ALL IN – The total price to move cargo from origin to destination, inclusive of all charges;
B/L – Abbreviation for “Bill of Lading.” A document that establishes the terms of a contract between a shipper and a transportation company. It serves as a document of title, a contract of carriage and a receipt for goods;
BAS Base Rate – A tariff term referring to ocean rate less accessorial charges, or simply the base tariff rate;
BAF – Abbreviation for “Bunker Adjustment Factor.” Used to compensate steamship lines for fluctuating fuel costs. Sometimes called “Fuel Adjustment Factor” or FAF;
BFR – sea freight;
Booking – Arrangement with a steamship company for the acceptance and cartage of freight;
CAF – Abbreviation for “Currency Adjustment Factor.” A charge, expressed as a percentage of a base rate, that is applied to compensate ocean carriers of currency fluctuations;
Carrier – Any person or entity who, in a contract of carriage, undertakes to perform or to procure the performance of carriage by rail, road, sea, air, inland waterway or by a combination of such modes;
Certificate of Origin – Document which confirms that the cargo was produces in mentioned country;
Charter – Originally meant a flight where a shipper contracted hire of an aircraft from an air carrier, but has usually come to mean any non-scheduled commercial service;
C.O.C “Сarrier’s Оwned Container”;
Consignee – A person or company to whom commodities are shipped;
CUC “Chassis Using Charge”;
CY (Container yard) – A materials – handling/storage facility used for completely unitized loads in containers and/or empty containers. Commonly referred to as CY;
DС (Dry container)-A container constructed to carry grain, powder and other free-flowing solids in bulk;
DDF (Documentation Fee ) – Destination;
Demurrage – A penalty charge against shippers or consignees for delaying the carrier’s equipment or vessel beyond the allowed free time. The free time and demurrage charges are set forth in the charter party or freight tariff. See also Detention;
Detention – A penalty charge against shippers or consignees for delaying carrier’s equipment beyond allowed time.;
DHC (Handling Charge) – Destination;
Disbursement Account – document containing a list of charges of services in the port;
Discharging – Unloading;
DOCS (documentation), DocsFee;
Door – to – Door – Through transportation of a container and its contents from consignor to consignee. Also known as House to House. Not necessarily a through rate;
ETA – Estimeted Time of Arrival;
ETD – Estimated Time of Departure;
Feeder – A short – sea vessel which transfers cargo between a central “hub” port and smaller “spoke” ports;
FFC – Freight Forwarder Commission/Brokerage – Origin;
Free In and Out (FIO) – Cost of loading and unloading a vessel is borne by the charterer/shipper;
Free Out (FO) Cost of unloading a vessel is borne by the charterer;
FI (Free In) – free from discharge – a condition of carriage, which means that the freight does not include the cost of loading on a vessel;
FICY (Free in/Container yard) – On the port loading is on shipper’s account, delivery to the comtainer yard is on carrier’s account;
FIFO (Free in/Free out) – Loading-Unloading on shippers account;
FILO (Free in/Liner out) – Loading is on shipper’s account, unloading on carrier’s account;
FIOS (Free in/out) – loading-unloading on shipper’s account;
FO (Free Out) – free from discharge, a condition of carriage, which means that the freight does not include the cost of unloading from the vessel;
FCL – Abbreviation for “Full Container Load”;
Freight – Refers to either the cargo carried or the charges assessed for carriage of the cargo;
GRI – Abbreviation for “General Rate Increase.” Used to describe an across – the – board tariff rate increase implemented by conference members and applied to base rates;
Gross Weight – Entire weight of goods, packaging and freight car or container, ready for shipment. Generally, 80,000 pounds maximum container, cargo and tractor for highway transport;
High Cube (HC or HQ) – Any container which exceeds 8 feet 6 inches (102 inches) in height, usually 9 feet 6 inches;
Heavy – Lift Charge – A charge made for lifting articles too heavy to be lifted by a ship’s normal tackle;
IMO Surcharge – Surcharge for dangerous cargo;
INCOTERMS (International Commercial Terms) – The recognized abbreviation for the International Chamber of Commerce Terms of Sale. These
terms were last amended, effective July 1, 1990;
(ISPS)International Ship and Port Security Code – It is an amendment to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention (1974/1988) on minimum security arrangements for ships, ports and government agencies. Having come into force in 2004, it prescribes responsibilities to governments, shipping companies, shipboard personnel, and port/facility personnel to “detect security threats and take preventative measures against security incidents affecting ships or port facilities used in international trade;”
LCL – Abbreviation for “Less than Container Load.” The quantity of freight which is less than that required for the application of a container load rate. Loose Freight;
LI (Liner In) – Conditions of loading, meaning that the cost of loading on the vessel is included in the freight rate;
LI-Door (Liner in/Door) – Loading in port is on carrier’s account, delivery up to consignees warehouse;
LIFO (Liner in/Free out) – Loading is on carrier’s account, unloading is on senders account;
LILO (Liner in/out) – loading and unloading are on line’s account, included in the freight rate – full linear conditions;
LO (Liner Out) – Conditions, meaning that the cost of discharge from the vessel is included in the freight rate;
Manifest – Document that lists in detail all the bills of lading issued by a carrier or its agent or master for a specific voyage. A detailed summary of the total cargo of a vessel. Used principally for Customs purposes;
Laytime – period during which the carrier provides the vessel for cargo loading without additional charges, by agreement of the parties, in the absence of such an agreement about the terms generally accepted in the port of loading;
Notify party – In a contract of carriage, the notification of a shipment’s arrival is usually sent to this party whose address appears on the shipping document. This party is usually either the buyer or the importer;
Open Top Container – A container fitted with a solid removable roof, or with a tarpaulin roof so the container can be loaded or unloaded from the top;
ODF (Documentation Fee – Origin) – Documentation fee at port of loading;
POD – Abbreviation for: Port of Discharge, Port of Destination;
POL – Abbreviation for: Port of Loading;
PSS (Peak Season Surcharge) – allowance due to the seasonal increase in traffic at certain times of the year;
PCS (Port Congestion Surcharge) – Allowance due to an overload of container in port areas;
Quality Certificate – document confirming that the product quality matches with parameters, specifications, safety requirements for human life, health and the natural environment;
RF Reefer – Refrigerated container;
SEC – Security charges in the port;
Shipper – The person or company who is usually the supplier or owner of commodities shipped. Also called Consignor;
S.O.C- Shipper’s Owned Container;
Storage – Rate for excess storage of cargo at the port. Is counted from the unloading terminal until removal from the terminal. Usually quoted for TEU;
TEU – Abbreviation for “Twenty foot Equivalent Unit.”;
THC – Terminal Handling Charge. A charge of carriers for recovering the costs of handling FCLs at container terminals at origin or destination;
War Risk – Insurance coverage for loss of goods resulting from any act of war;
Waybill (WB) – A document prepared by a transportation line at the point of a shipment; shows the point of the origin, destination, route, consignor, consignee, description of shipment and amount charged for the transportation service. It is forwarded with the shipment or sent by mail to the agent at the transfer point or waybill destination. Abbreviation is WB. Unlike a bill of lading, a waybill is not a document of title;
Wharfage (Whfge.) – Charge assessed by a pier or dock owner against freight handled over the pier or dock or against a steamship company using the pier or dock;
WSC (Winter Surcharge) – winter surcharge for the ports where there is a possibility of icing.