Freight Shipping Glossary
Understand the common terminology used in domestic and international logistics.
Bill of Lading (B/L)
A legal document issued by a carrier to a shipper that details the type, quantity, and destination of the goods being carried. It serves as a receipt of shipment and a contract of carriage.
Back Haul
The return trip of a commercial truck transporting cargo back over all or part of the same route it took to get to its initial destination.
Carrier
An individual, partnership, or corporation engaged in the business of transporting goods or passengers for a fee.
Consignee
The person or company to whom the freight is being shipped. They are the ultimate receiver of the goods.
Container Chassis
A specialized trailer or undercarriage used to transport ocean containers over the road.
Drayage
The transport of freight over a short distance, typically moving a container from an ocean port or rail ramp to a nearby warehouse.
LCL (Less than Container Load)
An ocean shipping term for cargo that is less than the volume of a standard container. The freight is consolidated with other shippers' cargo in a single container.
LTL (Less than Truckload)
A ground shipping term for freight that does not require an entire trailer. It shares space with other shipments and stops at terminals.
Low Boy
A semi-trailer with two drops in deck height: one right after the gooseneck and one right before the wheels. This allows the deck to be extremely low compared to other trailers, enabling the transport of tall, oversized equipment.
PRO Number
A progressive number (PRO) used by carriers to identify and track a specific freight shipment.
Embargo
An order by a government prohibiting trade or the shipment of commercial goods to a particular country or region.
Bulk Freight
Cargo that is transported unpackaged in large quantities, such as grain, coal, or liquid shipments.
Breakbulk
Cargo that is too large or heavy to be placed in standard shipping containers. It is loaded individually onto vessels, often requiring specialized cranes or heavy-lift equipment.
Hot Shot
Expedited freight delivery using smaller, dedicated trucks (often heavy-duty pickups with flatbed trailers) to transport time-sensitive loads directly to a destination.