accessorial service: a service rendered by a carrier secondary to a transportation service. Examples are storage,
re-consignment, stopping in transit to complete loading or to partially unload, etc.
ad Valorem Tax: a charge levied on persons or organizations based on the value of transaction. It is normally a given percentage of the price at the retail or manufacturing state and is a common form of sales tax; e.g. Federal excise tax on new trucks and trailers.
agent: person authorized to transact business for and in the name of another.
assets: future economic benefits obtained by an entity as a result of past transactions or events.
ATA: American Trucking Associations, Inc. -- serves the united interests of the trucking industry through a national federation of 50 independent state trucking associations plus the District of Columbia (each representing all classes and types of trucking operation), 12 independent conferences (each representing a special class or type truck operation) and the national headquarters.
audit of freight bills: the process of verifying if transportation charges shown on the carrier’s freight bill are reasonable.
automobile transporter: any company certified to transport motor vehicles by hauling them on special vehicles or driving them.
average gross revenue per loaded mile: average total payment received per mile traveled with a load.
axle weight: amount of weight transmitted to the highway by one axle.
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B
back-haul (a) to haul a shipment back over a part of a route traveled; (b) traffic moving in direction of light flow when a carrier’s traffic on a route is heavier in one direction than the other.
balance sheet: a financial statement listing all assets, liabilities and owner’s equity at a certain date.
billed weight: the weight shown in a freight bill.
bill of lading: written transportation contract between shipper and carrier (or their agents). It identifies the freight, who is to receive it, and the place of delivery. In addition, it gives terms of the agreement.
bobtail: truck operating without a trailer.
bogey: a two-axle assembly
box: trailer or semi-trailer. Also, the transmission of a motor vehicle.
break bulk: to separate a composite load into individual shipments and route to different destinations.
bridge law: federal regulations specifying maximum weight based on the distance in feet between axles.
brokerage license: authority granted by Interstate Commerce Commission to persons engaged in the business of arranging for motor vehicle transportation of persons or property in interstate commerce.
bulk freight: unpackaged freight such as wheat, petroleum products, etc.
burden of proof: the obligation to prove disputed facts at issue on a legal proceeding.
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C
cab: driver’s compartment of a truck or tractor-trailer.
cab-beside-engine motor or truck tractor motor: motor truck or truck tractor with the driver’s compartment and controls located beside the engine.
cab-over-engine motor truck or truck tractor: motor truck or truck tractor with a substantial part of its engine located under the cab.
camel back body: truck body with floor curving downward at the rear.
carload: shipment of freight required to fill a rail car.
carrier: and individual, partnership, or corporation engaged in the business of transporting goods or persons.
carrier’s lien: carrier’s claim on property it has transported as security for charges.
cartage (local) hauling between locations in the same town or city or contiguous municipalities.
charge backs: those costs assumed by the carrier for independent contractors. It is understood through the lease that these costs will be charged back to the independent contractor at a later date.
chargeable
weight:
the
weight
as
determined
by the
dimensional
weight
as
opposed
to the
actual
weight.
For
calculation
assistance
see Calculators
and
Converters
claim: (a) a demand made upon a transportation line for payment on account of loss or damage alleged to have occurred while shipment was in possession of carrier; (b) a demand upon a transportation company for refund of an over charge.
classification (freight): a publication containing a list of articles and the classes to which they are assigned for the purpose of applying class rates, together with governing rules and regulations.
clean bill of lading: a bill of lading signed by the carrier for receipt of merchandise in good condition (no damage, loss, etc., apparent) and which does not bear such notion as "shipper’s load and count."
clearing house: an organization set up to process and collect bills fro participation trucking companies.
COFC: container without chassis on a railflat car. A form of intermodal movement of freight (rail and ocean).
collateral: pledge of security for borrowing money, usually in the form of a material possession.
collect shipment: a shipment where the delivering carrier collects freight charges and advances.
combination vehicle: an equipment configuration which includes a tractor combined with a trailer.
commodity: any article of commerce; goods shipped.
commodity tariff: a tariff containing only commodity rates.
common carrier: a company holding itself out to the general public to provide motor vehicle transportation for compensation over regular or irregular routes, or both.
concealed damage: a damage to the contents of a package which is apparently in good condition externally.
concealed loss: loss or damage that cannot be determined until the package is opened.
consignee: the person or firm to whom articles are shipped.
consignment: a shipment
consignor: the person or firm by whom articles are shipped.
containerization: shipping system based upon large cargo-carrying containers that easily can be interchanged between trucks, trains, and ships without
re-handling the contents.
contract carrier: a company engaging in for-hire transportation of property under individual contract or agreement with one or a number of shippers.
convertible: a truck or trailer that can be used either as a flatbed or open top by means of removing side panels.
cubic foot: a common measure of the capacity of a truck. 1,728 cubic inches.
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D
deadhead: traveling without a load.
demurrage: detention of a vehicle beyond the time allowed for loading, unloading, etc. Also the payment mode for such a delay.
destination: the place to which a shipment is to be delivered.
detention: see demurrage.
differential rate:
dispatching: the scheduling and control of intercity traffic and intracity pickup and delivery.
distance rate: charge made on basis of
kilometers
/
miles traveled, often used as one component of a freight rate.
dolly: an auxiliary axle assembly having a fifth wheel used for purpose of converting a semi-trailer to a full trailer.
DOT: Department of Transportation
(USA)
double bottom: combination consisting of a truck tractor, a semi-trailer, and a full trailer coupled together.
drayage: the charge made for hauling freight on carts, drays or trucks.
dray body (see camel back body).
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E
en route: on the way.
entry (customs) a statement of the kinds, quantities, and values of goods imported together with duties due, if any, declared before a customs office or designated officer.
escrow: money placed with a third person with direction to use it for a specific purpose, usually payment of taxes or insurance.
exclusive use of truck: a request made by a shipper on the bill of lading for the complete use of a vehicle.
exempt carrier: trucks hauling certain commodities which are exempt
from ICC economic regulation. By far the largest portion of exempt carriers transport agricultural commodities or seafood.
exempt commodity: a commodity that may be transported in both interstate and intrastate commerce without operating authority or published rates.
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F
FCC: Federal Communications Commission.
fifth wheel: a device used to connect a semi-trailer and tractor.
fixed charges: carrier costs that do not vary with an increase or decrease in traffic. An accounting classification, sometimes called fixed operation costs.
flat bed: a semi-trailer with no sides.
float: see flat bed.
free on board (FOB): usually indicates place where responsibility for expenses and risk for goods is passed from seller to buyer. For example, FOB motor carrier would usually mean that a price quoted for goods world include loading on a truck at the seller’s building. This term is not always used precisely and it’s best to quality it to show exactly what is meant.
free time: the period freight will be held before storage charges are applied.
freight bill: document for a carrier shipment giving a description of the freight, its weight, amount of charges, the rate of charges, taxes, and whether it is collect or prepaid. If the charges are paid in advance or are to be collected at the origin, it is called a prepaid freight bill. If the charges are to be collected at the destination, it is called a destination or collect freight bill.
freight charges: payment due for freight transportation.
freight forwarder: an individual or company that accepts less-than-truckload
(LTL) or less-than-carload
(LCL) shipments from shippers and combines them into carload and truckload lots.
full trailer: truck trailer with wheels on both ends (as compared to a semi-trailer in which the front rests on the rear of the power unit.
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G
general freight carrier: a carrier which handles a wide variety of commodities, typically in LTL quantities and generally involves the use of terminal facilities to break and consolidate shipments.
goods: merchandise.
gross combination weight
(GCW) how much the entire rig weighs including tractor, trailer and load.
gross ton: 2,240 pounds. More commonly called a long ton.
gross weight: (a) the weight of an article together with the weight of its container and the material used in packing; (b) as applied to a truck, the weight of a truck together with the weight of its entire contents.
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H
heater service: protection by heat of freight that would be damaged by freezing.
Heavy specialized carrier: a trucking company franchised to transport articles which because of size, shape, weight, or other inherent characteristics require special equipment for loading, unloading, or transporting.
high-cube: a body with above average cubic content. Usually constructed with low floors and thin walls.
hopper body: truck or trailer body capable of discharging its load through a bottom opening without tilting.
hot load
(Hot
Shot): emergency shipment of cargo needed in a hurry.
household good miles: a source of mileage between points commonly used by shippers and carriers for freight rate purposes.
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I
independent
contractor
(see
also
"owner
operator"): the person who owns and operates a truck, leasing himself and/or his rig for hauling products interstate. Same as owner-operator.
initial carrier: the transportation line that picks up a shipment from the shipper.
initial point: the point at which a shipment originates.
insulated van body: van body designed primarily for transportation of commodities at controlled temperatures. It may be provided with equipment for refrigeration or heating.
interchange points: a terminal where freight is transferred from one transportation line to another.
interline freight: freight moving from point of origin to destination over the lines of two or more transportation companies.
intermediate carrier (bridge): a transportation line hauling a shipment between the originating and delivery carrier.
intermodal transportation: transportation movement involving more than one mode, e.g. rail-motor, motor-air, or rail-water.
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J
jacket: a cover placed around such containers as cans and bottles.
joint rate: a rate for hauling a single shipment over two or more independent transportation lines, which cooperate to offer a through service. The shipment travels on one bill of lading.
joint routes: routes established by two or more connecting carriers for the continuous through-movement of traffic over their lines.
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K
knocked down: a term denoting that an article is partially or entirely taken apart (net set up).
known damage: damage discovered before or at the time of delivery of a shipment.
known loss: loss discovered before or at the time of delivery of a shipment.
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L
lading: that which constitutes a load; the freight in a vehicle.
layover time: the non-working time that a road driver spends away from his home terminal before being dispatched to some other destination.
(Commonly
applies
to
Long
Haul).
less-than-truckload:
(LTL) a quantity of freight less than the required for the application of a truckload rate. Usually less than 10,000 pounds.
liabilities: future economic sacrifices as a result of present obligations to transfer assets or provide services to other entities in the future. The obligations arise form past transactions or events.
lift tail gate
(see
also
"power
tailgate"
): a power-operated tail gate capable of lifting a load from street level to the level of the truck or trailer floor.
line haul: movement of freight between cities and terminals. Line haul does not include pickup and delivery service.
live axle: axle driven by engine.
loaded mile: distance traveled with a loaded trailer.
local cartage carrier: a company that transports property entirely within the commercial zone of a municipality (or contiguous cities). This may be pickup and delivery service for a line haul carrier.
local rate: a rate applying between stations located on the same transportation line.
local tariff: a tariff containing rates applicable only between terminals located on the same transportation line.
log book: a book carried by truck drivers containing daily records of hours, routes, etc.
logistics: process of systematizing information to facilitate the efficient and cost-effective flows of goods and services to produce customer satisfaction.
Clearly
defined
as: "The process of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, cost-effective flow and storage of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods, and related information from point-of-origin to point-of-consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer requirements."
long ton: 2,240 pounds.
low-bed trailer: open truck trailer constructed to provide a low platform height. Designed for the transportation of extremely heave or bulky property.
low-boy: see low-bed trailer.
LTL: see less than truckload.
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M
manifest: a document describing a shipment or the contents of a vehicle or ship.
maximum gross combination weight: the most weight allowed by law for a tractor and loaded trailer combined.
memorandum bill of lading: a duplicate copy of a bill of lading.
mileage tariff: a tariff containing rates applied according to distance.
minimum truckload weight: the lowest weight at which a shipment is handled at a truck load rate.
mixed truckload: a truckload consisting of different articles in a single shipment.
mode: frequently used to refer to the basis divisions of the transportation industry. The principal modes of transportation are truck, rail, air and water.
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N
net weight: (a) the weight of an article excluding packing and container; (b) as applied to a truck-load, the weight of the entire contents of the truck.
non-regulated trucking: a carrier which is exempt for m economic regulation, e.g. exempt agricultural shipments and private trucking operations.
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O
open top: a truck or trailer without a permanent metal top.
owner-operator: the person who owns and operates his rig; see independent contractor.
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P
pallet: a portable platform for holding material for storage or transportation.
palletized: stacked on pallets.
payload: total weight of the commodity being carried on a truck at a given time including packaging, banding, etc.
perishable freight: freight subject to decay or deterioration.
piggybacks: transportation of a highway trailer on a rail flatcar.
platform body: truck or trailer body with a floor but no sides or roof.
PMs: preventive maintenance inspections.
point of origin: the terminal at which a shipment is received by a transportation line form the shipper.
pole trailer: truck trailer which uses a rigid pole as a structural member connecting the axle unit to the truck pulling it. They are used to haul long, rigid loads such as logs, poles, pipe and other cargo capable of resting as a beam between the axle unit and the truck pulling the trailer.
prepaid: a term denoting that transportation charges have been or are to be paid at shipping point.
private carrier: a company not primarily engaged in the transportation business, but hauls its own property.
prohibited articles: articles which will not be handled.
proof of delivery
(POD): carrier establishes proof of delivery from delivery receipt copy of freight bill signed by consignee at time of delivery. This is legal proof of delivery.
pro rate: to divide or distribute proportionally, such as license fee based on proportion of miles traveled.
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R
rag top: open top trailer using a tarpaulin for a covering.
rate: the charge for transporting freight.
recouper: repair damaged cartons or containers.
reefer: a refrigerated trailer used for carrying refrigerated products.
refrigeration: the protection of perishable freight by ice or mechanical means.
regulated commodities: those commodities which are transported
under governmental regulation.
restricted articles: commodities that cannot be handled at all or may be handled under certain specific conditions.
rig: truck, tractor semi-trailer truck and full trailer, or other combinations.
route: (a) the course or direction that a shipment moves; (b) to designate the course or direction a shipment shall move; (c) the carrier or carriers by which a shipment moves.
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S
semi-trailer: truck-trailer equipped with one or more axles and constructed so that the front end rests upon a truck-tractor. A substantial part of the weight of both trailer and load rests on the tractor.
shippers'load and count: indicates that the contents of a truck were loaded and counted by the shipper and not checked or verified by the transportation line.
shipper's order: the document authorizing release of a shipment (See bill of lading).
shipping order: instructions to carrier for transportation of a shipment. Usually it is a copy of the bill of lading. Used also as a record by the freight agent at origin.
shipping papers: papers used in connection with movement of freight.
shortage: when quantity actually received is less than that shown on the waybill.
short ton: 2,000 pounds (also, net ton)
skid: a wooden
(aluminum
/
plastic) platform on which heavy articles or packaged goods are placed to permit handling equipment.
sleeper: truck with a sleeping compartment in the cab.
sleeper cab: a truck tractor or more truck cab incorporating a bed or bunk.
sliding fifth wheel: a fifth wheel assembly capable of being moved forward or backward on the truck tractor to obtain desired load distribution between tractor and trailer axles.
sliding tandem: a two-axle assembly capable of being moved forward or backward on the trailer body to obtain desired load distribution.
specifications: descriptions of particulars or details.
split pickup or delivery: an accessorial service of picking up or delivering portions of volume shipments at more than one place within origin or destination point boundaries.
spread tandem: a two-axle assembly in which the axles are separated by distances substantially greater than that in conventional assemblies.
statute of limitations: a law limiting the time in which claims or suits may be instituted.
stevedore: one who loads or unloads ships.
storage in transit: temporary safekeeping of a shipment at a point between origin and destination.
stowage freight: freight stored or packed as in a terminal or on board a truck.
surcharge: a charge above the usual or customary charge.
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T
tare weight: (a) the weight of a container and the material used for packing; (b) as applied to a loaded truck, the weight of the truck exclusive of its contents.
tariff: a published schedule showing the rates, fares, charges, classification, rules, regulations, etc., applying to transportation and incidental services.
terminal: a facility including building structures, and equipment for the storage transfer, handling, delivery and reception of vehicles and materials.
TOFC: trailer on (rail) flatcar. See
piggyback.
toll: a charge made for the use of a facility, such as a bridge or
highway
system
(such
as
the
Coquihalla).
trace: to check the movement of a shipment.
trailer: that part of the vehicle used to haul goods and hooked up to an engine-powered tractor.
truckload: (a) quantity of freight that will fill a truck; (b) quantity of freight weighing the maximum legal amount for a particular type of truck; (c) when used in connection with freight rates, the quantity of freight necessary to qualify a shipment for a truckload rate.
twin trailer: a short semi-trailer (under 29') designed to be operated as part of a combination vehicle with a tandem trailer of similar length.
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U
unclaimed freight: freight which has not been called for by the consignee or owner, or freight that cannot be delivered.
V
via: by way of.
volume rate: a low rate offered to shippers who agree to ship a large quantity of freight.
