A
Air Freight Transportation
AFT
The method of transporting goods through an air carrier. It is most often the fastest means of transportation and ideal for time-sensitive cargo but produces the most carbon emissions of all modes of transport.
All Risk
Cargo insurance that covers all risks of physical loss or damage that the policy does not explicitly omit.
Avoidance
See Carbon Avoidance.
B
Back-to-Back
B2B
The transportation of goods under its own Master Air Waybill (MAWB). A back-to-back (B2B) / direct service is a faster option than consolidation because you do not have to wait for the consolidation/de-consolidation of multiple shipments.
Breakbulk cargo
Packaged cargo that is oversized or heavyweight and cannot be containerized.
British International Freight Association
BIFA
The main UK trade association for companies involved in the movement of freight and/or customs brokerage.
Bulk cargo
Shipped loosely and unpackaged as opposed to being shipped in packages or containers. Bulk cargo is typically dropped or poured as a liquid or solid into a merchant ship.
C
Carbon
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the most abundant and one of the longest-lasting of the greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions, the leading cause of climate change.
Carbon Avoidance
The prevention of carbon emissions that would have been released into our atmosphere.
Carbon Neutral
The balancing of carbon released with carbon removed from the atmosphere.
Carbon Offset
A unit of reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that is “measurable, quantifiable and trackable.” A good carbon offset is also permanent and verifiable.
Carbon Positive
The removal of more carbon from the atmosphere than was released.
Carbon Removal
The removal (also known as reduction) of carbon emissions already released into our atmosphere.
Cargo Freight Station
CFS
A facility that consolidates or deconsolidates cargo for export or import.
Carrier haulage
Haulage controlled and arranged by the shipping line, using their nominated contractors.
Chargeable Weight
What the carrier uses to determine the cost of your shipment. It may be either volumetric weight or gross weight, whichever is greater.
Charter
Services that are by far the most expensive and involve renting a vessel or aircraft in part or full.
Clean Bill of Lading
A Bill of Lading that evidences that the goods received in the vessel are in good condition and undamaged.
Consignee
The party receiving the shipment and taking ownership of the goods.
Consignor
Also referred to as Shipper, is the party that owns and/or arranges to send the goods. Often, the Consignor is the seller of the goods.
Consol
Services that involve consolidating many different shipments onto one flight and is the most cost-effective air freight. Consol services are not the quickest air freight service as they include additional waiting time for the collection, packing, loading, unloading, unpacking, and delivery of multiple shipments.
Container number
The unique alpha-numeric identification number of a container unit.
Currency Adjustment Factor
CAF
An ocean freight surcharge that compensates for currency fluctuations.
Customs Broker
An agent that clears your goods through customs.
Customs clearance
The process of clearing goods through customs.
Customs Declaration Service
CDS
The system that replaces the Customs Handling of Import and Export (CHIEF) as the new electronic system for the handling of customs declarations.
Cut-and-run
When a vessel departs quickly and is unable to complete the loading of all containers planned for the vessel.
D
Dangerous Goods
Dangerous goods (also referred to as hazardous goods) are goods that are a risk to health, safety and property when transported.
Dangerous goods are grouped into classes depending on the main hazard. The UN classifies dangerous goods in the following classes and divisions.
| UN Class | Dangerous Goods | Division(s) (if appl.) | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Explosives | 1.1-1.6 | Explosive |
| 2 | Gases | 2.1 2.2 |
Flammable gas Non-flammable, non toxic gas |
| 3 | Flammable liquids | Flammable liquid | |
| 4 | Flammable solids | 4.1 4.2 4.3 |
Flammable solid Spontaneously combustible substance Substance which in contact with water emits flammable gas |
| 5 | Oxidising substances | 5.1 5.2 |
Oxidising substance Organic peroxide |
| 6 | Toxic substances | 6.1 6.2 |
Toxic substance Infectious substance |
| 7 | Radioactive material | Radioactive material | |
| 8 | Corrosive substances | Corrosive substance | |
| 9 | Miscellaneous Dangerous goods | Miscellaneous dangerous goods |
Deferment Account Number (DAN)
DAN
A HMRC deferment account allows you to defer payment of import duty and VAT and make one payment a month, instead of paying for individual consignments.
Devan
Devan
The unloading of goods from a sealed container. It is also referred to as unstuffing or stripping.
Direct Representation
Direct Rep
Where the customs agent acts in the name of, and on behalf of, the principal (e.g. the exporter or importer).
DUCR (Declaration Unique Consignment Reference) number
DUCR
A reference number assigned by the declarant that is allocated to a consignment of goods and recorded on the relevant customs declaration.
E
Economic Operators Registration
EORI
A UK and EU identification number for businesses that trade internationally and require customs clearance.
Empty Release Depot
A container yard that stores empty containers for pick-up by hauliers.
F
FIATA
The Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations, an international organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland that represents freight forwarders worldwide.
Forty-foot Equipment Unit
FEU
A measure of volume in the units of a 40-foot long container. 1 FEU = One 40-foot container.
Freight Forwarder
A business that acts on behalf of an exporter or importer to arrange the movement of goods through the supply chain.
Full Container Load
FCL
When an exporter or importer uses a container exclusively for their goods, this is called an FCL shipment. FCL is cost-effective when the goods to be shipped nearly or fully fill a container.
Full Trailer Load
FTL
When an exporter or importer uses a full trailer exclusively for their goods, this is called an FTL shipment. FTL is cost-effective when the goods to be shipped nearly or fully fill a trailer.
G
Gate-in
When a container enters the terminal.
Gate-out
When a container leaves the terminal.
General Average
An act, that when declared by the vessel owner due to a serious accident, requires all parties with an interest in the vessel (e.g. with cargo onboard), to share a proportion of the additional costs to salvage the vessel and its cargo.
GHG protocol
The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol is a comprehensive and standardized framework for the measuring and managing of greenhouse gas emissions globally.
Green Logistics
Practices that minimize the negative impact of transportation and logistics on the environment.
Gross weight
The total weight of goods including packaging.
Groupage
The grouping together of smaller shipments from several shippers into one shipment for maximum optimization.
H
Harmonised System
The Harmonised System (HS) is a standardized and global system for classifying traded products.
Haulage
Local road transportation.
Haulier
Local road transport provider.
HIAB Truck
A truck with a crane attached.
I
Import License
A document or administrative procedure issued by a national government allowing the import of specific goods or from specific countries.
Intermediate Consignee
The party receiving the shipment and taking ownership of the goods for delivery to the ultimate consignee.
Intermediate Consignor / Shipper
The party arranging the export of the goods.
Intermodal
The coordinated movement of freight by different carriers using a combination of transport modes.
International Air Transport Association
International Air Transport Association, representing airlines worldwide.
K
Known cargo
The status for goods approved by the CAA to be transported by air without the need for further security measures.
L
LCL (Less than container load)
An ocean freight service that allows sharing space inside a container with others and splitting the cost.
LO/LO
Lift-on/Lift-Off.
LTL (Less than trailer load)
A road freight service that allows sharing space inside a trailer with others and splitting the cost.
M
Merchant Haulage
Haulage controlled and arranged by the merchant using their nominated contractors.
Moffett truck
A truck with a forklift attached.
Mother vessel
The main vessel in a liner service that only serves major ports.
Multimodal
The coordinated movement of freight by one provider and under one contract, that uses a combination of two different transport modes.
N
NCTS
The New Computerised Transit System, a system used to make Common Transit declarations.
NES
The National Export Service, a system used to make export customs declarations to HMRC.
Net weight
The total weight of goods excluding packaging.
NOA (Notice of Arrival)
A document provided by carriers reminding the receiver of the expected or actual arrival date of a shipment.
Notify Party
The designated party to be notified when a shipment arrives at its destination.
NVD
No Value Declared.
NVOCC (Non- Vessel Operating Common Carrier)
A freight forwarder or agent that performs all the services of a carrier but does not own their own vessels.
O
Ocean Freight
The method of transporting goods by sea using vessels.
Oncarriage
The inland movement of a container after it has been picked up from the port of discharge.
Open Top
A type of shipping container.
P
Place of receipt
The location where cargo is received by the carrier.
POD (Port of Discharge)
The port where cargo is discharged from a vessel.
POL (Port of Loading)
The port where cargo is loaded onto a vessel.
Primary Screening
The primary method of security screening for air cargo.
Project Cargo
A type of cargo that requires special handling due to size or weight.
Q
R
Reforestation
Reduction/Removal
Renewable energy
Energy from natural sources, such as wind or solar power.
S
Seal
A tamper evident security bolt attached to the container doors after loading/stuffing.
Secondary screening
A security measure applied to screen goods that cannot be screened by X-ray (primary screening method).
Shipper
Also referred to as Consignor, is the party that owns and/or arranges to send the goods. Often, the Shipper is the seller of the goods.
Shortshipment
When all or part of a shipment is not loaded as intended.
SOB
Shipped On Board
SOLAS
Safety of Life at Sea convention
STC
An acronym for Said to Contain
Stuffing
Stuffing is the loading of goods to a container.
Suspension
The suspension of import duties on certain goods.
T
Tare weight
The weight of an empty container or vehicle.
Tariff number
Tariff numbers (also referred to as commodity code) are internationally recognised reference numbers that identify specific products when importing or exporting.
Telex Release
An electronic B/L release message.
TEU
Twenty-foot equivalent unit.
TMS
Transport Management System
Transhipment
A shipment or service that involves unloading from one vessel and loading onto another. For example, a shipment from Felixstowe UK Port (origin) via Port Kelang Malaysia Port (transhipment point) to Sydney Australia Port (destination).
Transit Time
LCL is cost effective when the goods to be shipped do not nearly or fully fill a container.
U
UCN
Unique Consignment Number
UN number
A four digit code that identifies dangerous goods and substances.
Unknown cargo
The status for goods for an exporter that is NOT approved by the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) to be transported without the need for further security measures and where further screening will be required e.g. primary (x-ray).
V
Verified Gross Mass
VGM
The gross weight of the cargo including dunnage/bracing and the tare weight of the container.
Volumetric Weight
Volumetric weight refers to the overall size of an item and is measured in volumetric kilograms.
Green Leaves Logistics Ltd
95 Spencer Street
Birmingham
West Mildands B18 6DA
United Kingdom
0121 361 0333
International: +44 121 361 0333
hello@greenleaveslogistics.com
Green Leaves Logistics Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales under number 12857778. VAT registration number GB 363 7834 68.
Green Leaves Logistics Ltd is a member of the British International Freight Association (BIFA).
All business is transacted in accordance with the current BIFA Standard Trading Conditions, copy available here.
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