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Definition

Very large crude carrier (VLCC)

An oil tanker that can transport up to approximately two million barrels of unrefined crude oil from an ocean or sea extraction point to refineries.

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3PL
4PL

A

AAR
Abandonment
ABS
AC-powered train
Accessorial fees
AES
AfA
Air freight / Airfreight
Air waybill (AWB)
Aircraft on ground (AOG)
Airforwarders Association (AfA)
Airfreight/ Air freight
All-cargo aircraft
All-in rates
All-inclusive rates
Allotment
American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)
American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA)
American Trucking Associations (ATA)
AMS
Anchorage
AOG
Apron
ASLRRA
Association of American Railroads (AAR)
ATA
Automated Export System (AES)
Automated Manifest System (AMS)
Availability time
Available freight tonne kilometer
AVI
AWB

B

Backhaul (maritime)
Backhaul (rail)
Backhaul (trucking)
Backwardation
Bad order
BAF
Ballast
Ballast water
Barge
Base rate
BCO
Belly cargo
Beneficial cargo owner (BCO)
Berth
BIG
Bill of lading
Bill of sale
Biofouling
Blanket permit
Block
Board of commissioners
Bobtail
Bogie
Bollard
Bonded warehouse
Box
Boxcar
Breakbulk cargo
Bridge move
Broker
Bulk cargo
Bulk freight
Bulk train
Bulkhead
Bunker adjustment factor (BAF)
Buoys

C

Cab
Cab over engine truck
Cabotage
CAO
Capacity
Capesize
Captive cargo port
Car scheduling
Cargo
Cargo Accounts Settlement System (CASS)
Cargo aircraft only (CAO)
Cargo insurance
Cargo Network Services (CNS)
Cargo ton mile (CTM)
Carrier
Cartage
CASS
CBP
CDL
Certificate of Insurance
CFS
Chamber of Shipping of America
Chandler
Channels of distribution
Chargeable weight
Chassis
Checkers
Chock
Civil service
Class I motor carrier
Class II motor carrier
Class III motor carrier
Class rates
Classification yard
Clearance
Clearinghouse
Clerks
CNG
CNS
COFC
COMAT
Combi
Commercial Drivers License (CDL)
Commodity
Common carrier
Company material (COMAT)
Compressed natural gas (CNG)
Conestoga trailer
Conference rate
Consignee
Consignment
Consolidated freight station (CFS)
Consolidation
Consolidator
Container
Container chassis
Container crane
Container freight station (CFS)
Container on flat car (COFC)
Container ship
Container terminal
Container yard
Containerization
Contango
Contraband
Contract Market
Contract rates
Contracted freight
Craft
Crane
Cross-town
CSA
CTM
Customs
Customs broker
Customs clearance
Cut-off time

D

Dangerous goods cargo (DG)
Dangerous goods regulations (DGR)
DAT Index Value
Day cab
Deadhead
Deadweight tonnage (DWT)
Deck barge
Dedicated
Dedicated train
Default
Demurrage (maritime)
Demurrage (rail)
Department of Transportation (DOT)
Destination
Detention
DG
DGR
Dim factor
Dim weight
Dimensional weight (Dim weight)
DIP
Diplomatic mail
Dispatching
Displacement light
Distributed power
Division
Dock
Dockage
Door-to-door
Door-to-ramp
DOT
Double Broker
Double-drop
Double-stack
Double-stacking
Draft
Drayage
Drayman
Dredge
Drop and hook
Drop-deck
Dry bulk
Dry ice
Dry run
Dry van
Dump trailer
Dunnage
Duty
DWT

E

EDI
ELD
Electronic data interchange (EDI)
Electronic logging device (ELD)
Elevator
EMP
Empty car
Estimated time of arrival (ETA)
Estimated time of departure (ETD)
ETA
ETD
Export packers
Express product (XPS)

F

Factoring company
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
Feeder service
Fender piles
Final settlement price
Flatbed
Flatcar
Fleeting
FMCSA
FOB
For-hire carrier
Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ)
Forward curves
Fourth-party logistics (4PL)
FRA
Free on board (FOB)
Free time
Freight
Freight forwarder
Freight market
Freight tariff
Freight tonne kilometer (FTK)
Freighter
FSC
FTK
Fuel surcharge (FSC)
Futures commission merchant (FCM)
Futures contracts
Futures expiration
Futures market

G

Gantry crane
Gateway
GCR
General cargo
General commodity rates (GCR)
General sales agent (GSA)
Gondola
Grain elevator
Gross tonnage
Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)
Gross weight
GSA
GVWR

H

Harbor
Hatching eggs shipments (HEG)
Haulage
HAWB
HEA
Headcount
Headhaul
Heavy cargo (HEA)
Heavy-duty truck
Heavy haul
Heavy hauler
Heavy lift
Hedging
HEG
High-cube
High value cargo (VAL)
Home port
Hopper bottom trailer
Hopper car
HOS
Hostler or hustler
Hot load
Hotshot
Hours of service (HOS)
House air waybill
HUM
Human remains shipments (HUM)
Hump yard

I

IANA
IAPH
IATA
ICE
IFTA
ILA
ILWU
IMC
IMX
In bond
Initial margin
Integrator
Interchange
Interline freight
Intermodal
Intermodal Association of North America (IANA)
Intermodal exchange (IMX)
Intermodal marketing company (IMC)
Intermodal shipment
International Air Transport Association (IATA)
International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH)
International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL)
International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW)
International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA)
International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU)
International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA)
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
Interstate Commerce Act
ISO

J

Jack-knife
Jake Brake
JIT
Just in time (JIT)

K

KG
Kilo
Kilogram
Known shipper

L

Labor union
Landbridge
Landlord port
LASH
Launch service
LCL
Length overall (LOA)
Less-than-container load (LCL)
Less-than-truckload (LTL)
LHO
Lift
Lift-on / Lift-off (LoLo)
Lighter aboard ship (LASH)
Linehaul
Live animals
Live human organs
Live load
Long haul
Long position
Long ton
Longshoremen
Lowboy
Lower deck
LTL
Lumper

M

Main deck
Main deck container
Maintenance of way
Manifest
Manifest train
Margin
Marine surveyor
Maritime
Marked to market
MARPOL
Marshaling yard
Master
Master air waybill
MAWB
Mean high water (MHW)
Mean low water (MLW)
Medium-duty trucks
Metric ton
MHW
MLW
Mooring dolphin
Motor carrier number (MC)
Motor ship (MS) or motor vessel (MV)
Munitions of war (MUW)
MUW

N

NAMEPA
Narrowbody aircraft
Neo-bulk cargo
Net weight
Non-vessel-owning common carrier (NVOCC)
North American Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA)
NVOCC

O

OAG
Ocean carrier
Official Airline Guide
On-dock rail
On-terminal rail
OOIDA
Open interest
Operating port
Origin
OTC markets
Outrigger
Over-the-counter markets
Overage
Overdimensional
Oversized cargo (BIG)
Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA)

P

Pallet
Pallet net
Paper ramp
P&D
Peddle run
PER
Per diem
Perishable cargo (PER)
Permit
Pharmaceutical cargo (PIL)
Pier
Piggyback
PIL
Pilot
Placard
POD
POE
Pool
Port
Port mark
Port-of-call
Port of entry (POE)
Position limit
Positive train control (PTC)
Power short
Precision scheduled railroading (PSR)
Premium service
Private equipment
Private fleet
Project cargo
Proof of delivery (POD)
Proportional price

Q

Quay

R

RaaS
Rail Cost Adjustment Factor (RCAF)
Railhead
Railway Association of Canada
Railyard
Ramp
Ramp-to-door
Ramp-to-ramp
RCAF
Reciprocal switching
Reefer unit (or refrigeration unit)
Refrigeration unit
Removable gooseneck (RGN)
Request for pricing (RFP)
Request for quote (RFQ)
Revenue empty
Revenue ton-mile
RFP
RFQ
RFS
RGN
Road feeder service
Robotics-as-a-service model (RaaS)
Rocky mountain double
Roll-on / Roll-off ships (RoRos)
Roller bed trailer
RoRo
Round robin
Routing guide
Rubber-tired gantry (RTG)
Rubber wheel interchange

S

Scale House
SCR
Security surcharge (SSC)
Settlement Price
Sheddage
Shippers
Shoreside
Short line
Short Position
Short ton
Shuttle train
Sidekit trailer
Sidings
Single axle
Slack
Sleeper
Sliding fifth wheel
Slip seat
Slot utilization
Specific commodity rates (SCR)
Spine car
Sporting weapons (SWP)
Spot freight
Spot market
Spreader
SSC
Stack car
Staggers Act
STCW
Steamship
Steamship agent
Steamship company
Steamship line
Steel wheel interchange
Step-deck
Stevedores
Storage charge
Straddle carrier
Straight truck
Stripping
Stuffing
Surface Transportation Board (STB)
SWP

T

TACT
Tandem
Tandem axle
Tank barges
Tank car
Tanker
Tariff
Tarps
TCA
Team
Terminal
Terminal is current
Terminal operator
TEU
The Air Cargo Tariff (TACT)
The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA)
The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW)
Third-party logistics (3PL)
Third-party logistics provider
Through rate
TIACA
TMS
To go in the hole
TOFC
Toplift
Towboat
Trackage rights
Tractor-trailer
Trade volume
Trailer interchange insurance
Trailer on flatcar (TOFC)
Tramp
Trans-Atlantic, trans-Pacific
Transit port
Transit shed
Transload
Transportation management system (TMS)
Transshipment
Transtainer
Truckload Carriers Association (TCA)
Trucks
Tugboat
Tweener
Twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU)
Twin screw

U

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP)
ULD
Unit load device (ULD)
Unit train
Upper deck

V

VAL
Van grounding
Very large crude carrier (VLCC)
Vessel
Vessel operator
VLCC
Volatility
Volume LTL
Vulnerable or high-tech cargo (VUN)
VUN

W

Warehouse
Waterfall
Waybill
Well car
Wharf
Wharfage fee
Wide body aircraft
WISTA
Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA)

X

XPS

Y

Yard
Yard jockey
Yard mule

Z