Dictionary facts
ADR (Accord européen relatif au transport international des marchandises Dangereuses par Route) – The European agreement concerning the international carriage of dangerous goods by road.
AWB – Air Waybill.
AS (Alongside) – The side of the ship. Goods to be placed on the dock from which they can be loaded aboard the ship.
BAF (Bunker Adjustment Factor) – An adjustment in shipping charges to offset price fluctuations in the cost of bunker fuel.
B/L (Bill of Lading) – Documents issued by a carrier, or its agent, to the shipper as a contract of carriage of goods. It is also receipt for cargo accepted for transportation, and must be presented for taking delivery at the destination.
Booking – Arrangements with steamship companies for the acceptance and carriage of freight.
Breakbulk Cargo – Cargo which is shipped as a unit (e.g. palletized cargo, boxed cargo,…).
Bulk Cargo – Loose cargo that is loaded directly into a ship’s hold.
Cabotage – Carriage of cargo between two points within a country by a vessel or vehicle registered in another country.
CAF (Currency Adjustment Factor) – A surcharge on freight charges by a carrier to offset foreign currency fluctuations.
Certificate of Compliance – Document certified by a competent authority that the supplier of a good or service meets the required specifications.
Certificate of Origin – Documents that certifies a shipment’s country of origin.
Chassis – A wheel constructed to accept containers.
CMR (Convention relative au contrat de transport international de Merchandises per route) – Standardized document for cross-border transport of cargo by road, based on UN recommendations for uniform international rules and in force in the European Union.
Collect Freight – Freight charges paid at destination.
Consignee – Person or company (usually a buyer) named by the consignor (usually a seller) in the transportation documents (such as an AWB of B/L) as the party to whose order a consignment will be delivered at the port of destination.
Consigment – Specific shipment sent by a consignor to a named consignee.
Consignor – Person or company (usually the seller) who delivers a consignment to a carrier for transporting it to a consignee (usually the buyer) named in the transportation documents.
Container – Standardized re-sealable transportation box for unitized freight handling with standardized equipment.
Customs Broker – Person or company that transacts customhouse formalities on behalf of an importer or exporter.
Demurrage – A penalty for exceeding free time allowed for loading or unloading of cargo.
Delivery order – The release of shipment to the named delivery party.
Door to door service – Trough transport or shipping arrangement to ensure direct flow of goods from the exporter to the importer (or from the point of origin to the point of sale) with a minimum of interruption and delay. Also called house to house service.
Endorsement – Signing a legal document (such as Bill of Lading) in a legal capacity, means that endorser transferring the goods in to another party.
ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) – Date and time at which a ship journey is expected to arrive at named port.
ETD (Estimated Time of Departure) – Date and time at which a ship journey is expected to depart from a named port.
FCL – Full Container Load.
Flat Rack – A container without sides. It can be loaded from the sides and top.
GRI – General rate increase.
Gross Weight – The full weight of a shipment, including containers and packaging materials.
GMT – Greenwich mean time.
HM – Hazardous material.
Incoterms – International commercial term. Terms of sale accepted worldwide in assignment of costs and responsibilities between the buyer and the seller.
IMO (International Maritime Organization) – UN agency which promotes safety at sea through safety codes, rules and control.
JIT (Just in Time) – Inventory system in which materials are delivered just when needed for production.
L/C (Letter of Credit) – A document issued by a bank per instructions by a buyer of goods authorizingthe seller to draw a specified sum of money under specified terms.
LCL – Less than container load.
LOI – Letter of indemnity.
MAFI trailers – Low RO RO ship wheel trailer.
M/V – Motor vessel
Nett Weight – The weight of the goods alone without any immediate wrappings.
NVOCC (Non–Vessel Operating Common Carrier) – Shipment consolidator or freight forwarder who does not own any vessel, but functions as a carrier by issuing its own bills of lading or air waybills and assuming responsibility for the shipments.
Perishable goods – Any cargo that loses considerable value if it is delayed in transportation.
POD – Port of discharge.
POL – Port of loading.
Prepaid freight – Freight charges paid at origin.
Reefer – A refrigerated trailer for houling perishables.
RO – RO (Roll on – Roll off) – A ship designed to accommodate cargo that is rolled on and rolled off.
Shipment – Cargo transported under the terms of a single bill of lading or waybill, irrespective of the quantity or number of containers, packages or pieces. Also called consignment.
Shipper – An exporter, usually a manufacturing company.
Tare weight – The weight of packing and containers without the weight of goods.
TEU – A twenty foot equivalent unit (6,1m).
THC (Terminal Handling Charge) – A charge made for certain handling services performed at terminals.
Transshipment – The transfer of a shipment from one ship to another.
VOY – Voyage.
Incoterms
Incoterms or international commerce terms are a series of international sales terms and widely used in international commercial transactions.
They were created to be a universal language for global business, facilitating trade and minimizing misunderstandings over commercial terminology.
You can read more about on: http://www.iccwbo.org/incoterms/id3040/index.html
Container details
