Shipment Service Holidays: USA

Shipment Service Holidays: Canada

Shipment Service Holidays: Mexico

• Accesorial Charges: Charges made for performing services beyond normal transportation service such as storage, residential pick up or delivery, etc.

• Bill of Lading: The transportation documentation that acts as a contract of carriage between the shipper and carrier; also provides a receipt for the goods tendered to the carrier.
• Bonded Carrier: A carrier licensed by U.S. Customs to carry Customs-controlled merchandise between Customs points.

• Claim: is a demand made upon a transportation company for payment, due to freight loss or damage alleged to have occurred while shipment was in the possession of carrier.
• Commodity: Any article of commerce.
• Consignee: The receiver of a freight shipment.

• Delivery Receipt: Document dated and signed by consignee at the time of delivery stating the condition of the goods at delivery.
• Density: The physical characteristic measuring mass in pounds per foot; affects equipment utilization and rate decisions.
• Detention: Charges that are assessed when consignor or consignee fail to load or unload shipments in specified time limits. Also known as demurrage.
• Dock: a platform where trucks or trains can be loaded or unloaded.

• Expedited Shipment: Shipments that need to move more quickly than normal service, usually at a higher cost.

• FAK: Freight All Kinds; either a mixture of products and/or special rates being applied.
• Flatbeds: truck which can be either articulated or rigid. It has an entirely flat, level body with absolutely no sides or roof.
• Fuel Surcharge: Surcharge imposed by carriers when fuel prices reach over certain levels.

• Hazardous Material (Hazmat): is any solid, liquid, or gas that can harm people, other living organisms, property, or the environment.
• Heavy Haul: the transport of extremely heavy shipments over the legal weight permited. These shipments may require special routing since only certain highways allow them.

• In Bond: Shipments move under bond from point of entry to an interior U.S. destination or to another border location for clearance.
• Intermodal: the combination of more than one mode of transport, as by truck and rail.

• LTL (Less-Than-Truckload): a shipment that does not fill an entire truck and typically weigh between 100 and 10,000 lbs. Specialized carriers provide service exclusively for this type of shipment. These providers services are priced by weight, density, value and ease of handling in combination with distance.

• NMFC: National Motor Freight Classification. Industry standard tariff published by motor carriers containing rules, descriptions, and rating on all commodities moving in commerce; used to classify freight for the purpose of rating the freight bill.

• Oversized Shipments: the transportation of over-dimensional shipments, usually requiere special trucks and trailers or special permits issued by various states or local government agencies.

• Pallet: A small platform, usually 40 x 48 inches on which goods are placed. Depending on how it's loaded into the trailer, 22-24 pallet positions fit in a 48' trailer; 26-28 pallet positions in a 53' trailer.
• PRO: Progressive Rotating Order: It is a number assigned to each shipment and serves as a tracking number.

• Rail Shipments: Rail shipments are also known as intermodal shipments. Shipping by rail is a cost effective alternative to over the road trucking, but has longer transit time, so if expense is more of a concern than time, rail service becomes a viable option.

• Shipper: The sender of a freight shipment.
• SLC: Shippers Load & Count; notation on Bill of Lading.

• Team Service: A two-person team drives in shifts and the truck is stopped only for fuel. Team drivers take turns sleeping, while the fresh driver is at the wheel. Although slightly more expensive due to additional labor costs, team service is used when critical shipments need to be moved quickly. Team service is the fastest, over-the-road shipping option available.
• Truckload: A covered or enclosed truck often used for transporting goods. Usually are 48 or 53 foot long.

• UN Number: Four-digit numbers assigned by the United Nations that identify hazardous substances and articles in the transportation industry.

• Vans: A covered or enclosed truck often used for transporting goods. Usually are 48 or 53-foot long.

• Warehousing: A place in which goods or merchandise are stored; a storehouse.

Abbreviations

• C/o: Care of.
• COD: Collect on Delivery.
• DOT: Department of Transportation.
• Lbs: Pounds.
• M: Denotes thousand pounds.
• (NA): Denotes not applicable.
• Vol: Volume.

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