Shipping Terms Glossary

As provided in the Shipping Act of 1984, a contract between a shipper (or a shippers association) and an ocean common carrier (or conference) in which the shipper makes a commitment to provide a certain minimum quantity of cargo or freight revenue over a fixed time...

Saturday and Holidays Excluded.

Saturday and Holidays Included.

An individual or company selling equipment and supplies for ships.

A charge for delaying a steamer beyond a stipulated period.

Measure time onboard ship. One bell sounds for each half hour. One bell means 12:30, two bells mean 1:00, three bells mean 1:30, and so on until 4:00 (eight bells). At 4:30 the cycle begins again with one bell

A statement listing the particulars of all shipments loaded for a specified voyage.

All rigging, cranes, etc., utilized on a ship to load or unload cargo.

The tender of one lot of cargo at one time from one shipper to one consignee on one bill of lading.

The person or company who is usually the supplier or owner of commodities shipped. Also called Consignor.

A joint Bureau of the Census’ International Trade Administration form used for compiling U.S. exports. It is completed by a shipper and shows the value, weight, destination, etc., of export shipments as well as Schedule B commodity code.

Shipper’s communication(s) to its agent and/or directly to the international water-carrier. Instructions may be varied, e.g., specific details/clauses to be printed on the B/L, directions for cargo pickup and delivery.

The document required by the carrier or freight forwarders to obtain (besides the data needed) authorization to issue and sign the air waybill in the name of the shipper.

Shipments loaded and sealed by shippers and not checked or verified by the carriers.

A non-profit entity that represents the interests of a number of shippers. The main focus of shippers associations is to pool the cargo volumes of members to leverage the most favorable service contract rate levels.

The act of the U.S. Congress (1916) that created the U.S. Shipping Board to develop water transportation, operate the merchant ships owned by the government, and regulate the water carriers engaged in commerce under the flag of the United States. As of June 18, 1984,...

Effective June 18, 1984, describes the law covering water transportation in the U.S. foreign trade.

Amends the Act of 1984 to provide for confidential service contracts and other items.

Shipper’s instructions to carrier for forwarding goods; usually the triplicate copy of the bill of lading.

– Bulk Carriers: All vessels designed to carry bulk cargo such as grain, fertilizers, ore, and oil. – Combination Passenger and Cargo Ships: Ships with a capacity for 13 or more passengers. – Freighters: Breakbulk vessels both refrigerated and unrefrigerated,...

A prop or support placed against or beneath anything to prevent sinking or sagging.

2,000 pounds.

Polyethylene or similar substance heat-treated and shrunk into an envelope around several units, thereby securing them as a single pack for presentation or to secure units on a pallet.

A lift truck fitted with lifting attachments operating to one side for handling containers.

A container fitted with a rear door and a minimum of one side door.

A draft payable upon presentation to the drawee.

Battens, or a series of parallel runners, fitted beneath boxes or packages to raise them clear of the floor to permit easy access of forklift blades or other handling equipment.

Shippers load and count. All three clauses are used as needed on the bill of lading to exclude the carrier from liability when the cargo is loaded by the shipper.

Loaded containers moving within the railroad system that are not clearly identified on any internally generated reports.

A wire or rope contrivance placed around cargo and used to load or discharge it to/from a vessel.

A vessel’s berth between two piers.

Abbreviation for “Subject to Particular Average.” See also Particular Average.

An articulated five-platform railcar. Used where height and weight restrictions limit the use of stack cars. It holds five 40-foot containers or combinations of 40- and 20-foot containers.

Placing a container where required to be loaded or unloaded.

A piece of equipment designed to lift containers by their corner castings.

The force that holds a vessel upright or returns it to upright if keeled over. Weight in the lower hold increases stability. A vessel is stiff if it has high stability, tender if it has low stability.

An articulated five-platform rail car that allows containers to be double stacked. A typical stack car holds ten 40-foot equivalent units (FEU’s).

A rail service whereby rail cars carry containers stacked two high on specially operated unit trains. Each train includes up to 35 articulated multi-platform cars. Each car is comprised of 5 well-type platforms upon which containers can be stacked. No chassis...

A standard numerical code used by the U.S. Government to classify products and services.

A standard numeric code developed by the United Nations to classify commodities used in international trade, based on a hierarchy.

The right side of a ship when facing the bow.

A law limiting the time in which claims or suits may be instituted.

Said to contain.

Abbreviation for “Standard Transportation Commodity Code.”

A group of vessel operators joined together for the purpose of establishing freight rates.

An indemnity issued to the carrier by a bank; protects the carrier against any possible losses or damages arising from release of the merchandise to the receiving party. This instrument is usually issued when the bill of lading is lost or is not available.

The end of a vessel. Opposite of bow.

Individual or firm that employs longshoremen and who contracts to load or unload the ship.

A complete package of pick up or delivery services performed by a carrier from origin to final consumption point.

A marine term referring to loading freight into ships’ holds.

Mobile truck equipment with the capacity for lifting a container within its own framework.

A non-negotiable bill of lading which states a specific identity to whom the goods should be delivered. See Bill of Lading.

Removing cargo from a container (devanning).

Putting cargo into a container.

Said to weigh.

To put in place of another; i.e., when an insurance company pays a claim it is placed in the same position as the payee with regard to any rights against others.

A wharf licensed and attended by Customs authorities.

A logistical management system which integrates the sequence of activities from delivery of raw materials to the manufacturer through to delivery of the finished product to the customer into measurable components. “Just in Time” is a typical value-added example of...

An extra or additional charge.

The U.S. federal body charged with enforcing acts of the U.S. Congress that affect common carriers in interstate commerce. STB replaced the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) in 1997.