Definitions, as published
The definition of each term exactly as its official source words it, with the article or page it comes from.
| Term slug | Definition text | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| containerization | Stowage of general or special cargoes in a container for transport in the various modes. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Containerization”. |
| customs-entry | All countries require that the importer make a declaration on incoming foreign goods. The importer then normally pays a duty on the imported merchandise. The importer’s statement is compared against the carrier’s vessel manifest to ensure that all foreign goods are properly declared. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Customs Entry”. |
| deadweight-tonnage-dwt | The number of tons of 2,240 pounds that a vessel can transport of cargo, stores and bunker fuel. It is the difference between the number of tons of water a vessel displaces “light” and the number of tons it displaces when submerged to the “load line.” An approximate conversion ratio is 1NT = 1.7GT and 1GT = 1.5DWT. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Deadweight Tonnage (DWT)”. |
| demurrage | A penalty charge against shippers or consignees for delaying the carrier’s equipment or vessel beyond the allowed free time. The free time and demurrage charges are set forth in the charter party or freight tariff. See also Detention and Per Diem. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Demurrage”. |
| detention | A penalty charge against shippers or consignees for delaying carrier’s equipment beyond allowed time. Demurrage applies to cargo; detention applies to equipment. See Per Diem. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Detention”. |
| devanning | The unloading of a container or cargo van. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Devanning”. |
| doortodoor | Through transportation of a container and its contents from consignor to consignee. Also known as House to House. Not necessarily a through rate. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Door–to–Door”. |
| drayage | Charge made for local hauling by dray or truck. Same as Cartage. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Drayage”. |
| dry-cargo | Cargo that is not liquid and normally does not require temperature control. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Dry Cargo”. |
| eta-c-d-r-s | – Estimated Time of Arrival, Completion, Departure, Readiness, or Sailing – Estimated Time of Availability. That time when a tractor/partner carrier is available for dispatch. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “ETA, C, D, R, S”. |
| fcl | Abbreviation for “Full Container Load.” | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “FCL”. |
| feu | Abbreviation for “Forty–Foot Equivalent Units.” Refers to container size standard of 40 feet. Two 20–foot containers or TEU’s equal one FEU. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “FEU”. |
| freight | Refers to either the cargo carried or the charges assessed for carriage of the cargo. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Freight”. |
| freight-forwarder | A person whose business is to act as an agent on behalf of the shipper. A freight forwarder frequently makes the booking reservation. In the United States, freight forwarders are now licensed by the FMC as “Ocean Intermediaries.” | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Freight Forwarder”. |
| gateway | Industry–related: A point at which freight moving from one territory to another is interchanged between transportation lines. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Gateway”. |
| gross-weight | Entire weight of goods, packaging and freight car or container, ready for shipment. Generally, 80,000 pounds maximum container, cargo and tractor for highway transport. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Gross Weight”. |
| harbor | Any place to which ships may resort for shelter, or to load or unload passengers or goods, or to obtain fuel, water, or supplies. This term applies to such places whether proclaimed public or not and whether natural or artificial. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Harbor”. |
| harmonized-system-of-codes-hs | An international goods classification system for describing cargo in international trade under a single commodity–coding scheme. Developed under the auspices of the Customs Cooperations Council (CCC), an international Customs organization in Brussels, this code is a hierarchically structured product nomenclature containing approximately 5,000 headings and subheadings. It is organized into 99 chapters arranged in 22 sections. Sections encompass an industry (e.g., Section XI, Textiles and Textile Articles); chapters encompass the various materials and products of the industry (e.g., Chapter 50, Silk; Chapter 55, Manmade Staple Fibers; Chapter 57, Carpets). | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Harmonized System of Codes (HS)”. |
| haz-mat | An industry abbreviation for “Hazardous Material.” | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “HAZ MAT”. |
| hatch | The opening in the deck of a vessel; gives access to the cargo hold. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Hatch”. |
| import | To receive goods from a foreign country. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Import”. |
| in-bond | Cargo moving under Customs control where duty has not yet been paid. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “In Bond”. |
| entry | Customs documents required to clear an import shipment for entry into the general commerce of a country. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Entry”. |
| equipment-interchange-receipt-eir | A document transferring a container from one carrier to another, or to/from a terminal. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Equipment Interchange Receipt (EIR)”. |
| embargo | Order to restrict the hauling of freight. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Embargo”. |
| export | Shipment of goods to a foreign country. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Export”. |
| fak | Abbreviation for “Freight All Kinds.” Usually refers to full container loads of mixed shipments. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “FAK”. |
| feeder-service | Cargo to/from regional ports are transferred to/from a central hub port for a long–haul ocean voyage. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Feeder Service”. |
| feeder-vessel | A short–sea vessel which transfers cargo between a central “hub” port and smaller “spoke” ports. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Feeder Vessel”. |
| fixed-costs | Costs that do not vary with the level of activity. Some fixed costs continue even if no cargo is carried. Terminal leases, rent and property taxes are fixed costs. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Fixed Costs”. |
| fmc | Federal Maritime Commission. The U.S. Governmental regulatory body responsible for administering maritime affairs including the tariff system, freight forwarder licensing, enforcing the conditions of the Shipping Act and approving conference or other carrier agreements. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “FMC”. |
| force-majeure | The title of a common clause in contracts, exempting the parties for non–fulfillment of their obligations as a result of conditions beyond their control, such as earthquakes, floods or war. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Force Majeure”. |
| free-time | That amount of time that a carrier’s equipment may be used without incurring additional charges. (See Storage, Demurrage or Per Diem.) | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Free Time”. |
| freight-bill | A document issued by the carrier based on the bill of lading and other information; used to account for a shipment operationally, statistically, and financially. An Invoice. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Freight Bill”. |
| gross-tonnage-gt | Applies to vessels, not to cargo, (0.2+0.02 log10V) where V is the volume in cubic meters of all enclosed spaces on the vessel. Since 1994, it replaces “Gross Registered Tonnage.” An approximate conversion ratio is 1NT = 1.7GT and 1GT = 1.5DWT. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Gross Tonnage (GT)”. |
| groupage | A consolidation service, putting small shipments into containers for shipment. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Groupage”. |
| port-of-discharge | Port where cargo is discharged from means of transport. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Port of Discharge”. |
| place-of-receipt | Location where cargo enters the care and custody of carrier. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Place of Receipt”. |
| place-of-delivery | Place where cargo leaves the care and custody of carrier. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Place of Delivery”. |
| pickup | The act of calling for freight by truck at the consignor’s shipping platform. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Pickup”. |
| port | – Harbor with piers or docks. – Left side of a ship when facing forward. – Opening in a ship’s side for handling freight. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Port”. |
| port-of-call | Port where a ship discharges or receives traffic. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Port of Call”. |
| piggyback | A transportation arrangement in which truck trailers with their loads are moved by train to a destination. Also known as Rail Pigs. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Piggyback”. |
| container-yard-cy | A materials–handling/storage facility used for completely unitized loads in containers and/or empty containers. Commonly referred to as CY. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Container Yard (CY)”. |
| customs-bonded-warehouse | A warehouse authorized by Customs to receive duty–free merchandise. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Customs Bonded Warehouse”. |
| cutoff-time | The latest time cargo may be delivered to a terminal for loading to a scheduled train or ship. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Cut–Off Time”. |
| deadhead | One leg of a move without a paying cargo load. Usually refers to repositioning an empty piece of equipment. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Deadhead”. |
| dutiable-value | The amount on which an Ad Valorem or customs duty is calculated. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Dutiable Value”. |
| draft | The number of feet that the hull of a ship is beneath the surface of the water. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Draft”. |
| drawback | A partial refund of an import fee. Refund usually results because goods are re–exported from the country that collected the fee. | MARAD Glossary of Shipping Terms (May 2008), entry “Drawback”. |
Sources
- Glossary for Transport Statistics — 6th edition (2026) — Eurostat, UNECE ve ITF-OECD · Reusable with attribution
- UNCTADstat maritime/transport metadata — UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) / UNCTADstat · Reusable with attribution
- IMO conventions and maritime definitions — official definition clauses and terminology pages — International Maritime Organization (IMO) · Reusable with attribution
- U.S. federal air cargo/security definitions associated with ICAO scope — International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO); auxiliary U.S. federal regulatory sources · Public domain
- United States federal transport and customs definitions — GPO / Office of Federal Register / PHMSA-DOT / FMCSA-DOT / FMC / CBP-DHS / U.S. Congress · Public domain
- European Union transport and customs definitions — European Parliament and Council instruments; Publications Office of the EU / EUR-Lex · Reusable with attribution
- Hague–Visby Article I via UK legislation.gov.uk — UN Treaty Collection/UN, UNCITRAL, UNECE, ICAO, OTIF ve UK legislation.gov.uk · Reusable with attribution
- BTS/FMCSA/FMC/CBP/MARAD federal-authored glossary rows — BTS; FMCSA; FMC; CBP; MARAD · Public domain
- United Kingdom official transport and customs terms — HMRC; Department for Transport; Traffic Commissioners/DVSA; UK Parliament/legislation.gov.uk · Reusable with attribution
1,049 further records are on file but not shown, because the publisher's terms do not clearly allow them to be republished.