Logistic terms

Additional abbreviation for CFR, “Cost and Freight”

Non-negotiable document evidencing insurance which may or may not indicate the terms of cover.

Abbreviation: C.O.G.S.A. 1936 U.S. Statute that governs the acts that a carrier is responsible for and defines the terms used in shipping. The act provides that the shipowner’s liability will be limited to $500 per shipping package, and it stipulates a one-year time limit for filing suit against the carrier. This act automatically applies to international ocean movements but not to domestic ocean transits unless the carrier agrees to be bound by it.

Written contract, usually on a special form, between the owner of a vessel and a “charterer” who rents use of the vessel or a part of its freight space. The contract generally includes the freight rates and the ports involved in the transportation. Synonym for Airfreight: Charter Contract;

Canceling (of policy) Returns Only

Position which exists when the cost of repairing or recovering lost or damaged property plus the value of the salvage would exceed the property’s value when repaired or recovered.

Damage caused by dirt, mud, etc., to commodities before they are shipped.

1. Transport of goods between two ports or places located in the same country. 2. Transport of cargo in a country other than the country where the vehicle is registered (road cargo). 3. The carriage of a container from a surplus area to an area in which equipment is needed.

Abbreviation: CAD. Payment condition which implies transfer of title at time of payment.

Abbreviation: CAF. Adjustment applied by shipping lines or liner conferences on freight rates to offset losses or gains for carriers resulting from fluctuations in exchange rates of tariff currencies.

Visit of a vessel to a port.

Process of registering and steering of capacity.

Activities to maximize the amount of freight that is carried in the hold space of an aircraft.

Goods to be transported.

Abbreviation: CASS. System for automated account settlement between participating IATA airlines, billing participants and part participants, on the one hand and their appointed IATA cargo agents on the other hand (air cargo).

Any aircraft other than a passenger aircraft or a combi.

Separate reception of parcels or packages and the holding of them for later dispatch as one consignment.

Related Terms:
Consolidation

Related Terms:
Break Bulk

Physical handling of goods.

Abbreviation: Cargo IMP. Procedures developed by the member airlines of the Air Transport Association of America (ATA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Abbreviation: Cargo IMP. Procedures developed by the member airlines of the Air Transport Association of America (ATA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

List including all particulars of consignments.

Code indicating that the use of a certain container is restricted to particular cargo.

Information sent by the agent or airline to all relevant parties, stating that certain cargo is either missing or arrived in excess.

Customs document permitting the holder to carry or send merchandise temporarily into certain foreign countries (for display, demonstration or similar purposes) without completing normal customs formalities. With a carnet, the holder avoids paying duties or posting bonds.

Process of transporting (conveying) cargo, from one point to another.

Synonym: Transport

Abbreviation: CIP. Incoterm
Related Terms:
Incoterms

Abbreviation: C.O.G.S.A. 1936 U.S. Statute that governs the acts that a carrier is responsible for and defines the terms used in shipping. The act provides that the shipowner’s liability will be limited to $500 per shipping package, and it stipulates a one-year time limit for filing suit against the carrier. This act automatically applies to international ocean movements but not to domestic ocean transits unless the carrier agrees to be bound by it.

Abbreviation: CPT. Incoterm
Related Terms:
Incoterms

Company that carries the cargo, e.g. shipping line, airline, trucking company, etc.

Inland transport service performed by the sea-carrier under the terms and conditions of the relevant transport document.
Related Terms:
Merchant Inspired Carrier Haulage

Right to retain the property as security for the payment of services, material, or money expended on that property. E.g.: When the shipper ships goods “collect”, the carrier has a possessory claim on these goods, which means that the carrier can retain possession of the goods as security for the charges due.

Required cargo temperature during transport and storage.
Related Terms:
Setting/Air Delivery Temperature

Related Terms:
Haulage

Abbreviation: CAD. Payment condition which implies transfer of title at time of payment.

Abbreviation: CIA. Payment condition which implies up-front payment before transfer of title of goods.

Abbreviation: COD. Payment condition which implies payment of goods at the time of physical transfer.

Abbreviation: CWO. Payment condition which implies payment when order is placed.

Related Terms:

Cargo Accounts Settlement System
Part-Participant
Settlement Office

Airline, fully participating in the CASS.

Closed Circuit Television.

Location on board of a container vessel where one container can be stowed.

Location of a cell on board of a container vessel identified by a code for, respectively, the bay, the row and the tier, indicating the exact position of a container on that vessel.

Steel bars and rails used to steer containers during loading and discharging whilst sliding in the ship.

Vessel, specially designed and equipped for the carriage of containers.

Abbreviation: CENSA. Main objectives of this organization are to promote and protect sound shipping policies in all sectors of shipping, to coordinate and present the views of its members and to exchange views with other shipowner groups.

Point at which the entire weight of a body may be considered as concentrated so that if supported at this point the body would remain in equilibrium in any position.

Document by which a fact is formally or officially attested and in which special requirements and conditions can be stated.

Document, often required by an importer or government authorities, attesting to the quality or purity of commodities.

Certificate, issued by the classification society, stating the class under which a vessel or an aircraft is registered.

Certificate, required by some countries as evidence that the goods are normally sold on the open market and approved by the regulatory authorities in the country of origin.

Document confirming that cargo has been inspected by a competent authority (SGS, Bureau Veritas or any national authority) before dispatch.

Document presented by the insurance company or insured as evidence that insurance is in effect. The insured may assign their rights under this negotiable document to a third party, usually the consignee, by endorsing the reverse of the certificate.

Statement (often notarized) in which a producer of goods certifies that manufacture has been completed and that the goods are now at the disposal of the buyer.

Statement signed by the exporter, or its agent, and attested to by a local Chamber of Commerce, indicating that the goods being shipped, or a major percentage of them, originated and were produced in the exporter’s country.

Incoterm for “Cost and Freight (… named port of destination)” Synonym: C&F.

Abbreviation: CFS. Term CFS at loading ports refers to the location designated by carriers for the receiving of cargo to be packed into containers by the carrier. At discharge ports, the term CFS refers to the location designated by carriers in the port area for unpacking and delivery of cargo.

Separate, identifiable element of charges to be used in the pricing/rating of common services rendered to customers.

Written contract, usually on a special form, between the owner of a vessel and a “charterer” who rents use of the vessel or a part of its freight space. The contract generally includes the freight rates and the ports involved in the transportation. Synonym for Airfreight: Charter Contract;

Related Terms:
Bareboat Charter
Demise Charter
Lump-Sum Charter
Slot Charter
Space Charter
Time Charter

Person who has signed a charter party with the owner of a vessel or an aircraft and thus hires or leases the same vessel or aircraft or a part of the capacity thereof on a legal basis.

Abbreviation: CIA. Payment condition which implies up-front payment before transfer of title of goods.

Incoterm for “Cost, Insurance and Freight (… named port of destination)”

Cost, Insurance, Freight and Commission.

Abbreviation: CIM. International agreement, applied by 19 European railway companies, setting out conditions for international railway transport of goods and the liabilities of the carrier.

Incoterm for “Carriage and Insurance Paid to (… named place of destination)”

Shuttle service between city and airport.

Rate applicable to a specifically designated class of goods (air cargo).

Related Terms:
General Cargo Rate

Arrangement according to a systematic division of a number of objects into groups, based on some likeness or some common traits.

Organization, whose main function is to carry out surveys of vessels, its purpose being to set and maintain standards of construction and upkeep for vessels, their engines and their safety equipment. A classification society also inspects and approves the construction of shipping containers.

Receipt for goods issued by a shipping line that indicates that the goods were received in “apparent good order and condition”, without damage or other irregularities.

Draft with no accompanying documents.

When goods are loaded on board and the document issued in respect to these goods is clean. Note: Through the usage of the UCP 500 rules the term has now become superfluous.

Abbreviation: CWE. Cleared by customs without inspection.

Terminal where customs facilities for the clearance of goods are available.

Abbreviation: COU. Detachable aggregate for a temperature controlled container (Conair).

Container of a closed type, similar to a general-purpose container, but specially designed for carriage of cargo where ventilation, either natural or mechanical (forced), is necessary.

List of items loaded in a specific container and where appropriate, their sequence of loading.

Related Terms:
Container Manifest

Abbreviation: CMR. Convention for the international carriage of goods by road, setting out the conditions of carriage and the liabilities of the carrier. Note: Adherence to this set of regulations reflects a desire to standardize items such as documentation and rules on the carriers liability.

Where two or more parties share the same risk. A co-insurer is not obliged to follow the decision of another co-insurer, except where they have given authority for the other party to act on their behalf. Each co-insurance is a separate contract with the insured.

Combination of cargo from another shipper or carrier, having the same final destination as the cargo base load.

Abbreviation: COD. Payment condition which implies payment of goods at the time of physical transfer.

Empty space on board of a vessel between two bulkheads or two decks separating oil tanks from each other and/or the engine room or other compartments.

Container which can be easily folded, disassembled and reassembled.

Freight which is payable to the carrier when the merchandise arrives at the port of discharge named in the Bill of Lading.

Bank to which a remitting bank sends draft for collection.

All documents (Commercial invoices, Bills of Lading, etc.) submitted to a buyer for the purpose of receiving payment for a shipment.

Physical impact between two or more vehicles. In collision liability insurance, the term does not include contact of the insured vessel with anything other than a ship or vessel. → Perils of the Sea

Aircraft, carrying passengers and cargo upper deck.

Chassis which can carry either one 40-foot or two 20-foot containers.

Joint rate which is obtained by combining two or more published rates (air cargo).

Intermodal transport where the major part of the journey is by one mode and any initial and/or final leg carried out by another mode.

Abbreviation: CTD. Negotiable or non-negotiable document evidencing a contract for the performance of combined transport of goods.

Abbreviation: CTO. Party that undertakes to carry goods with different modes of transport.

Document issued by the seller to the buyer, which gives detail of merchandise sold, number of units being shipped, per unit cost and the terms of sale.

Set of four “negotiable” documents that represents and takes the place of the goods themselves in the financing of the cargo sales transaction.

Indication of the type of goods. Commodities are coded according to the harmonized system.

Rate classified by commodity and quoted per container.

Code used in the Harmonized System for the classification of goods which are most commonly produced and traded.

Specific description number required in air transport to indicate that a specific freight rate applies.

Transporter that provides its services to the general public for the transportation of goods over a definite route and according to a regular schedule.

Arranged settlement on a hull policy where there is no claim for actual or constructive total loss, but where it is impractical to repair the vessel.

Thermal container served by an external cooling system (e.g. a vessel’s cooling system or a Clip on Unit), which regulates the temperature of the cargo. Note: Conair is a brand name.

General terms and conditions established by a carrier in respect of the carriage.

Terms and conditions of a transportation contract.

Devices for facilitating the loading, positioning and lashing of containers. The cones insert into the bottom castings of the container.

Group of two or more shipping lines, which provides international liner services for the carriage of cargo on a particular trade route and which has an agreement or arrangement to operate under uniform or common freight rates and any other agreed conditions (e.g. FEFC = Far Eastern Freight Conference).

Letter of Credit, issued by a foreign bank, with validity confirmed by a bank of origin. A seller that requires a confirmed Letter of Credit from the buyer is assured of payment by the origin bank even if the foreign buyer or the foreign bank defaults.

Carrier to whose services the cargo is to be transferred for onward connecting transport.

1. The hauling of a load by a cart with detachable sides (dray). 2. Road transportation between the nearest railway terminal and the stuffing place.

Party, mentioned in the transport document, by whom the goods, cargo or containers are to be received.

Separate identifiable number of goods to be transported from one shipper to one consignee.

Instructions from either the seller/shipper or the buyer/consignee to a freight forwarder, carrier or their agent, or other provider of a service, enabling the movement of goods and associated activities. The following functions can be covered: movement and handling of goods (shipping, forwarding and stowage), customs formalities, distribution of documents, allocation of documents (freight and charges for the connected operations), special instructions (insurance, dangerous goods, goods release, additional documents required).

Document prepared by the shipper and comprising a transport contract. It contains details of the consignment to be carried to the port of loading and it is signed by the inland carrier as proof of receipt.

Stock of goods with an external party (customer) which is still the property of the supplier. Payment for these goods is made to the supplier at the moment when they are sold.

Merchant (person) by whom, in whose name or on whose behalf a contract of carriage of goods has been concluded with a carrier or any party by whom, in whose name or on whose behalf the goods are actually delivered to the carrier in relation to the contract of carriage.

Container filled with several shipments from different shippers for delivery to one or more consignees.

Grouping together of smaller consignments of goods into a large consignment for carriage as a larger unit in order to obtain a reduced rate.

Location where consolidation of consignments takes place.

Firm or company which consolidates cargo.

Position which exists when the cost of repairing or recovering lost or damaged property plus the value of the salvage would exceed the property’s value when repaired or recovered.

Formal statement, made by the consulate of a foreign country.

Bills of Lading, certificates of origin or special invoice forms that are officially legalized by the consul of the country of destination.

Document, required by some foreign countries, describing a shipment of goods and showing information such as the shipper, consignee, and value of the shipment. Certified by a consular official of the foreign country, it is used by the country’s customs officials to verify the value, quantity, and nature of the shipment.

Item of equipment as defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for transport purposes. It must be of: a) a permanent character and accordingly strong enough to be suitable for repeated use; b) specially designed to facilitate the carriage of goods, by one or more modes of transport without intermediate reloading; c) fitted with devices permitting its ready handling, particularly from one mode of transport to another; d) so designed as to be easy to fill and empty; e) having an internal volume of 1 m3 or more. The term container includes neither vehicles nor conventional packing. Synonym: Freight Container

Container floor without sides or end walls which does not have the ISO corner fittings and is generally used for Ro/Ro operations. Note: A bolster cannot be handled either full or empty by a container spreader without special fittings.

Vehicle specially built for the purpose of transporting containers.

7th digit of the serial number of a container used to check whether prefix and serial number are correct.

Storage area for empty containers.

Abbreviation: CFS. Term CFS at loading ports refers to the location designated by carriers for the receiving of cargo to be packed into containers by the carrier. At discharge ports, the term CFS refers to the location designated by carriers in the port area for unpacking and delivery of cargo.

Contract by which the owner of containers (leasing company, lessor) gives the use of containers to a shipping line or other lessee for a specified period of time.

List of items loaded in a specific container and where appropriate, their sequence of loading.

Controlling and positioning of containers.

Document specifying the contents of particular freight containers or other transport units, prepared by the party responsible for their loading into the container or unit. Synonym: Unit Packing List

Identification number of a container consisting of prefix and serial number and check digit (e.g. KNLU 123456-7).

Container floor without sides or end walls which can be loaded by spreader directly and is generally used for off-size cargo.

Certain stock of containers which is jointly used by several container carriers and/or leasing companies.

Four-letter code that forms the first part of a container identification number indicating the owner of a container.

Abbreviation: CSC. International convention for safe containers.

Seven digit serial number (6 plus 1 Check Digit) that forms the second part of a container identification number.

Charges to be paid by cargo interests as per local port tariffs.

Description of the size and type of a freight container or similar unit load device as specified in ISO 6346.

Two digit indication of the nominal length and nominal height of a container.

Two or more containers, one placed above the other forming a vertical column.

Contract by which a carrier gives the use of containers to another carrier for a specified period of time and for a fixed payment.

Place where loaded and/or empty containers are stored awaiting dispatch or pick up.

Two digits, the first of which indicates the category and the second of which indicates certain physical characteristics or other attributes of a container.

Abbreviation: CY. Facility at which containers are received from or delivered to the merchant by or on behalf of the carrier. Synonym: Marshalling Yard

Indication that goods have been stowed in a container.

Secondary insurance coverage which will protect the insured’s financial interest if the primary insurance cover effected by others does not respond for a covered loss (Seller’s Insurance).

Goods forbidden by national law to be imported or exported.

Agreement enforceable by law, between two or more parties stipulating their rights and obligations.

Contracting out of all the warehousing, transport and distribution activities or a part thereof by manufacturing companies.

Contract which sets forth the obligations of both shipper and carrier concerning transportation of the merchandise. The most common forms of affreightment are Bills of Lading and Waybills.

The contractual carrier (called NVO, Non Vessel Operator or NVOC, Non Vessel Operating Carrier) is a party which contracts carriage of goods for the account of the Merchants and fulfills its commitment by using the services of a carrier (sometimes referred to as the “actual” carrier).

Port at which an ocean vessel does not call, but which is equalized with the actual port of call and upon which inland haulage services and inland tariffs are based. Note: Generally speaking it is seen as the port mentioned on the B/L from which cargo is accepted (e.g. delivered by the consignee for sea transport). Synonym: Commercial POL/POD

This relates to situations where more than one party covers the risk. Each party is deemed to be liable for its portion of the loss. If the insured has recovered in full from one insurer, that insurer is entitled to recover from the other insurer that part of the loss which should have been paid by the latter. The term, as used in marine insurance, also applies to contributions paid by the insured in connection with salvage and/or General Average.

Value of property saved as a result of a General Average Act which forms the basis for determining each party’s contribution in General Average.

Abbreviation: CIM. International agreement, applied by 19 European railway companies, setting out conditions for international railway transport of goods and the liabilities of the carrier.

Abbreviation: CMR. Convention for the international carriage of goods by road, setting out the conditions of carriage and the liabilities of the carrier. Note: Adherence to this set of regulations reflects a desire to standardize items such as documentation and rules on the carriers liability.

General cargo conventionally stowed as opposed to unitized, containerized and Roll-on/Roll-off cargo.

Currency that can be bought and sold for other currencies at free-trade.

Auxiliary undercarriage assembly consisting of a chassis, fifth wheel and tow-bar used to convert a semi-trailer or a container chassis to a full trailer.

Incoterm for “Carriage Paid to (… named place of destination)”.

Non-negotiable document evidencing insurance which may or may not indicate the terms of cover.

Country of origin of goods or cargo being sent to the importing country.

Country where the merchandise was grown, mined, or manufactured. In instances where the country of origin cannot be determined, transactions are credited to the country of dispatch.

Country from which the goods are shipped.

Country from which a certain means of transport is scheduled to depart or has departed.

Damage caused by dirt, mud, etc., to commodities before they are shipped.

Sale of goods or services that are paid for in whole or in part by the transfer of goods or services from a foreign country.

Bill of Lading which shows the actual number of units being shipped.

Abbreviation: CENSA. Main objectives of this organization are to promote and protect sound shipping policies in all sectors of shipping, to coordinate and present the views of its members and to exchange views with other shipowner groups.

Abbreviation: COU. Detachable aggregate for a temperature controlled container (Conair).

Abbreviation: CIF. Incoterm

Abbreviation: CFR. Incoterm

Bank that, in its own country, handles the business of a foreign bank.

Vertical structural member at either side of an “end frame” of a container joining a top and a bottom corner fitting (and thereby forming a “corner structure”).

Fittings located at the corners of containers providing means of supporting, stacking, handling and securing the container. Synonym: Corner Casting

Combination of individual skills and use of technologies that underlay the various products and/or services of a business.

Mechanical device in the form of a continuous belt used for transporting cargo.

Transport of goods from one place to another.

Machine designed for moving and lifting weight by means of a movable projecting arm or a horizontal beam which is able to travel over a certain distance.

Insurance designed to cover risks of nonpayment for delivered goods.

Any person actually employed for duties on board during a voyage in the working or service of a ship and included in the crew list (IMO).

1. Used in shipping for the services of a vessel between nations other than the nation in which the vessel is registered. 2. Term used in the freight forwarding industry for the transportation services between nations other than the nation in which the cargo’s principle is domiciled (UNCTAD).

Abbreviation: CSC. International convention for safe containers.

Abbreviation: CTD. Negotiable or non-negotiable document evidencing a contract for the performance of combined transport of goods.

Abbreviation: CTO. Party that undertakes to carry goods with different modes of transport.

Medium of exchange of value, defined by reference to the geographic location of the authorities responsible for it (ISO 4217). In general, the monetary unit is represented by a name or a symbol.

Abbreviation: CAF. Adjustment applied by shipping lines or liner conferences on freight rates to offset losses or gains for carriers resulting from fluctuations in exchange rates of tariff currencies.

Cargo picked up by a customer at a warehouse.

Performance measure of customer service. Note: Generally this is seen as the degree with which customer orders can be executed, in accordance with the terms which are generally accepted in the market.

Individual or firm licensed to enter and clear goods through customs.

Authorities designated to collect duties levied by a country on imports and exports. The term also applies to the procedures involved in such collection.

Authorized agent specialized in customs clearance procedures on account of importers/exporters.

Customs broker or other agent of the consignee designated to perform customs clearance services for the consignee.

Form required by customs authorities for merchandise entering the country. It indicates the country of origin, description of merchandise and the amount of estimated duty to be paid before merchandise is released.

Document required by customs in an importing country in which the seller states the price (e.g. selling price, price of identical goods), and specifies costs for freight, insurance and packing, etc., terms of delivery and payment. This is for the purpose of determining the customs value in the importing country of goods consigned to that country.

Worth of an item or group of items expressed in a monetary amount, within a consignment declared to customs for duty and statistical reasons.

Last point before a flight departs at which freight will be accepted to travel on that flight.

Abbreviation: CWE. Cleared by customs without inspection.

Abbreviation: CWO. Payment condition which implies payment when order is placed.

Abbreviation: CY. Facility at which containers are received from or delivered to the merchant by or on behalf of the carrier. Synonym: Marshalling Yard

That portion of stock available or planned to be available in a given period for normal demand, excluding excess stock and safety stock