Shipping Terms Glossary

Abbreviation for “Transportation and Exportation.” Customs form used to control cargo movement from port of entry to port of exit, meaning that the cargo is moving from one country, through the United States, to another country.

Rear of a container or trailer-opposite the front or nose.

In railcar or container shipments, the weight of the empty railcar or empty container.

A publication setting forth the charges, rates and rules of transportation companies.

To Be Nominated. (When the name of a ship is still unknown.)

Used for sending messages to outside companies. Messages are transmitted via Western Union, ITT and RCA. Being replaced by fax and internet.

A device to record temperature in a container while cargo is en route.

The offer of goods for transportation or the offer to place cars or containers for loading or unloading.

Time and date for payment of a draft.

An assigned area in which containers are prepared for loading into a vessel, train, truck, or airplane or are stacked immediately after discharge from the vessel, train, truck, or airplane.

A charge made for a service performed in a carrier’s terminal area.

The point at which sellers have fulfilled their obligations so the goods in a legal sense could be said to have been delivered to the buyer. They are shorthand expressions that set out the rights and obligations of each party when it comes to transporting the goods....

Abbreviation for “Twenty foot Equivalent Unit.”

The total rate from the point of origin to final destination.

The charge for moving a container through a container yard off or onto a ship.

A contract for leasing between the ship owners and the lessee. It would state, e.g., the duration of the lease in years or voyages.

A draft that matures either a certain number of days after acceptance or a certain number of days after the date of the draft.

– “Transport International par la Route.” Road transport operating agreement among European governments and the United States for the international movement of cargo by road. Display of the TIR carnet allows sealed containerloads to cross national frontiers without...

Abbreviation for “Trailer Load.”

Abbreviation for “Trailer on Flat Car.” The movement of a highway trailer on a railroad flatcar. Also known as Piggyback.

– A unit used in comparing freight earnings or expenses. The amount earned from the cost of hauling a ton of freight one mile. – The movement of a ton of freight one mile.

100 cubic feet.

Generally refers to freight handled.

A type of air circulation in a container. In top air units, air is drawn from the bottom of the container, filtered through the evaporator for cooling and then forced through the ducted passages along the top of the container. This type of airflow requires a special...

The charge made for towing a vessel.

Unit of highway motive power used to pull one or more trailers/containers.

A time or a date draft that has been accepted by the buyer (the drawee) for payment at maturity.

Persons and property carried by transport lines.

The truck unit into which freight is loaded as in tractor trailer combination. See Container.

An ocean carrier company operating vessels not on regular runs or schedules. They call at any port where cargo may be available.

To move cargo from one place to another.

Allows foreign merchandise arriving at one port to be transported in bond through the U.S. to be exported from another port, without paying duty.

To transfer goods from one transportation line to another, or from one ship to another.

Place where cargo is transferred to another carrier.

Release of merchandise by a bank to a buyer while the bank retains title to the merchandise. The goods are usually obtained for manufacturing or sales purposes. The buyer is obligated to maintain the goods (or the proceeds from their sales) distinct from the remainder...

In water transportation, the time it takes between the arrival of a vessel and its departure.

A set of four twistable bayonet type shear keys used as part of a spreader to pick up a container or as part of a chassis to secure the containers.

A pallet so designed that the forks of a fork lift truck can be inserted from two sides only.