Axle
A structural component to which wheels, brakes, and suspension are attached.
Air-Ride Suspension
Trailers built to reduce shock from roads to ensure product safety. These trailers are generally used to haul fragile items such as light bulbs. The suspension system supports the load on air-filled rubber bags rather than steel springs.
Accessorials
Additional services performed by a carrier beyond standard pick-up and delivery.
Bulk Freight
Freight that is not packaged or containerized, typically hauled via tanker trucks.
Broker/Freight Broker
Bobtailing
Operating a tractor unit without a trailer.
Bill of Lading (BOL)
A transportation document that serves as the contract of carriage between the carrier and shipper. Required for all LTL shipments; the shipper must provide the BOL to the driver at pick-up. Learn more here.
Blind Shipment
When a client requests that the shipper and/or consignee do not know each other. The client is a third party (middleman or broker), with the shipper as the supplier and the consignee as the customer. If the shipper and consignee knew about each other, they might bypass the middleman.
Blocks and Braces
Supports made of wood or other materials used to secure shipments in trailers or containers. This technique is used by expert shippers to stabilize freight. LTL carriers typically do not offer this service, while Partial and Full Truck carriers do.
Backhaul
The return trip of a vehicle from the destination point back to the carrier or driver’s home base.
CO2e Neutralized/CO2e Offset
Freight emissions neutralized by purchasing carbon offsets to counterbalance the negative environmental impact of moving a shipment.
CO2e Saved
A summary metric representing CO2e avoided and CO2e offset.
CO2e AvoidedFlock’s estimate of emissions prevented from being released due to pooling freight.
Carbon Offsets
Projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as renewable energy or improved forestry management initiatives, used to neutralize emissions from activities like transportation.
Customs Broker
A firm representing importers/exporters in dealings with customs, responsible for submitting documentation, arranging transport, and paying related charges.
Cubic Capacity
The internal volume of a piece of equipment, measured in cubic feet. When shipping light goods, load the trailer to maximize cubic capacity. It is calculated by multiplying the length, width, and height.
Cross Dock
A warehouse operation that involves transferring goods between trucks without storing them.
Container
A standard-sized rectangular box used for intermodal transport.
Consignor (CNOR)
The party that originates the shipment (shipper). Also referred to as the seller, client, or bill-to party.
Consignee (CNEE)
The party receiving the shipment.
Conestoga
A flatbed with a soft covering, similar to a wagon, used for protection.
Common Carrier
Transportation services available to the general public, regulated in terms of rates, liability, and service provided.
Common Authority
Approved general carrier transporting commodities.
Capacity
The ratio of loads to available trucks in a given area.
Commercial Invoice
An official document indicating the name and address of the buyer and seller, products being shipped, and their value for customs or insurance purposes.
Claim
A charge made against a carrier for loss, damage, or overcharge.
Deadhead
Miles traveled by a driver without a load.
Dunnage
Wood or other materials used to protect cargo during transport by securing it in place.
Dry Van
An enclosed, non-climate-controlled trailer used to carry general cargo, including non-refrigerated goods.
Dropdeck
A flatbed trailer with a lowered deck, featuring a raised step at the front for attaching to the tractor’s fifth wheel.
Drop Trailer
A trailer left at a facility to be loaded or unloaded at a later time.
Driver Assist
When the driver is required to assist in loading or unloading a container or trailer.
Drive Axle
An axle powered by the engine; the legal weight limit is 34,000 lbs.
Drayman
A person hired to pick up or drop off a container or trailer at an intermodal terminal.
Drayage
The movement of a container or trailer to/from the railroad terminal to/from the customer’s facility.
Double Blind Shipment
A freight shipment where the pickup and delivery locations are hidden from the consignee and shipper, respectively.
Double Drop Deck
A flatbed trailer with a lowered deck used to transport oversized or overweight items.
Doubles
A tractor pulling two semi-trailers connected in tandem by a converter dolly.
Door to Door
Transportation of goods from the shipper’s dock to the receiver’s dock, also known as drayage.
Distribution Center
A warehouse facility where inventory is held pending distribution to stores.
Diversion
Changing a shipment’s destination while en route, with additional charges for the extra miles.
Dispatching
The scheduling and control of truck pick-up and delivery, involving communication with drivers via phone, radio, or satellite.
Declared Value (DV)
The monetary value of a shipment, used to determine shipping charges and limit carrier liability.
Department of Transportation (DOT)
The U.S. Department of Transportation regulates the rules and regulations of the transportation industry.
Deckable
Freight placed on a moveable shelf without physically touching other items.
Exclusive Use
When a truck or cargo van is dedicated to one person or company for transporting their goods.
Freight Broker
A middleman who facilitates communication between shippers and carriers to ensure smooth transportation of freight.
Freight Bill
The carrier’s invoice for payment of transport services.
Flatcar
A freight car with a flat floor used to carry containers, trailers, or oversized commodities.
Full Truckload (FTL)
A shipment that uses the entire space of a trailer.
Freight Payables
Freight bills awaiting payment.
Fronthaul
The portion of a shipment from the carrier’s home base to the delivery location.
Freight Class
A standardized measurement for pricing LTL shipments, determined by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA).
Forklifts
Gas-powered machines used to move large freight, with the capacity to lift up to 4,000 lbs.
Flatbed
A trailer with no enclosures, loaded/unloaded from the sides or above.
Gross Weight
The total weight of the vehicle and its cargo.
Hub & Spoke System
A distribution system where LTL shipments are transferred between multiple points during transit.
HOS (Hours of Service)
The legally allowed hours a driver can operate in a 24-hour period.
Headhaul
When a carrier picks up freight near their home base for delivery elsewhere.
Hazmat
Hazardous materials, including explosive or poisonous cargo, that require certified carriers for transport.
Intermodal
Transportation of a container or trailer using multiple forms of transport, such as truck and rail or rail and ocean.
Insurance by Liability
Coverage for cargo and accident liability.
LTL Tariffs
A tariff may either be a tax on imports or exports (trade tariff) or a list or schedule of prices.
Load to Ride
Picking up your freight directly at the shipping location and loading it to ride directly to the delivery point. This eliminates loading and unloading your freight at numerous terminals.
Lumper Service
When freight is unloaded from a trailer, and pallets are broken down into smaller bundles as required by the receiver’s instructions.
Loose Capacity
A market condition where there are more trucks than loads, resulting in low demand for truckers.
Linehaul
The inter-city portion of the trip that occurs after freight is picked up at the origin and before it’s delivered to the destination.
Loading Time
The time it takes to load a truck.
Liftgate (LG)
A power-operated tailgate capable of lifting pallets from street level to the trailer floor. Shipper locations with no loading docks often have lift gates, as do many LTL truck fleets.
Lead Time
The amount of time between when the client tenders the load and when it is picked up.
Letter of Authority
A license to engage in operations in interstate and foreign commerce.
Less Than Truckload (LTL)
A shipment that doesn’t require the entire capacity of a truckload trailer, typically less than 7,500 lbs and occupying less than 12 feet of trailer space. LTL shipments are consolidated to maximize the trailer’s space and utilize a network of terminals and relay points. LTL pricing is based on class, weight, and distance.
Layover
span style=”font-weight: 400;”>A delay requiring a driver to stay for an extended period or overnight to get loaded or unloaded.
Lane
A freight term for the route from pickup to destination; the path of shipment from point A to point B.
MC Number
Motor Carrier Number – A number assigned to every carrier and 3PL, allowing carriers to cross state lines and enabling the government to track brokers.
Multi-Stop
A load that involves more than one pickup or drop-off for delivery completion.
Mileage
COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) determined by a base unit of one mile.
No Touch
A load that doesn’t require the driver to load or unload the product.
NOI
When a product doesn’t have a specific freight class, its class is determined based on density.
NMFTA
National Motor Freight Traffic Association, providing expertise in freight classification, packaging, and transportation codes.
NMFC
National Motor Freight Classification, created to standardize pricing for freight shipments. Every commodity shipped in the US belongs to one of 18 freight classes, determined by shipment density, stowability, handling, and liability.
Net Weight
The weight obtained by deducting the weight of the tractor-trailer from the total weight of the truck.
Over-Dimensional
Special permits are required for oversized loads, which may vary by state.
Pallet Jacks
A tool used to lift and move pallets. Pallet jacks are the most basic form of a forklift and are intended for moving pallets within a warehouse.
PO (Purchase Order)
The purchaser’s authorization used to formalize a purchase transaction with a supplier.
Proof of Delivery (POD)
Information supplied by the carrier containing the name of the person who signed for the shipment, the time and date of delivery, and other delivery-related details.
Pup Trucks
A trailer between 26 and 29 feet long that can be used as a delivery trailer in congested areas or in combination with another trailer for over-the-road transport.
PRO#A number assigned by a carrier to identify a specific shipment in their system.
Private CarrierA carrier that provides transportation services for the firm that owns or leases the vehicles and doesn’t charge a fee. Private motor carriers may haul at a fee for wholly-owned subsidiaries.
Pickup Flexibility
The options a client has for when a shipment can be picked up, often over multiple days.
Pallet
(48×48) A wooden or plastic platform accessible from all four sides. It can hold up to 2,500 lbs and weighs between 25 and 50 lbs.
Partial Truckload (PTL)
Shipments that are larger than LTL but smaller than a full truckload, also known as PTL shipping.
Reconsignment
When a customer changes the name and location of the consignee while the truck is en route. A fee is charged for this service.
Reefer
A term for refrigerated vehicles used to transport temperature-sensitive freight.
Receiving Dock
The location where product is unloaded from the truck.
Swing Doors
Doors on the back of a trailer that must be opened before backing up to a dock. Swing doors allow for the loading of taller products.
Super Sack
Sidekit
A flatbed truck equipped with side plates and curved ribs to support a tarp covering.
Sort and Seg
A process where the shipper requires verification that all the goods shipped have reached their destination. The driver, lumpers, or dock workers count every case on the pallet when it is received.
Skid
(48×40) A wooden or plastic platform accessible from two sides. It can hold up to 2,500 lbs and weighs between 25 and 50 lbs.
Tote
A container used to package and transport chemicals.
Truckload
A shipment over 40 feet long, typically requiring the entire capacity of a truck.
Transit Time
The total time that elapses from pickup to delivery of a shipment. Transit days typically don’t include the day of pickup, weekends, or holidays.
Trans-loading
The process of transferring a shipment from one mode of transportation to another.
Team Driver
A team of two or more drivers who ride together and take turns driving the same truck in shifts, allowing the truck to remain in motion almost constantly. This is primarily used for time-sensitive freight.
Third Party Logistics (3PL)
An outsourced provider that manages all or a significant part of an organization’s logistics requirements, similar to a freight broker.
Terminal
A dock where freight is sorted and redistributed onto different trucks.
Tailgate
When a driver is required to bring cargo to the back of the trailer, typically because the receiver doesn’t have a loading dock or forklift.
Volume LTL
Shipments of partial loads serviced by LTL carriers.
White Glove Services
Specially trained drivers and specialized equipment used for the safe transport of sensitive shipments.
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Copyright © Secure Transit INC. All Right Reserved.
Copyright © Secure Transit INC. All Right Reserved.