Freight Dictionary

• Accessorials When a carrier performs freight services beyond normal pick-up and delivery.
• Air-Ride Suspension Trailers built to reduce shock from roads traveled in order to secure product safety. Trailers of this type are generally used to haul fragile items such as light bulbs. The suspension system on this trailer supports the load on air-filled rubber bags rather than steel springs.
• Axle Structural component to which wheels, brakes and suspension are attached.
• Backhaul Return trip of a vehicle from the original destination point back to the home base of the carrier or driver.
• Bill Of Lading (BOL) A transportation document that is the contract of carriage containing the terms and conditions between the carrier and shipper. Required for all LTL shipments; Shipper must give the BOL to the driver at pick up.
• Blind Shipment A term used when our client requests that the shipper and/or consignee do not know about each other. The client who requests a blind load is a third party (middleman or broker). The shipper is the supplier and the consignee is thecustomer. If the consignee and shipper knew about each other they may cut out the middleman.
• Blocks and Brace This term refers to wood or other supports used to keep shipments in place on trailers or in containers throughout the shipping process. This technique is widely useby expert shippers to secure their freight shipment. LTL will generally not provide this service, only Partial and Full Truck carriers will provide this service.
• Bobtailing Operating a tractor unit with no trailer.
• Broker/ Freight An outside company that brings together shippers in need of transportation of goods and carriers looking for backhauls together.
• Bulk Freight Freight that is not packaged or containerized. Freight normally hauled via tanker truck.
• Capacity The ratio between the number of loads to trucks in a given area.
• Claim A charge made against a carrier for loss, damage or overcharge.
• Commercial Invoice An official document which is used to indicate, among other things, the name and address of the buyer and seller, the products being shipped, and their value for customs, insurance or other purposes.
• Common Authority Approved general carrier transporting commodities.
• Conestoga Flat bed with soft covering over it, similar to a wagon.
• Consignee (CNEE) Party in which goods are shipped and delivered.
• Consignor (CNOR) The party who originated a shipment of goods (shipper) The sender of a freight shipment. Also known as the seller, client or bill to.
• Container Standard- sized rectangular box used for intermodal transport.
• Cross Dock Warehouse operation that involves moving goods between different trucks to consolidate loads without intermediate storage.
• Cubic Capacity The carrying capacity (inside dimensions) of a piece of equipment according to measurement in cubic feet. When shipping light goods, load the trailer to the highest cubic capacity possible. Cubic Capacity may be calculated by multiplying the length x the width x height.
• Customs Broker A firm that represents importers/exporters in dealings with customs. Normally responsible for obtaining and submitting all documents for clearing merchandise through customs, arranging inland transport and paying all charges related to these functions.
• Deadhead Miles a driver moves empty without a load.
• Declared Value (DV) A shipment’s declared value is the monetary value of a shipment as reported by you, the shipper. It serves as a basis for determining shipping charges and can also act as a tool to limit carrier liability for damage and loss.
• Department of Transportation (D.O.T.) Department of Transportation for the United States. Regulates rules and regulations relating to the transportation industry.
• Dispatching The scheduling and control of truck pick up and delivery. A critical link in the dispatching process is communication with the drivers through phone, pages, radio, satellite etc.
• Distribution Center The warehouse facility that holds inventory from manufacturing pending distribution to the appropriate stores.
• Diversion The process of changing the destination while the shipment is en route. An additional charge for the excess miles will be charged.
• Door to Door Movement from a customers front door (dock) to a receivers (dock) (known as drayage).
• Double Blind Shipment Freight shipment where both the pickup location and delivery location are falsified to the consignee and shipper, respectively.
• Double Drop Deck A flatbed with the lowest deck. Featuring a raised step at the front. where the trailer attaches to the fifth wheel, and at the back, where the wheel wells are located. Normally used for oversized/overweight items.
• Doubles A tractor and two semi trailers connected in tandem by converter dolly.
• Drayage Movement of a container or trailer to or from the railroad intermodal. terminal to or from the customers facility for loading or unloading.
• Draymen A person hired to pick up or drop off a container or trailer at an intermodal terminal.
• Drive Axle An Axle that is driven by the engine; legal axle weight is 34k lbs.
• Driver Assist When a draymen is required to assist in the loading and unloading of a container/trailer.
• Drop Trailer When a trailer or boxcar is left at a facility to either be loaded or unloaded to/from.
• Dropdeck A flatbed with a lowered deck, featuring a raised step at the front, where the trailer attaches to the fifth wheel.
• Dry Van A simple, enclosed non-climate controlled rectangular trailer that carriers general cargo, including food and other products that do not require refrigeration. Usually loaded and reloaded through rear doors, requiring elevated access for forklifts to enter the trailer.
• Dunnage Pieces of lumber used to protect a product from damage during transport. The lumber is nailed to the floor around the freight to prevent it from shifting.
• Exclusive Use Cargo Van or freight truck where the freight in the truck is dedicated to one person or company.
• Flat Bed A flat trailer with no enclosures or doors. Can be loaded/ unloaded from the sides or above, and doe not require elevated access for forklifts.
• Flatcar A freight car having a floor without any housing or body above – used to carry containers/trailers/oversized- odd shaped commodities.
• Forklifts Gas powered, used for full truckload, larger freight. Lifts up to 4,000lbs. Forklift services at pick up or delivery need to be arranged by the customer.
• Freight Bill The carrier’s invoice for payment of transport services rendered.
• Freight Class Freight classes are a measurement that allow for standard prices across all LTL freight carriers and businesses. Freight classes are determined by the NMFTA, or National Motor Freight Traffic Association.
• Freight Payables Freight Bill in need of payment.
• Full Truckload (FTL) A shipment that utilizes the entire space of the trailer. These shipments take up most or all of the space and or weight the trailer can handle. Also known as FTL shipping.
• Gross weight Total weight of the vehicle and the payload of freight or passengers.
• HOS Hours of service; the hours a driver is legally allowed in a 24 hour window.
• Hazmat Explosive, poisonous, or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Hazardous materials must be transported by specialty certified carriers.
• Headhaul When a carrier picks up freight near their home base, then brings it to a different location for delivery.
• Hub & Spoke System The system by which LTL shipments currently move via LTL carriers. Multiple stop points and transfer of products throughout transit.
• Insurance by Liability Cargo and Accident liability.
• Intermodal A single trailer or container that encounters multiple forms of transportation along it’s route, such as truck and rail, truck and air or rail and ocean; Drayman or Drayage carriers are sued to haul between connecting points.
• LTL Tariffs A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports (trade tariff) or a list or schedule of prices.
• Lane Freight term for route from pick up to destination; the path of shipment from point A to point B.
• Layover A delay that requires a driver to stay for an extended period of time or overnight to get loaded or unloaded.
• Lead Time Amount of time client tenders the load to when it is picked up.
• Less Than Truckload (LTL) A shipment that does not require the entire capacity of the truckload trailer. Weight is typically less than 7,500 lbs. and less than 12ft of trailer space. Trucking companies consolidate shipments to maximize the trailer’s space. Trucking companies consolidate shipments to maximize the trailer’s entire space and utilize a network of terminals and relay points. LTL is rated upon class and weight and distance.
• Letter of Authority License to engage in operations, interstate and foreign commerce.
• Life Gate (LG) A lift gate is a power-operated tailgate capable of lifting pallets from street level to the floor of a trailer. Shipper locations with no loading docks often have lift gates, as do many LTL truck fleets.
• Linehaul The inter-city portion of the trip that occurs after freight is picked up and delivered to the origin and prior to the delivery at the destination.
• Load to Ride Picking up your freight directly at the shipping location and loading it to ride directly to the delivery eliminates loading and unloading your freight at numerous terminals.
• Loading time Time it takes to load a truck.
• Loose Capacity More trucks than loads (Loose Market): Truckers in low demand.
• Lumper Service When freight is unloaded from a trailer and pallets are broken down into smaller bundles if required per the receiver’s instructions.
• MC Number Motor Carrier Number – Every carrier and 3PL is assigned a MC number. This number allows carriers to cross state lines and it also allows the government to track brokers through their system.
• Mileage COGS determined by a base unit of one mile.
• Multi-Stop Load contains more than one pick up or drop off for completion of delivery.
• NMFC National Motor Freight Classification. The NMFC was created to standardize pricing for freight shipments. Every commodity shipped in the US belongs to one of eighteen freight classes, determined by four factors; shipment density, stow-ability, handling, and liability.
• NMFTA National Motor Freight Traffic Association; Provides expertise in freight classification, packaging and transportation codes.
• NOI When a product doesn’t have a specific class; dependent on density.
• Net Weight Weight obtained by deducting the weight of the tractor trailer from the total weight of the truck.
• No Touch Load that des not require driver to load or unload product.
• Over-Dimensional Special permits are require for Oversized Loads; May vary by state.
• PO (Purchase Order) The purchaser’s authorization used to formalize a purchase transaction with a supplier.
• PRO# A carrier assigned number used to identify a specific shipment in their system.
• Pallet (48×48) Accessible by all 4 sides. Can hold up to 2,500 lbs, weighs between 25-50 lbs.
• Pallet Jacks A pallet jack is a tool used to lift and move pallets. Pallet jacks are the most basic form of a forklift and are intended to move pallets within a warehouse.
• Partial Truckload (PTL) Shipments that are larger than LTL but less than Full Truckload. Also known as PTL shipping.
• Pickup Flexibility Options that client has on when a shipment can be picked up (multiple days).
• Private Carrier A carrier that provides transportation services to the firm that owns or leases the vehicles and does not charge a fee. Private Motor carries may haul at a fee for wholly owned subsidiaries.
• Pup Trucks A trailer between 26 feet and 29 feet long that can be used singularly as a delivery trailer in congested areas or in combination with another trailer for over the road.
• Receiving Dock Location where product is being unloaded from the truck.
• Reconsignment When a customer changes the name and location of the consignee when the truck is en route. A charge is assigned for the assessment.
• Reefer A term used for refrigerated vehicles.
• Sidekit A flatbed with specifically fitted side plates and curved ribs supporting a tarp covering.
• Skid (48×40) Accessible by 2 sides. Can hold up to 2,500 lbs, weighs between 25-50 lbs.
• Stackable Freight Freight that can be stacked on one another.
• Super Sack Giant tote bag mainly used for grain, corn, rice.
• Swing Doors Must be opened before backing up to dock; swing doors allow for taller products.
• Tailgate When a driver is required to bring the cargo to the back of the trailer. This generally occurs when the receiver does not have a loading dock or forklift.
• Team Driver A team of two or more drivers who ride together and drive the same truck in shifts, essentially allowing the truck to remain in motion almost constantly. Primarily used for time sensitive freight.
• Terminal A dock at which freight is sorted and redistributed onto different trucks.
• Third Party Logistics Outsourced provider that manages all or a significant part of an organization’s logistics requirements; Freight Broker.

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