Freight & NVOCC Glossary
The language of freight forwarding, NVOCC and multimodal transport — bills of lading, container loads, charges and the documents that move cargo by sea, road and rail.
A
Arrival Notice
A notification from the carrier or agent that a shipment has arrived and is ready for clearance and collection.
ASNAdvanced Shipment Notice
An electronic message that pre-announces a shipment to the receiver, listing what is en route.
B
Backhaul
Cargo carried on the return leg of a journey, using otherwise empty capacity — often at a lower rate.
Bangkok Port (Khlong Toei)
Thailand's historic river port on the Chao Phraya, now a secondary gateway behind Laem Chabang.
Bill of Lading (BL)
A legal document acknowledging receipt of cargo for shipment, serving as a receipt, contract, and (often) document of title.
Block Train (Unit Train)
A full train of wagons moving as a single unit from origin to destination without being split or re-marshalled.
BOMBill of Materials
A structured list of components, sub-assemblies, and raw materials needed to manufacture a product.
Break Bulk
Cargo shipped as individual pieces loaded separately, rather than in containers or as free-flowing bulk.
Bulk Container
A container with roof hatches for loading and discharge ports for dry bulk commodities like grain and resins.
Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF)Bunker Adjustment Factor
A surcharge on ocean freight that adjusts for changes in the price of ships' fuel (bunkers).
C
Cabotage
The transport of goods or passengers between two points within a country, often reserved for national carriers.
Cai Mep Port (Vietnam)
Vietnam's main deep-water port, near Ho Chi Minh City, able to handle the largest container ships.
Cargo Claim
A claim for compensation for loss of or damage to goods that occurred during carriage.
Cargo Consolidation
Combining several smaller shipments into one full container to cut cost — the basis of LCL groupage.
Cargo Manifest
A complete list of all cargo carried on a vessel, voyage or conveyance, used by carriers, ports and customs.
CBMCubic Meter
The cubic-metre measure of a shipment's volume — the basis for pricing LCL and air freight.
Certificate of Insurance (COI)Certificate of Insurance
A document evidencing that a specific shipment is covered under a marine cargo insurance policy.
CFRCost and Freight
An Incoterm where the seller pays cost and freight to destination, but buyer assumes risk at the load port.
CFSContainer Freight Station
A warehouse facility where LCL shipments are consolidated into containers (export) or de-consolidated (import).
Chain of Responsibility (CoR)Chain of Responsibility
The HVNL principle that every party in a transport task shares legal responsibility for heavy-vehicle safety.
CIFCost, Insurance and Freight
An Incoterm where the seller pays cost, insurance, and freight to the destination port; risk transfers at the load port.
CIPCarriage and Insurance Paid To
CPT plus seller-arranged insurance to the destination; under Incoterms 2020 at the higher all-risk cover level.
Clean Bill of Lading
A bill of lading with no notations of damage or shortage — confirming the goods were received in apparent good order.
CMR ConventionConvention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road
The international convention governing contracts and liability for cross-border road freight, with its own consignment note.
Cold Chain
The temperature-controlled logistics chain for perishable goods — pharma, fresh produce, meat, dairy, biotech.
Consignee
The party to whom a shipment is sent — the receiver named on the transport document.
Consignor
The party sending a shipment — the shipper named on the transport document as sender of the goods.
Container Types
The standard ISO shipping container variants — dry, high-cube, reefer, open-top, flat-rack and tank.
Container Yard (CY)Container Yard
The area of a terminal or depot where containers are stacked and stored awaiting onward movement.
Contract Rate
A freight rate fixed for a period under a service agreement, giving stability and priority in exchange for committed volume.
CPTCarriage Paid To
The Incoterm where the seller pays carriage to the named destination, but risk passes to the buyer at the first carrier.
CROCargo Release Order
A shipping line's authorisation to release a container at the destination terminal to the named consignee.
Currency Adjustment Factor (CAF)Currency Adjustment Factor
A surcharge on ocean freight that offsets exchange-rate fluctuations between the rate currency and the carrier's costs.
D
Dangerous Goods (DG)Dangerous Goods
Goods that pose a hazard in transport, subject to strict classification, packing, marking and documentation rules by mode.
DAPDelivered at Place
The Incoterm where the seller delivers, at their risk, to a named place ready for unloading by the buyer.
DDPDelivered Duty Paid
An Incoterm where the seller delivers goods to the buyer's premises with all costs and duties paid.
Deconsolidation
Unpacking a consolidated container at destination and splitting the cargo for delivery to individual consignees.
Delivery Order (D/O)Delivery Order
A document instructing the terminal or depot to release cargo to the named party once charges are settled.
Demurrage
A penalty charge for keeping a container or vessel longer than the agreed free time at a port or terminal.
Detention
A penalty charge for holding a shipping line's container too long after it has left the port.
Devanning
Unpacking cargo from a container — the reverse of stuffing — at a depot, warehouse or the consignee's premises.
Direct Port Delivery (DPD)Direct Port Delivery
An Indian Customs facilitation letting eligible importers take containers straight from the port, bypassing the CFS.
Djibouti–Ethiopia Corridor
The transport corridor carrying almost all of landlocked Ethiopia's trade through Djibouti's ports.
Dock Receipt
A receipt acknowledging that cargo has been delivered to the carrier's terminal, pending loading and the bill of lading.
Double Door Container (Tunnel Container)
A container with doors at both ends, allowing loading and unloading from either side for faster access.
Double-Stack
Rail transport carrying containers stacked two high on specialised well cars, doubling capacity per train.
DPUDelivered at Place Unloaded
The only Incoterm requiring the seller to deliver AND unload the goods at the named destination.
Drayage
The short-distance road haulage of a container between a port or rail terminal and a nearby point.
Dry Container
The standard closed general-purpose shipping container — the most common type of box.
Dry Port
An inland terminal connected to a seaport by rail or road where cargo is handled and cleared as if at the port.
E
Empty Container Depot
A facility where empty containers are stored, inspected, repaired and cleaned between uses.
Empty Container Park (ECP)Empty Container Park
A facility where empty shipping containers are stored, inspected and repaired between shipments.
Equipment Interchange Receipt (EIR)Equipment Interchange Receipt
A document recording the condition of a container at the point it changes hands, to fix responsibility for damage.
ERPEnterprise Resource Planning
Integrated software for managing the back-office of a business — finance, HR, procurement, inventory, manufacturing, sales.
Express Release
A bill of lading issued without negotiable originals, so cargo is released at destination without presenting a document.
EXWEx Works
The Incoterm where the seller makes goods available at their premises and the buyer bears all cost and risk from there.
F
FASFree Alongside Ship
The sea-freight Incoterm where the seller delivers goods alongside the vessel at the named port of shipment.
FCAFree Carrier
The Incoterm where the seller delivers goods, cleared for export, to a carrier or place named by the buyer.
FCLFull Container Load
A shipment that occupies an entire container, dedicated to one shipper.
Feeder Operator
A shipping line that operates short-sea services connecting smaller ports to major hub ports.
FEUForty-foot Equivalent Unit
A container capacity unit equal to one 40-foot container, or two TEU.
Flat-Rack Container
A container with no sides or roof — just a base and end walls — for heavy, oversized or out-of-gauge cargo.
FOBFree On Board
An Incoterm where the seller delivers goods on board the vessel at the load port; buyer pays freight, insurance, and assumes risk from there.
Free Time
The grace period allowed to use a container or keep it at the terminal before demurrage and detention charges begin.
Freight Forwarder
An agent who organises the shipment of goods on behalf of shippers, arranging carriage, documentation and customs.
Freight Rate
The price charged to move cargo — quoted per container, weight or volume, plus surcharges, and set by spot or contract terms.
Freight Ton (Revenue Ton)
The billing unit for freight — the greater of a shipment's weight or volume — also called the revenue tonne.
FTLFull Truck Load
Road freight where one shipper books an entire truck exclusively for their cargo.
G
Gate In / Gate Out
The recorded entry and exit of a container through a terminal or depot gate, a key control and tracking point.
GRNGoods Receipt Note
A document recording the actual receipt of goods into a warehouse — quantities, condition, discrepancies.
Gross Weight
The total weight of a shipment including the goods and all packaging and container — the basis for many freight charges.
H
Hague-Visby Rules
The most widely adopted international convention governing carrier liability under bills of lading for sea cargo.
Hai Phong Port (Vietnam)
Northern Vietnam's main port, the gateway serving Hanoi and the northern manufacturing region.
Half-Height Container
A container roughly half the height of a standard box, built for dense, heavy cargo like ore, stone and machinery parts.
Hamad Port (Qatar)
Qatar's modern deep-water port south of Doha, the country's main maritime gateway.
Hamburg Rules
A UN convention on sea-cargo carriage that shifts more liability onto carriers than the Hague-Visby Rules.
HBLHouse Bill of Lading
A bill of lading issued by a freight forwarder or NVOCC to the actual shipper of the cargo.
Heavy Lift Surcharge
An extra charge for handling a single unit of cargo so heavy it needs special lifting equipment.
High-Cube Container (HC)High-Cube Container
A container one foot taller than standard (9ft 6in), giving extra internal volume — most common as a 40ft HC.
I
IncotermsInternational Commercial Terms
A set of standardised three-letter trade terms (EXW, FOB, CIF, DDP, etc.) defining responsibilities between buyer and seller.
Inland Container Depot (ICD)Inland Container Depot
A customs-notified inland facility where containers are handled and cleared away from the seaport — a dry port.
Institute Cargo Clauses (ICC)Institute Cargo Clauses
Standard sets of cargo-insurance conditions (A, B and C) defining what perils a marine cargo policy covers.
Insulated Container
A container with insulated walls that slows heat transfer to protect temperature-sensitive cargo — without active cooling.
J
JAFZA (Jebel Ali Free Zone)Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority
One of the world's largest free zones, adjacent to Jebel Ali Port and integrated with Dubai Trade.
K
Khalifa Bin Salman Port (Bahrain)
Bahrain's main container and multipurpose port, the kingdom's primary maritime gateway.
L
Laem Chabang Port
Thailand's principal deep-sea port and main container gateway, serving Bangkok and the Eastern Economic Corridor.
Land Bridge
Using an overland (usually rail) route to connect two sea legs, shortcutting a longer all-water voyage.
Lashing & Securing
Securing cargo and containers against the forces of the sea so they don't shift, topple or go overboard.
Last Mile
The final segment of a delivery — from local hub to end customer's door.
LCLLess than Container Load
A shipment that occupies less than a full container; multiple LCL shipments are consolidated together.
LTLLess than Truck Load
Road freight that consolidates smaller shipments from several shippers into one truck.
M
Main Line Operator (MLO)Main Line Operator
A shipping line that operates the main deep-sea services between major ports, as opposed to feeder operators.
Marine Cargo Insurance
Insurance covering physical loss or damage to goods while in transit by sea, air or land.
MBLMaster Bill of Lading
A bill of lading issued by the shipping line to the freight forwarder or NVOCC who booked the container.
MRPMaterial Requirements Planning
A planning method that calculates what materials to purchase or produce, in what quantity, by when, to meet demand.
N
NHVR (National Heavy Vehicle Regulator)National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
The national body that administers the Heavy Vehicle National Law across most of Australia.
Notify Party
The party named on a bill of lading to be informed when the shipment arrives at destination.
NVOCCNon-Vessel Operating Common Carrier
A logistics company that issues its own bills of lading and consolidates shipments without owning vessels.
O
Ocean Freight
The cost of carrying goods by sea, and the sea-transport leg itself — the backbone of world trade.
Open-Top Container
A container with a removable tarpaulin roof, for over-height cargo or loading from the top by crane.
Out-of-Gauge Cargo (OOG)Out-of-Gauge Cargo
Cargo that exceeds the dimensions of a standard container, overhanging in length, width or height.
P
3PLThird-Party Logistics
A company that provides outsourced logistics services — typically warehousing, fulfilment, transportation and customs.
Peak Season Surcharge (PSS)Peak Season Surcharge
A temporary surcharge carriers add during high-demand periods when shipping space is tight.
PODProof of Delivery
Evidence that a shipment was delivered — typically a signed receipt or digital signature plus photo.
Port Klang
Malaysia's largest and busiest port, serving as the national gateway and a major transhipment hub.
Port of Alexandria
Egypt's main gateway port on the Mediterranean, handling the bulk of the country's foreign trade.
Port of Antwerp-Bruges
A leading European port and chemicals hub, formed by the 2022 merger of Antwerp and Zeebrugge.
Port of Auckland
The main port serving New Zealand's largest city, a key gateway for imports to the Auckland region.
Port of Balboa (Panama)
A major container and transhipment port at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal.
Port of Cape Town
A major South African port strong in fruit and reefer exports, on the Cape sea route.
Port of Dar es Salaam
Tanzania's main port and the gateway for the Central Corridor to landlocked East and Central Africa.
Port of Djibouti (Doraleh)
The Horn of Africa's premier port, a major transhipment hub and the gateway for landlocked Ethiopia.
Port of Durban
The busiest container port in sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa's main gateway.
Port of Lagos (Apapa & Tin Can)
Nigeria's main ports at Lagos, the primary gateway for West Africa's largest economy.
Port of Le Havre (HAROPA)
France's largest container port, on the Channel at the mouth of the Seine, part of the HAROPA port group.
Port of Los Angeles / Long Beach
The San Pedro Bay port complex, the busiest container gateway in North America and the main US link to Asia.
Port of Marseille-Fos
France's largest port by tonnage and its main Mediterranean gateway, handling containers, energy and bulk.
Port of Mombasa
East Africa's principal port and the gateway for Kenya and its landlocked neighbours.
Port of Rotterdam
Europe's largest seaport and the continent's primary gateway, on the Dutch coast at the Rhine–Maas delta.
Port of Salalah (Oman)
A major container transhipment hub in southern Oman, on the main Asia–Europe shipping lane.
Port of Santos
The largest port in Latin America, Brazil's main gateway, near São Paulo.
Port of Shanghai
The world's busiest container port, handling over 47 million TEU a year, including the automated Yangshan terminal.
Port of Shuwaikh (Kuwait)
Kuwait's main commercial port, near Kuwait City, the country's primary gateway for general and container cargo.
Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP)Port of Tanjung Pelepas
A major Malaysian deep-water container port near Singapore, built as a dedicated transhipment hub.
Port of Tanjung Priok
Indonesia's largest and busiest port, serving Jakarta and handling most of the country's trade.
Port of Tauranga
New Zealand's largest port, the country's main export and container gateway.
Port of Vancouver
Canada's largest and busiest port, the country's main Pacific gateway for trade with Asia.
Port Said
An Egyptian port at the Mediterranean mouth of the Suez Canal, a major container transhipment hub.
Portbase
The Dutch national Port Community System, exchanging logistics and customs data between parties in Rotterdam and Amsterdam.
PORTNET
PSA's port community system connecting lines, hauliers and forwarders to Singapore's container terminals.
Project Cargo
Oversized, heavy, or complex cargo that requires specialised planning, equipment, and multi-leg transport coordination.
PSA Singapore (Port of Singapore Authority)Port of Singapore Authority
The main container terminal operator in Singapore and the world's largest transhipment hub operator.
R
Rail Freight
The transport of goods by rail — efficient for heavy, bulk and long-haul inland cargo, and a key intermodal leg.
ReeferRefrigerated Container
A refrigerated container with its own machinery, used for temperature-controlled ocean and intermodal transport.
RFIDRadio-Frequency Identification
Wireless technology for identifying tagged items at distance — used widely in WMS and supply chain tracking.
Road Freight
The transport of goods by truck — the most flexible mode, essential for door-to-door and first/last-mile delivery.
RORORoll-on / Roll-off
A vessel type (and freight mode) where wheeled cargo drives on and off the ship under its own power or via tugmasters.
Rotterdam Rules
A modern UN convention designed to update and unify carriage-of-goods law, including door-to-door transport.
S
Said to Contain (STC)Said to Contain
A bill of lading clause noting the carrier records the container's contents as declared by the shipper, unverified.
Sea Waybill
A non-negotiable transport document that lets the named consignee take delivery without surrendering an original bill of lading.
Shipper's Letter of Instruction (SLI)Shipper's Letter of Instruction
A document in which the shipper instructs the freight forwarder how to handle and document a shipment.
Spot Rate
The current market price to move cargo immediately, fluctuating with real-time supply and demand.
Stevedoring
The loading and unloading of cargo onto and off ships at the terminal, carried out by stevedores.
Subrogation
The insurer's right, after paying a claim, to pursue the party responsible for the loss to recover its payout.
Surrendered Bill of Lading
A bill of lading whose originals have all been surrendered to the carrier, allowing release without presenting a document.
Switch Bill of Lading
A second set of bills of lading issued to replace the originals, changing details such as shipper, consignee or port.
T
Tank Container (ISO Tank)
A tank mounted in a standard container frame, for shipping bulk liquids, gases and chemicals.
Tare Weight
The empty weight of a container or packaging, subtracted from gross weight to give the net weight of the goods.
Tautliner (Curtain-Sider)
A truck or trailer with tensioned fabric curtain sides that slide open for easy side loading.
Telex Release
An authorisation from the origin agent to release cargo at destination without an original bill of lading.
Terminal Handling Charge (THC)Terminal Handling Charge
The charge a terminal levies for handling a container between the ship and the yard at load and discharge ports.
Terminal Operating System (TOS)Terminal Operating System
The software that plans and controls the movement and storage of containers and cargo within a port terminal.
TEUTwenty-foot Equivalent Unit
The standard unit for measuring container ship and terminal capacity, based on a 20-foot container.
TMSTransport Management System
Software for planning, executing, and optimising the movement of goods — typically road but also rail/air/sea.
Trailer (Road Haulage)
A wheeled unit towed by a truck to carry containers or cargo by road — including the chassis under a container.
Transhipment
Transferring cargo from one vessel or aircraft to another en route to its final destination, usually via a hub.
Transit Time (T/T)Transit Time
The total time cargo takes to travel from origin to destination — port to port or door to door.
V
Vehicle Booking System (VBS / 1-Stop)Vehicle Booking System
The slot-booking system that schedules truck movements at Australian container terminals to manage congestion.
W
War Risk Surcharge
An extra charge or insurance premium for carrying cargo through areas of armed conflict or heightened security risk.
Wharfage
A charge levied by a port for cargo passing over or being handled at its wharf or quay.
WMSWarehouse Management System
Software for managing warehouse operations — inbound, storage, picking, packing, dispatch, inventory accuracy.
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