Tools
Shipping glossary
The words you will see on quotes, bookings and invoices, without the jargon.
- Air waybill (AWB)
- The transport document for air cargo. It is a receipt and contract, but not a document of title.
- Bill of lading (B/L)
- The transport document for sea cargo: a receipt, evidence of the contract and, in negotiable form, a document of title.
- Breakbulk
- Cargo loaded piece by piece rather than in containers.
- Bunker adjustment factor (BAF)
- A surcharge that reflects changes in the price of ship fuel.
- CBM
- Cubic metre, the standard unit of volume for freight.
- Chargeable weight
- The weight an air shipment is billed on: the greater of actual and volumetric weight.
- Consignee
- The party named to receive the cargo.
- Cut-off
- The deadline for delivering cargo or documents before a vessel sails.
- Demurrage
- Charges for leaving a full container at the terminal beyond the free time.
- Detention
- Charges for keeping a carrier-owned container outside the terminal beyond the free time.
- FCL
- Full container load. One shipper books the whole container.
- Flat rack
- A container with no roof or sides, for oversized cargo.
- Freight forwarder
- A company that arranges the movement of cargo for shippers using carriers and other providers.
- HS code
- A standard international number that classifies goods for customs.
- Incoterms
- Standard trade terms that set out the costs, tasks and risks of buyer and seller.
- ISPM 15
- The international standard for treating and marking timber packaging.
- LCL
- Less than container load. Several shippers share one container.
- Out-of-gauge (OOG)
- Cargo that exceeds the dimensions of a standard container.
- Packing list
- A document detailing the contents, packaging and weights of a shipment.
- Reefer
- A refrigerated container.
- RoRo
- Roll-on roll-off. Vehicles are driven on and off the ship.
- Shipper
- The party sending the cargo.
- TEU
- Twenty-foot equivalent unit, the standard measure of container capacity.
- Telex release
- An instruction allowing cargo to be collected without presenting an original bill of lading.
- Transshipment
- Moving cargo from one vessel to another at an intermediate port.
- VGM
- Verified gross mass. The confirmed weight of a packed container, required before loading.
- W/M
- Weight or measure. LCL charges are based on whichever is greater.