Freight, shipping and chartering glossary

Type Meaning
Stripping

Surcharge associated for breaking down a container.

Safety stock

Reserve stock, below which the level of stocks for this product should not fall.

Shipment

A load of goods sent by sea, road, train, or air.

Shipper’s Letter Of Instruction (SLI)

A note from the exporter to the freight forwarder with instructions on how a shipment is being sent and where it is going.

Rail overweight fee

Surcharge associated with overweight containers on rail.

Scrap material

Defective material that has no market value and cannot be sold.

Re-consignment

A carrier service that permits a shipper to change the destination and/or consignee after the shipment has reached its originally billed destination and to still pay the through rate from origin to final destination.

Security Filing

The importer or their agent is required to electronically submit information relating to the shipment. This term is used in the USA.

Shipper's agent

A firm that primarily matches up small shipments, especially single-traffic piggyback loads, to permit shippers to use twin-trailer piggyback rates.

Sea Waybill

Transport document used in shipping. The cargo is issued to a specific consignee specified in the sea waybill if he can document his identity, and at the same time, he doesn’t need to present his original copy of this waybill.

Special Customs Invoice

In addition to a customs invoice, some countries require a special customs invoice designed to facilitate the clearance of goods and the assessment of customs duties in that country.

Separable cost

A cost that a company can directly assign to a particular segment of the business.

Shipping Types

Different levels of service that you will use to fulfill your orders.

Reefer

A refrigerated container used to transport perishable goods.

Service

The defined, regular pattern of calls made by a carrier in the pick-up and discharge of cargo.

Spot Voyage

A charter for a specific vessel to move a single cargo between indicated loading port(s) and discharge port(s) in the near future.

Rolling Cargo

Cargo which is on wheels, such as truck or trailers, and which can be driven or towed on to a ship.

Ship agent

An authorized person (individual or firm) performing certain actions on behalf of another person (principal) on his behalf and in his interests.

Revenue Ton

The unit used in billing in the freight industry.

Service Contract

A contract to optimize the flow of services provided by enterprises to consumers, rendered to each other by partners in the supply chain, as well as intra-company flows.

Surcharge

An add-on charge to the applicable charges; motor carriers have a fuel surcharge, and railroads can apply a surcharge to any joint rate that does not yield 110 percent of variable cost.

Salvage material

Unused material that has a market value and can be sold.

Shipment Point

A specific location from where goods will depart for movement.

Shipping Quote

A document that breaks down the individual legs of a shipment and the surcharges each will incur, as per your freight quote.

Rail Waybill

The bill of lading for international rail freight transport.

Screening charge

Surcharge related to airport terminal screening.

Stevedore

Specialized organizations and firms engaged in loading and unloading ships.

Ro-Ro Ship

A vessel for transporting goods on a wheelbase (cars, trucks, railway wagons) and passengers. The fundamental difference between vessels of this type is horizontal loading/unloading through an inclined bow or (usually) stern; this design is called a "ramp."

Rate basis point

The major shipping point in a local area; carriers consider all points in the local area to be the rate basis point.

Return Cargo

A cargo which enables a ship to return loaded to the port or area where her previous cargo was loaded.

Safety stock

Reserve stock, below which the level of stocks for this product should not fall.

Ro-Ro Ship

A vessel for transporting goods on a wheelbase (cars, trucks, railway wagons) and passengers. The fundamental difference between vessels of this type is horizontal loading/unloading through an inclined bow or (usually) stern; this design is called a "ramp."

Shipment

A load of goods sent by sea, road, train, or air.

Stripping

Surcharge associated for breaking down a container.

Salvage material

Unused material that has a market value and can be sold.

Rolling Cargo

Cargo which is on wheels, such as truck or trailers, and which can be driven or towed on to a ship.

Shipment Point

A specific location from where goods will depart for movement.

Surcharge

An add-on charge to the applicable charges; motor carriers have a fuel surcharge, and railroads can apply a surcharge to any joint rate that does not yield 110 percent of variable cost.

Scrap material

Defective material that has no market value and cannot be sold.

Shipper's agent

A firm that primarily matches up small shipments, especially single-traffic piggyback loads, to permit shippers to use twin-trailer piggyback rates.

Rail overweight fee

Surcharge associated with overweight containers on rail.

Screening charge

Surcharge related to airport terminal screening.

Shipper’s Letter Of Instruction (SLI)

A note from the exporter to the freight forwarder with instructions on how a shipment is being sent and where it is going.

Rail Waybill

The bill of lading for international rail freight transport.

Sea Waybill

Transport document used in shipping. The cargo is issued to a specific consignee specified in the sea waybill if he can document his identity, and at the same time, he doesn’t need to present his original copy of this waybill.

Shipping Quote

A document that breaks down the individual legs of a shipment and the surcharges each will incur, as per your freight quote.

Rate basis point

The major shipping point in a local area; carriers consider all points in the local area to be the rate basis point.

Security Filing

The importer or their agent is required to electronically submit information relating to the shipment. This term is used in the USA.

Shipping Types

Different levels of service that you will use to fulfill your orders.

Re-consignment

A carrier service that permits a shipper to change the destination and/or consignee after the shipment has reached its originally billed destination and to still pay the through rate from origin to final destination.