Shipping and Logistics Glossary
International shipping comes with a lot of terminology. Here are plain-language definitions of the terms you're most likely to come across when moving cargo with Portex Georgia.
A
- Air Waybill (AWB)
- The air-freight equivalent of a bill of lading - a receipt and contract of carriage issued by an airline or forwarder.
B
- Bill of Lading (BL)
- A legal document issued by the carrier that acknowledges receipt of cargo and serves as a contract of carriage and title to the goods.
- Bonded warehouse
- A secured warehouse where imported goods can be stored without paying duty until they are released.
- Booking
- A confirmed reservation of space with a carrier for a shipment.
- Break bulk
- Cargo shipped loose or on pallets rather than inside a container.
C
- CBM - Cubic Meter
- The standard unit of volume for freight (length x width x height in meters), used to calculate space and cost.
- Certificate of Origin
- A document certifying the country where goods were made, often required for customs and duty preferences.
- Chargeable weight
- The greater of a shipment's actual and volumetric weight, used to calculate the freight cost.
- CMR
- The standard consignment note for international road freight, confirming the contract between sender and carrier.
- Commercial Invoice
- The seller's document listing goods, values, and terms, used by customs to assess duties.
- Consignee
- The party, usually the buyer, to whom the shipment is delivered.
- Customs broker
- A licensed professional who handles customs clearance on your behalf.
- Customs clearance
- The process of getting goods approved by customs authorities for import or export.
- Customs Declaration
- The official form declaring goods to customs for import or export.
D
- Dangerous goods (DG)
- Cargo classified as hazardous, requiring special handling, packaging, and documentation.
- Demurrage
- Charges applied when a container stays at the port or terminal beyond the agreed free time.
- Detention
- Charges applied when a container is kept outside the terminal - for example at your warehouse - beyond the free time.
- Drayage
- Short-distance transport of a container, usually between a port and a nearby facility.
E
- ETA - Estimated Time of Arrival
- The expected date the shipment arrives at its destination.
- ETD - Estimated Time of Departure
- The expected date the shipment leaves the origin.
F
- FCL - Full Container Load
- A shipment that fills an entire container, booked exclusively for one consignee.
- Free time
- The period a container may stay at a port or with the consignee before demurrage or detention charges apply.
- Freight forwarder
- A company that organizes shipments and logistics on behalf of shippers, coordinating carriers and customs.
G
- Groupage
- Another term for LCL - combining several small shipments into one container.
H
- House Bill of Lading (HBL)
- A bill of lading issued by a freight forwarder to the shipper.
- HS Code
- The Harmonized System code - an international number that classifies a product and determines its customs duty.
I
- Incoterms
- Standard international trade terms that define the responsibilities of buyers and sellers in a shipment.
L
- LCL - Less than Container Load
- A shipment too small to fill a container; the space is shared with other cargo and you pay only for the volume used.
- Letter of Credit (L/C)
- A bank guarantee of payment used in international trade to protect both buyer and seller.
M
- Master Bill of Lading (MBL)
- A bill of lading issued by the main carrier to the freight forwarder.
- Multimodal transport
- Moving cargo using two or more modes of transport - such as sea and road - under a single contract.
P
- Packing List
- A document detailing the contents, weight, and dimensions of each package in a shipment.
- Port of Discharge (POD)
- The port where cargo is unloaded from the vessel.
- Port of Loading (POL)
- The port where cargo is loaded onto the vessel.
R
- Reefer
- A refrigerated container used for temperature-sensitive cargo.
- RoRo - Roll-on/Roll-off
- A vessel or service for cargo that drives on and off, such as vehicles and machinery.
S
- SCAC - Standard Carrier Alpha Code
- A unique code that identifies a shipping carrier.
- Shipper
- The party, usually the seller, sending the goods.
- Stuffing / Unstuffing
- Loading (stuffing) or unloading (unstuffing) cargo into or out of a container.
T
- TEU - Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit
- A unit of container capacity equal to one 20ft container.
- THC - Terminal Handling Charge
- Fees charged by a port terminal for handling a container.
- Transhipment
- Transferring cargo from one vessel or vehicle to another en route to its final destination.
- Transit time
- The time cargo takes to travel from origin to destination.
V
- Volumetric weight
- A weight calculated from a shipment's volume, used when cargo is light but bulky.
Come across a term we haven't covered?
Ask us - we're happy to explain how it applies to your shipment.