Logistics Dictionary

From A to Z.

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