Shipping & Logistics Glossary
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Shipping & Logistics Glossary
Explore common shipping, freight forwarding, customs, trade and logistics terms. Search by keyword, category or abbreviation to quickly understand industry terminology.
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20ft Container
20GPA nominal 20-foot general-purpose shipping container.
40ft Container
40GPA nominal 40-foot general-purpose shipping container.
40ft High Cube Container
40HCA nominal 40-foot container with additional height.
Actual Time of Arrival
ATAThe recorded date and time a movement arrived.
Actual Time of Departure
ATDThe recorded date and time a movement departed.
Actual Weight
The measured physical weight of cargo and packaging.
Air Cargo
Goods transported by aircraft.
Air Waybill
AWBA non-negotiable air cargo transport document and receipt issued by or for an airline.
Airline
An air carrier operating aircraft and accepting cargo under its conditions of carriage.
Airport of Departure
AODThe airport from which an air cargo movement departs.
Airport of Destination
AODThe airport at which an air cargo movement is scheduled to arrive.
Application Programming Interface
APIA defined way for software systems to exchange requests and data.
Arrival Notice
A notice from a carrier or agent advising that cargo is due or has arrived and stating next steps or charges.
Bill of Lading
B/LA carrier-issued ocean transport document that evidences receipt, the contract of carriage and, in negotiable form, title to goods.
Bonded Warehouse
An authorised facility where goods may be stored under customs control with duties suspended under applicable rules.
Booking Number
A carrier or forwarder reference for a confirmed or requested transport booking.
Breakbulk
Cargo handled as separate pieces because it is not shipped in standard containers or as bulk.
Bulk Carrier
A vessel designed to carry unpackaged dry bulk cargo such as grain or ore.
Carbon Dioxide Equivalent
CO2eA common unit expressing the climate impact of different greenhouse gases as carbon dioxide equivalents.
Cargo
Goods carried by ship, aircraft, road vehicle or rail.
Carriage and Insurance Paid To
CIPCPT plus seller-arranged cargo insurance to the named destination at the higher Incoterms® 2020 cover level.
Carriage Paid To
CPTThe seller pays carriage to the named destination, but risk passes much earlier when goods are handed to the first carrier.
Carrier
A company contractually responsible for transporting goods.
Certificate of Origin
COOA document certifying the declared origin of goods for a specified purpose.
Chargeable Weight
The weight used to price air freight, generally the greater of actual and volumetric weight under the applicable tariff.
CMR Consignment Note
CMRA road transport consignment note commonly used for international carriage under the CMR Convention.
Commercial Invoice
The seller's principal commercial document describing the transaction and goods for payment and customs purposes.
Commodity Code
A jurisdiction-specific goods code based on the HS and extended for tariff or statistical purposes.
Consignee
The party named to receive the goods at destination.
Consignment
Goods sent by one party to another under a transport or sales arrangement.
Consolidation
ConsolCombining multiple smaller shipments into one larger transport movement.
Container
A reusable standardised transport unit designed for intermodal cargo movement.
Container Freight Station
CFSA facility where LCL cargo is consolidated into or deconsolidated from containers.
Container Number
The ISO 6346-style identifier marked on an intermodal freight container.
Container Ship
A vessel designed to carry standardised freight containers.
Container Yard
CYA terminal area where full containers are received, stored and released.
