F

Logistic terms


We’ll help you make sense of the industry jargon and terms used.

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F.A.L.

Facilitation Committee of the IMO.

F.C. & S.

Free of Capture & Seizure. Clause excluding war risks from the Marine Policy. War risks can be covered by issuing a separate War Policy with an additional premium being charged.

F.I.

Abbreviation: F.I. Condition indicating that the charterer of a vessel is responsible for the cost of loading goods onto the vessel.

F.I.A.

Full Interest Admitted as between insurer and insured (honor policy).

F.O.

Abbreviation: F.O. Condition indicating that the charterer of a vessel is responsible for the cost of unloading goods from the vessel.

F.O.C.F.A.R.

Free of Claim for Accident Reported.

F.O.D. ABS

Free of Damage Absolutely.

F.O.R.

Free on Rail.

F.O.T.

Free on Train or Truck.

F.P.A.

Free of Particular Average.

F.P.A. A.C.

Free of Particular Average, American Conditions

F.P.A. ABS

Free of Particular Average Absolutely.

F.P.A. E.C.

Free of Particular Average, English Conditions

F.P.A.U.C.B.

Free of Particular Average Unless Caused by (stranding, etc.).

F.P.I.L.

Full Premium If Lost (used in connection with time risks for periods of less than twelve months, the balance of a year’s premium being claimable by insurers before paying a total loss).

F.W.D.

Fresh Water Damage.

Fairway

Navigable channel for vessels, often the regular or prescribed track a vessel will follow in order to avoid dangerous circumstances such as shallow waters.

FAK

Freight All Kinds

FAS

Incoterm for “Free Alongside Ship”.

Fashion Transport

Transport of clothing and/or accessories including shoes, belts and handbags in dedicated means of transport.

FCA

Incoterm for “Free Carrier”.

FCC

Fully Cellular Containership

FCIA

Foreign Credit Insurance Association.

FCL

Full Container Load

FCR

FIATA Forwarder’s Certificate of Receipt. An official document which proves that the freight has been received by the forwarder.

Feeder Vessel

Vessel used for local or coastal transport to and from ports not scheduled by the main (ocean) vessel.

Fender

Appliance made of rubber, timber and/or rope or other materials normally attached to a dock or quay used to prevent damage to the hull of a vessel especially during mooring and un-mooring operations.

FEU

Forty-foot Equivalent Unit

FIFO

First in/First out

FILO

Free in Liner out

FIO

Free in and out

First Carrier

Carrier that actually performs the first part of the air transport (air cargo).

First in/First out

Abbreviation: FIFO. Method whereby the goods which have been longest in stock (first in) are used, delivered (sold) and/or consumed first (first out).

Five Freedoms (Air)

Collective term which depicts the five areas of “rights” for the air transportation of passengers or cargo, viz. (expressed in terms of an airline of country A):

Freedom 1: The right to fly over a foreign country.

Freedom 2: The right to make a technical stop at a country C en route from country A to B.

Freedom 3: The right to set down (off loading) passengers or cargo in a country B from home country A.

Freedom 4: The right to pick up (loading) passengers/cargo from a country B to home country A.

Freedom 5: The right to carry passengers or cargo between two foreign countries.

Flag

Indication of the country in which a means of transport is registered through a reference to the ensign of this country.

Flammable

Capable of being set on fire under given circumstances (Amendment 25 IMO DGS).

Flash Point

Lowest temperature at which a good produces enough vapor to form a flammable mixture with air.

FLAT

FLAT

Flat Pack

Garments packed in cardboard boxes.

Flat-Bed Trailer

Wheeled trailer or a semi-trailer with a flat cargo carrying surface or deck and without any superstructure.

Flat-Rack Container

Container with two end walls, open sides and no roof.

Fleet

Any group of means of transport acting together or under one control.

Flight Number

Combination of two letters, indicating the airline, and digits indicating the number of the voyage.

Floating Crane

Crane mounted on a barge or pontoon, which can be towed or is self propelled.

Floating Dock

Floating structure which can be partially submerged to enable vessels to enter and to leave and which can be raised for use as a dry dock.

Floating Policy

Floating Policy

Floating Stock

Floating Stock

Flow Chart

Diagram, using symbols and depicting the sequence of events that should take place in a complex set of tasks.

Flow Control

Term often used to describe a specific production control system.

Flow Line

Direction of flow in which, e.g., pallets have been positioned and stowed.

Flow of Materials

Flow of materials and components which goes to and through the factory for the production process.

FMC

Federal Maritime Commission (Control of shipping acts USA).

FO'C'S'LE

Abbreviation: Fo’c’s’le. Forward part of a vessel where stores, ropes and anchor chains are located.

FOB

Incoterm for “Free on Board”.

FOB Vessel

(Free on board vessel.) Seller owns goods until they are loaded on vessel; selling price includes all costs so far plus cost of loading on vessel.

FOR

Free on Rail

Force Majeure

Title of a standard clause in marine contracts exempting the parties for non-fulfillment of their obligations as a result of conditions beyond their control, such as earthquakes, floods, or war.

Fore and Aft Stowage

Stowage from the bow to the stern (lengthwise), as opposed to stowage athwartships.

Forecast

1. An estimation or calculation in advance; a prediction. 2. The amount of cargo expected to be booked for a specific flight or vessel. 3. The number of containers expected to be used in a certain area.

Forecastle

Abbreviation: Fo’c’s’le. Forward part of a vessel where stores, ropes and anchor chains are located.

Foreign Exchange

Currency or credit instruments of a foreign country. Also, transactions involving purchase and/or sale of currencies.

Foreign Trade Zone

Foreign Trade Zone

Fork Lift Pockets

Openings or recesses in a side of a container for the entry of the forks of a fork lift truck.

Fork Lift Truck

Three- or four-wheeled mechanical truck with forks at the front designed for lifting, carrying and stacking cargo.

Fork Pockets

Openings or recesses in a side of a container for the entry of the forks of a fork lift truck.

Forty-foot Equivalent Unit

Abbreviation: FEU. Unit of measurement equivalent to one forty-feet shipping container.

Forward

At, near or towards the bow or front of a vessel or an aircraft.

Forwarder

Party arranging the carriage of goods including connected services and/or associated formalities on behalf of the cargo principal according to their shipping instructions.

Forwarding Instructions

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).

FOT

Free on Truck

Foul Bill of Lading

Receipt for goods issued by a carrier with an indication that the goods were damaged when received.

Four-way Pallet

Pallet of which the frame permits the entry of forks of e.g. a fork lift truck, on all four sides.

Fragile

Easily breakable. Term denoting that goods should be handled with care.

Franc Poincaré

Unit of value in which the limitation of the carrier’s liability is sometimes expressed. One franc poincaré consists of 65.5 milligrams of gold with a fineness of nine hundred thousands.

Franchise

Amount which, in case of damage, will have to be borne by the insured.

Fraud

The crime of getting money or other benefits by deceit or trickery.

Free Airport

Free Airport

Free Alongside Ship (... Named Port of Shipment)

Abbreviation: FAS. Incoterm

Free Carrier (... Named Place)

Abbreviation: FCA. Incoterm

Free House Uncleared

Delivered at a certain destination without payment of certain duties or incurred costs.

Free in

Abbreviation: F.I. Condition indicating that the charterer of a vessel is responsible for the cost of loading goods onto the vessel.

Free in and out

Abbreviation: FIO. Condition denoting that the freight rate excludes the costs of loading and discharging and, if appropriate, stowage and lashing.

Free in Liner out

Abbreviation: FILO. Condition denoting that the freight rate is inclusive of the sea carriage and the cost of discharging, the latter as per the custom of the port. It excludes the cost of loading and, if appropriate, stowage and lashing.

Free of Particular Average, American Conditions

Abbreviation: FPAAC. Average clause which limits recovery of partial losses to those caused by fire, stranding, sinking or collision.

Free of Particular Average, English Conditions

Abbreviation: FPAEC. Same as FPAAC except that the partial losses referred to are recoverable if the vessel has stranded, sunk, burned, been on fire or in a collision, regardless of whether such losses were actually caused by any of these perils.

Free on Board (... Named Port of Shipment)

Abbreviation: FOB. Incoterm

Free on Rail

Former Incoterm, today replaced by Free Carrier (FCA).

Free on Truck

Former Incoterm, today replaced by Free Carrier (FCA).

Free out

Abbreviation: F.O. Condition indicating that the charterer of a vessel is responsible for the cost of unloading goods from the vessel.

Free Port

International port or an area within an international port at which crew, passengers, baggage, cargo, mail and stores may be disembarked or unloaded, may remain and may be transshipped, without being subjected to any customs charges or duties. (Examination is possible, e.g. to meet security or narcotics control requirements.)

Free Pratique

Permission granted by local medical authorities, denoting that the vessel has a clean Bill of Health so that people may embark and disembark.

Free Trade Zone

Free Trade Zone

Freeboard of a Vessel

Vertical distance from the main deck to the surface of the water measured at the middle of the vessel’s length.

Freight

Costs charged by the carrier for transporting goods.

Freight All Kinds

Abbreviation: FAK. Tariff structure which is applied irrespective of the commodity.

Freight Collect

Freight and charges are paid by the consignee.

Freight Costs

Costs incurred by the merchant in moving goods, by whatever means, from one place to another under the terms of the contract of carriage.

Freight Forwarder

Party arranging the carriage of goods including connected services and/or associated formalities on behalf of the cargo principal according to their shipping instructions.

Freight Invoice

Itemized list of costs for freight charges and services rendered.

Freight Prepaid

Freight and charges to be paid by the shipper.

Freight Ton

Unit for calculating freight amount according to weight and/or cubic measurement.

Freight Ton Kilometers

Index of average amount of freight carried per kilometer flown.

Freight Tons Carried

Index of the weight of cargo flown on board the aircraft.

FTL

Abbreviation: FTL. Indication for a truck transporting cargo directly from supplier to receiver.

FTZ

Abbreviation: FTZ. Port designated by the government of a country for duty-free entry of any non-prohibited goods. Merchandise may be stored, displayed, used for manufacturing, etc., within the zone and re-exported without duties being paid. Duties are imposed on the merchandise (or items manufactured from the merchandise) only when the goods pass from the zone into an area of the country subject to the Customs Authority.

Full Container Load

Abbreviation: FCL. 1. A container stuffed or stripped under risk and for account of the shipper and/or the consignee. 2. A general reference for identifying container loads of cargo loaded and/or discharged at merchants’ premises.

Full Truck Load

Abbreviation: FTL. Indication for a truck transporting cargo directly from supplier to receiver.

Full Value Declared

Abbreviation: FVD. Notation on an Air Waybill which indicates that a specific value has been declared to the carrier for carriage of the merchandise.

Fully Cellular Containership

Abbreviation: FCC. Vessel specially designed to carry containers, with cell-guides under deck and necessary fittings and equipment on deck.

FVD

Abbreviation: FVD. Notation on an Air Waybill which indicates that a specific value has been declared to the carrier for carriage of the merchandise.