been separated from its freight bill.

Bill of Lading (BOL)
- Mandatory paperwork providing the driver and the carrier with all the details needed to process the shipment and bill correctly.
Bill To
- Designates a billing arrangement for the freight bill to be sent to the responsible party (shipper or consignee) at an address different than the address where the freight was loaded or delivered.
Blind Shipment
- Keeps the originating location and receiving destination unaware of each other.
- Provides two separate Bills of Lading that share common BOL and PRO numbers. Both BOLs show the carrier's terminal as the shipper and the receiver.
Bulk Freight
- Freight not in packages or containers such as wheat, petroleum, etc.

Class
- Number that identifies the approximate size, value and difficulty of transporting a particular type of product. The class is required to determine a pricing based on the width, height, depth and weight of the shipment.
Collect Shipments
- Shipments billed "collect" by the carrier means the consignee (receiver of the goods) is responsible paying for the freight charges.
Common Carrier
- Shipping company offering service to the general public.
Concealed Damage
- Damage not apparent and not noted on the delivery receipt by the consignee at the time of delivery.
Consignee
- Person of firm designated to receive a shipment.
Cross Dock
- Transfer of freight from one trailer to another at a service center.
Cube
- Cubic capacity on a trailer.
Cubic Capacity
- Carrying capacity of a trailer measured in cubic feet.

Dead Head
- Trailer moving empty.
Density
- Weight of a shipment measure by the cubic foot.
Detention
- Charge made due to a vehicle being held by, or for, a consignor or consignee for loading or unloading.
DOT
- Department of Transportation
Drayage
- Charge for hauling freight. The term is used when local cartage agents move freight.
Driver Collect
- Shipments for which the driver must collect freight charges.
Dunnage
- Materials used to protect freight while in transit (e.g., pallets, cardboard, plywood).

Flatbed
- Semi-trailer with no sides and with the floor of the trailer a standard height from the ground.
Free on Board (FOB)
- Shipments will be loaded onto the chosen mode of transport (carrier) without loading costs and free of encumbrances.
Free Stray
- Shipment that must be delivered to the final destination free of charge due to carrier misrouting.
Free Trade Zone
- Geographical area designated by a local or municipal port authority as a duty free zone, as a result, duties and taxes are deferred until the product is released for final sale.
Freight of All Kinds (FAK)
- Group of freight bundled together under a specific class.
Freight Forwarder
- Company that assembles small shipments from various shippers into truckload or container load shipments then forwards shipments to the final customer destination.

Handling Unit
- Multiple packages of identical size and weight are considered one handling unit. Multiple packages of differing types, sizes or weights are considered multiple handling units.

Inside Delivery
- Driver is required to go inside (beyond the front door or loading dock) to pickup or deliver a load rather than remaining on the dock or in his truck. Additional fees are assessed.

Less Than Load (LTL)
- Typical LTL shipments range from 100 lbs. to 20,000 lbs. Larger loads typically require truckload (TL) service.
Lift Gate Service
- Manual loading or unloading due to lack of a loading dock at either the shipping or receiving address. Liftgates are the platform at the back of trucks that raise and lower a shipment from the ground to the truck.

National Motor Freight Classification Number (NMFC Number)
- Numeric indicator specifically identifying each type of product that can be shipped by a carrier. Included on the Bill of Lading (BOL) in order to avoid freight re-classification.

PO
- Purchase Order
PRO Number
- Number assigned by the carrier to reference your shipment. It is used for tracking your shipment.
PUP Trailer
- 28' long by 110" inches wide box trailer. Carries up to 24,000 lbs. of cargo or up to 24 standard size pallets (48x48x48).

Rate
- Charge per hundredweight for transporting freight.
Redelivery/Reconsignment Fee
- Fee assessed by the carrier after a failed delivery attempt. Typically based on weight with a minimum charge.
Reefer
- Refrigerated trailer with insulated walls and a self-powered refrigeration unit.
Released Value
- Value specified by the shipper or the National Motor Freight Classification system, which establishes maximum carrier liability for shipment loss or damage.
Residential Delivery
- Pickup or delivery locations that do not have a commercial location that opens and closes at set times each day within a commercially zoned area. Entails extra fees.
Reweigh and Inspection Fee
- Fee to reweigh and re-class a shipment if the carrier suspects the weight of the shipment is inaccurate.

Seal
- Locking device with a serial number on it to insure that a van or container has not been tainted. Primarily used with 53' vans and 40' containers.
Section 7
- Law term use in the Bill of Lading (BOL) terms and conditions.
Shipper Load and Count
- Indicates the content of a trailer was loaded and counted by the shipper, the trailer was sealed by the shipper, and the carrier did not observe the loading process.
Single Shipment
- A single pick up at a customer dock. Carriers typically assess up to $20.00 dollars.
Surcharge
- Charge above the customary charge (i.e., Fuel Surcharge).

Tariff
- Publication listing transportation rates, charges and rules. All carriers have their own set of rates, charges and rules.
Third Party Shipments
- Firm or person initiating a shipment that is neither the originating nor the receiving destination. The third party makes arrangements for the shipper and receiver.
Top Freight
- Lighter freight that is usually loaded on top of heavy dense freight.
Truckload
- Shipment requiring a 53' or 48' van. Fills the van to a capacity up to 44,000 lbs or 24 to 28 skids or floor loaded to cubic capacity.