Resources
Freight & Logistics Terms A–Z
A plain-English glossary of the shipping, trucking, and brokerage terms you'll run into when moving freight. Jump to a letter or browse the full list below.
A
- Accessorial
- An extra charge for a service beyond standard pickup and delivery — liftgate, residential access, inside delivery, detention, tarping, or appointment scheduling. Accessorials are added to the linehaul rate.
- Air Freight
- Cargo moved by aircraft. Fastest mode for long distances and the most expensive, typically reserved for time-critical or high-value shipments.
- Appointment Delivery
- A delivery that must occur within a scheduled time window arranged in advance with the receiver. Common at distribution centers and often carries an accessorial fee.
- As Agreed
- A rate or term set by negotiation between shipper and carrier for a specific load rather than published in a standard tariff.
- Axle Weight
- The portion of a loaded vehicle's weight carried by a single axle or axle group. Federal and state limits cap axle weights to protect roads and bridges.
B
- Backhaul
- A load hauled on the return leg of a trip, back toward the carrier's home base. Backhauls help carriers avoid empty miles and often price below the outbound rate.
- Bill of Lading (BOL)
- The core shipping document. It acts as a receipt for the freight, a contract of carriage between shipper and carrier, and a record of the goods, quantities, and terms of the move.
- Blind Shipment
- A shipment where the shipper and receiver are concealed from one another — common in drop-ship arrangements. Paperwork is adjusted so neither party sees the other's details.
- Bobtail
- A semi-truck driving with no trailer attached. Bobtail miles are unpaid for the carrier, so they factor into how a lane is priced.
- BOC-3
- A federal filing that designates a process agent in each state where a carrier or broker operates. Required to obtain and keep FMCSA operating authority.
- Broker
- A licensed intermediary that arranges freight transportation between shippers and motor carriers without taking possession of the cargo. Brokers must hold FMCSA authority and a surety bond.
C
- Cargo Insurance
- Coverage that pays for loss or damage to freight while in transit. Carriers carry their own cargo policy; brokers often carry contingent cargo coverage as a backstop.
- Carmack Amendment
- The federal law (49 U.S.C. § 14706) that governs a motor carrier's liability for loss or damage to goods moving in interstate commerce, and the framework for filing cargo claims.
- Carrier
- The trucking company that physically transports the freight and holds the operating authority and equipment to do so. Also called a motor carrier.
- Cartage
- Short-distance hauling of freight within a local area, often the first or last leg between a terminal and the shipper or receiver.
- Chassis
- A wheeled frame used to haul an intermodal shipping container by truck. The container is mounted onto the chassis for the over-the-road portion of the move.
- Claim
- A formal request for compensation filed against a carrier for freight that was lost, damaged, or short on delivery. Backed by the BOL, proof of value, and the delivery receipt noting the exception.
- Consignee
- The party receiving the freight — the "ship to" at the destination. Listed on the bill of lading.
- Consignor
- The party sending the freight — the shipper or "ship from" at origin. Also listed on the bill of lading.
- Cross-Docking
- Unloading freight from an inbound truck and loading it directly onto an outbound truck with little or no storage in between. Speeds up distribution and reduces warehousing.
- Cube Out
- When a trailer fills up by volume (space) before it reaches its legal weight limit. Common with light, bulky freight.
D
- DAT
- A leading freight data and load-board platform. Its RateView product publishes spot and contract rate benchmarks across tens of thousands of lanes, used to price loads accurately.
- Deadhead
- Miles a truck drives empty, with no revenue-generating load — usually traveling to a pickup. Deadhead distance influences the rate a carrier needs to accept a load.
- Dedicated
- A capacity arrangement where a carrier assigns specific trucks and drivers to one shipper's freight on an ongoing basis, providing consistent, reliable capacity.
- Demurrage
- A charge for keeping an intermodal container or rail car beyond the allowed free time at a terminal or port.
- Detention
- A fee charged when a truck is held at a pickup or delivery beyond the agreed free time (often two hours) while waiting to load or unload.
- Dimensional Weight
- A pricing method that charges by the space a shipment occupies rather than its actual weight, used when freight is light relative to its size.
- Dispatch
- The act of assigning and releasing a load to a driver, along with the operational coordination of pickup, route, and delivery.
- Drayage
- Short-haul trucking of an intermodal container between a port or rail yard and a nearby facility. A specialized segment of the intermodal supply chain.
- Dry Van
- A standard fully enclosed trailer (commonly 53 feet) for palletized, boxed, or loose freight that doesn't need temperature control. The most common equipment type.
E
- EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)
- A standardized format for exchanging shipping documents — tenders, status updates, invoices — electronically between trading partners' systems.
- ELD (Electronic Logging Device)
- Hardware that automatically records a driver's hours of service and engine data, federally mandated to ensure compliance with HOS rules.
- Expedited Freight
- Time-critical shipping that prioritizes speed — often direct, non-stop, or team-driver service. Priced at a premium over standard transit.
F
- FAK (Freight All Kinds)
- A negotiated arrangement that groups multiple commodities under a single freight class, simplifying LTL rating for shippers with varied products.
- Flatbed
- An open trailer with no sides or roof, used for oversized, heavy, or awkwardly shaped freight like steel, lumber, machinery, and building materials. Loads are secured with straps, chains, and tarps.
- FMCSA
- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration — the agency that regulates trucking, issues operating authority and USDOT numbers, and sets safety rules for carriers and brokers.
- FOB (Free on Board)
- A term defining the point at which ownership and liability for goods transfer from seller to buyer — either at origin (FOB Origin) or destination (FOB Destination).
- Freight Class
- A standardized LTL rating (50 to 500) set by the NMFC based on density, stowability, handling, and liability. Lower classes cost less to ship.
- Freight Forwarder
- A company that arranges and often consolidates shipments, taking responsibility for the goods and issuing its own bill of lading — distinct from a broker, which only arranges transport.
- FTL (Full Truckload)
- A shipment that fills, or is priced to fill, an entire trailer. The freight travels directly from origin to destination without sharing space.
- Fuel Surcharge
- A variable charge added to the linehaul rate to offset diesel price fluctuations, typically tied to a published fuel index.
G
- Gross Weight
- The total weight of the freight plus packaging, pallets, and the vehicle or container carrying it.
- GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)
- The maximum total weight a vehicle is rated to carry safely, including the truck, fuel, driver, and cargo, as specified by the manufacturer.
H
- Hazmat
- Hazardous materials that pose a risk during transport and are regulated by the DOT. Hazmat freight requires special placarding, documentation, and endorsed drivers.
- Hotshot
- Expedited hauling of smaller, urgent loads using a medium-duty pickup with a gooseneck or flatbed trailer — typically up to about 16,500 lbs. Often faster to dispatch than a full semi.
- Hours of Service (HOS)
- Federal limits on how long a commercial driver may operate before resting, designed to reduce fatigue. Tracked automatically by ELDs.
I
- Intermodal
- Moving freight using two or more modes — typically rail and truck — within the same container, without handling the goods themselves when switching modes.
- Interstate Commerce
- Freight that crosses state lines or otherwise moves in commerce between states, placing it under federal (FMCSA) jurisdiction.
- Intrastate Commerce
- Freight that moves entirely within a single state, governed primarily by that state's regulations.
J
- Just-in-Time (JIT)
- An inventory strategy where materials arrive exactly when needed for production or sale, minimizing storage but demanding highly reliable, on-time freight.
K
- Kingpin
- The coupling pin on a trailer's underside that locks into the truck's fifth wheel, connecting tractor and trailer.
L
- Lane
- A specific origin-to-destination route, such as Tulsa to Dallas. Carriers and brokers price, plan, and analyze freight by lane.
- Layover
- A charge for a delay that forces a driver to wait overnight before loading or unloading, compensating for the lost day.
- Less Than Truckload (LTL)
- Shipping that combines multiple smaller shipments from different shippers onto one trailer. You pay only for the space your freight uses — ideal for 1 to 6 pallets.
- Liftgate
- A hydraulic platform on the back of a truck that raises and lowers freight to ground level, needed where there's no loading dock. Usually an accessorial charge.
- Linehaul
- The base charge for transporting freight between two points, excluding fuel surcharges and accessorials.
- Load Board
- An online marketplace where shippers and brokers post available freight and carriers search for loads to haul. DAT and Truckstop are major examples.
- Logistics
- The overall coordination of moving and storing goods — planning, transportation, warehousing, and delivery — from origin to final destination.
M
- Manifest
- A document listing all the freight, pieces, and consignees on a single truck or trailer for a given run.
- MC Number
- The Motor Carrier docket number historically issued by FMCSA to grant interstate operating authority. As of late 2025 the USDOT number is becoming the single identifier for new registrants.
- Mileage
- The distance of a shipment, often calculated with practical truck routing (e.g., PC*Miler) rather than straight-line distance, since it drives the rate.
N
- Net Weight
- The weight of the goods alone, excluding packaging, pallets, and the vehicle.
- NMFC (National Motor Freight Classification)
- The standard that assigns LTL freight classes based on density, handling, stowability, and liability, providing a uniform basis for rating shipments.
O
- OS&D (Over, Short & Damaged)
- A report documenting discrepancies found at delivery — extra pieces (over), missing pieces (short), or damaged goods — that supports a freight claim.
- Over-Dimensional
- Freight that exceeds legal limits for height, width, length, or weight, requiring permits and sometimes escorts. Also called oversized or heavy haul.
- Owner-Operator
- A driver who owns and operates their own truck, either under their own authority or leased to a larger carrier.
P
- Pallet
- A flat wooden or plastic platform that freight is stacked and secured on for handling by forklift. A standard pallet measures 48 by 40 inches.
- Partial Truckload
- A shipment too large for LTL but not filling a full trailer — typically 5,000 to 20,000 lbs. It shares trailer space but moves more directly than LTL, with less handling.
- Proof of Delivery (POD)
- A signed document confirming the consignee received the freight, noting the date, condition, and any exceptions. Required to close out a shipment and bill it.
- Pup Trailer
- A short trailer (usually 26–29 feet) often paired with another in LTL operations or used where maneuverability matters.
- Purchase Order (PO)
- A buyer's order document referenced on shipping paperwork to tie a shipment to the goods being bought.
Q
- Quote
- A price estimate to move a specific shipment, based on lane, equipment, weight, distance, timing, and accessorials. An instant quote returns a live freight rate immediately.
R
- Rate Confirmation
- The document a broker sends a carrier confirming the agreed rate, load details, and terms before pickup. Also called a rate con.
- Reefer
- A refrigerated trailer with a temperature-control unit, used for food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and other climate-sensitive freight.
- Reweigh
- A carrier's recheck of a shipment's weight. If it differs from what was declared, the rate may be adjusted and a correction issued.
S
- Shipper
- The business or individual that owns the freight and arranges for it to be moved — the customer in a brokered transaction.
- Spot Rate
- A one-time market price to move a load right now, reflecting current supply and demand. Distinct from a contract rate locked in over time.
- Step Deck
- A flatbed with a lower deck section that allows taller loads (up to about 10 feet) without oversized permits. Also called a drop deck.
- Straight Truck
- A truck where the cargo box and cab share a single chassis (no separate trailer), such as a box truck. Good for smaller local and regional loads.
- Surge Pricing
- Higher rates that occur when demand for trucks outstrips available capacity — around holidays, produce season, or weather disruptions.
T
- Tare Weight
- The weight of an empty container, trailer, or vehicle, subtracted from gross weight to determine the net weight of the cargo.
- Tariff
- A published schedule of rates, rules, and charges a carrier applies to its services.
- Tender
- An offer of a load from a shipper or broker to a carrier, which the carrier can accept or decline.
- Third-Party Logistics (3PL)
- A provider that manages outsourced logistics services — transportation, warehousing, fulfillment, and freight brokerage — on a shipper's behalf.
- TMS (Transportation Management System)
- Software used to plan, execute, track, and settle freight shipments, managing carriers, rates, documents, and reporting in one platform.
- Tracking
- Monitoring a shipment's location and status in transit, increasingly via GPS and telematics feeds rather than manual check calls.
- Transit Time
- The expected time for freight to travel from pickup to delivery, driven by distance, mode, and routing.
- Truckload
- Freight that occupies, or is priced to occupy, a full trailer and moves directly to its destination. See FTL.
U
- UCR (Unified Carrier Registration)
- A federal program requiring carriers and brokers operating in interstate commerce to register and pay an annual fee based on fleet size.
- USDOT Number
- A unique identifier issued by FMCSA that tracks a company's safety record, inspections, and compliance. Required to operate commercial vehicles in interstate commerce.
V
- Volume LTL
- Large LTL shipments — often more than 6 pallets or 5,000 lbs — priced under special volume rates that fall between standard LTL and truckload pricing.
W
- Warehouse
- A facility for storing goods before distribution. Many supply chains use warehousing to buffer inventory between production and delivery.
- Waybill
- A non-negotiable document prepared by the carrier that details the shipment, route, and charges. Unlike a BOL, it does not convey title to the goods.
- Weigh Station
- A roadside checkpoint where commercial vehicles are weighed and inspected for compliance with weight limits and safety regulations.
Y
- Yard
- A lot where trailers and containers are parked, staged, and managed between moves, often at a terminal, warehouse, or distribution center.
Z
- Zone
- A geographic area used to group destinations for rating and transit-time purposes. Zone-based pricing simplifies rates across regions.