Shipping & Logistics dictionary

Logistics dictionary

A

ALL IN (All Inclusive) – Freight rate includes all costs associated with a particular shipment, no surcharges apply
ATA (Actual Time of Arrival) – Actual time of a shipment’s arrival
ATD (Actual Time of Departure) – A shipment’s actual time of departure

B

B/L (Bill of Lading) – Sea freight manifest issued to the cargo title holder by the forwarder
BAS (Base Rate) – Basic freight rate
BAF (Bunker Adjustment Factor) – Adjustment factor by which the base rate is adjusted depending on current fuel market price
Booking – Reservation of all/partial cargo space of a shipping vessel

C

CAF (Currency Adjustment Factor) – Currency rate fluctuation adjustment factor added to the base rate. The rate is determined monthly or quarterly, usually a percentage of the base rate
Carrier – Person using own or leased vehicle to transport good on the basis of agreement with the sender
Certificate of Origin – Document that certifies the place where the shipment in question was manufactured
Charter – Agreement between the owner of a shipping vessel and its customer regarding the lease of the vessel for a certain period of time and/or fulfilment of a specific shipment
CMR – International waybill
C.O.C (Carrier’s Owned Container) – The shipping container is owned by the carrier
Consignor – The sender
Consignee – The recipient
CY (Container yard) – Container terminal

D

DС (Dry container) – Container type intended for transportation of dry goods with no need for temperature control
DDF (Documentation Fee – Destination) – Document handling fee collected at the port of destination
Demurrage – Penalty imposed on excessive use of shipping container between its arrival at the terminal and its departure from the terminal. For sea freight vessels – fee for delays in agreed loading/unloading schedule
Detention – Penalty imposed on excessive use of shipping container between its departure from the terminal until its return to the port
DHC (Handling Charge – Destination) – Re-loading and/or other handling fees at the port of destination
Discharging – unloading
DOCS (documentation), DocsFee – Local agent’s fee for document handling. Can be imposed on either full shipment or per container
DOOR – Delivery from/to door

E

EX – Export declaration
ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) – Approximate time of a shipment’s arrival based on an estimation
ETD (Estimated Time of Departure) – Approximate time of a shipment’s departure from its terminal based on an estimate

F

Feeder – Short distance marine carrier transporting shipping containers on small vessels between ports to feed larger shipping vessels
FI (Free In) – Freight rate does not include the cost of loading
FIFO (Free In / Free Out) – Loading and unloading at consignor’s cost
FILO (Free In / Liner Out) – Loading at the consignor’s cost, unloading at the liner’s cost
FIOS (Free In / Out) – Loading and unloading at consignor’s cost
FCL (Full Container Loading) – Shipping container completely filled with one sole consignee’s goods
FO (Free Out) – Freight rate not including unloading from the vessel
FSC (Fuel Surcharge) – Additional fee to recover increased fuel cost, most often imposed for airfreight
FTL (Full Truck Load) – Fully loaded truck or trailer

G

GRI – Freight price increase scheme within a specific timeframe
Gross Weight – Goods weight combined with other inseparable internal packaging as well as external packaging such as bags, boxes, crates etc.

H

HC (High Cube) – Type of shipping container, higher than a regular shipping container
Heavy Lift Charge – Surcharge when the weight of the cargo exceeds the previously specified weight

I

IMO Surcharge – Hazardous goods surcharge
INCOTERMS, International Commercial Terms – Collection of international logistics terms
ISPS – Port security surcharge

L

LCL (Less Container Loading) – Shipping container filled with multiple consignees’ cargo
LI (Liner In) – Freight rate includes the loading onto the shipping vessel
LI-Door (Liner In / Door) – Loading at port at liner’s cost, delivery to the consignee’s door
LIFO (Liner In / Free Out) – Loading at liner’s cost, unloading at consignor’s cost.
LILO (Liner In / Out) – Loading and unloading at liner’s cost
LO (Liner Out) – Unloading at port at liner’s cost

N

Notify Party – Party to whom notice of arrival must be sent

O

ODF (Documentation Fee – Origin) – Document handling fee at port of origin
OT (Oреn Tор) – Shipping container top with open top, normally covered with tarp
OHC (Handling Charge – Origin) – Handling fee at port of origin
Order Bill of Lading – Bill of lading issued “to order of” the consignor, or “to order of” the consignee or “to order of” the bank. Title can be transferred by endorsement to third party.

P

POD (Port of Delivery) – Port of destination
POL (Port of Loading) – Port where the cargo is loaded onto the shipping vessel
PSS (Peak Season Surcharge) – Additional fee imposed during a specific “peak” period of time when cargo volume turnover is elevated
PCS (Port Congestion Surcharge) – Additional fee imposed when the port’s container handling area is congested

Q

Quality Certificate – Document certifying that the goods meet the quality, technical data as well as personal health and environmental safety requirements according to agreement

R

RF (Reefer Container) – Type of shipping container intended for cargo that requires temperature control

S

SDR (Special Drawing Rights) – An artificial currency created by the IMF
Sea freight – Mode of transport that carries cargo by ship via sea
SEC (Security Charges) – Port security fee
Shipper – Sender; also see “consignor”
S.O.C (Shipper’s Owned Container) – The shipping container belongs to the shipper
SSC (Security Surcharge) – Additional security fee, most often imposed on airfreight shipments
Storage – Additional fee imposed on lengthy port storage exceeding the original terms. The rate is calculated from the shipment’s unloading at the port until its departure from the port according to the port’s pricing scale. Normally, the price per day increases exponentially with the number of days of storage
S.T.C. (Said to Contain) – Claim of content

T

T-1 – Transit declaration for goods of non-European origin used within the EU perimeter
TC (Tank Container) – Shipping container type intended for gas and liquid cargo.
TEU (Twenty Foot Equivalent Unit) – Measuring unit equivalent to the volume of 1 x 20ft shipping container, 1 40ft-container = 2TEU
THC (Terminal Handling Charges) – The cost of handling at port

W

Waybill – Manifest used to document the dispatch, acceptance and transportation of goods and regulate the relationship terms between the consignor, carrier and consignee
Wharfage – Port surcharge
WSC (Winter Surcharge) – Surcharge imposed during wintertime in ports where icing may occur