FREIGHT AND LOGISTICS DEFINITIONS

BILL OF LADING

A bill of lading is a binding contract that serves three main purposes: a receipt for the goods delivered

to the transportation provider for shipment; a definition or description of the goods; and evidence of

title to the relative goods, if "negotiable".

COMMODITY

Commodities are goods which are shipped.

CONSIGNEE

A consignee, also known as a receiver, is the party which receives the goods in a freight shipment.

DETENTION

Detention is a penalty fee for delaying the carrier’s equipment beyond the allotted time. Typical

allotted time is 2 hours for loading and 2 hours for unloading a full truckload.

DRY VAN

Dry van trailers are designed to transport the most versatile of dry products due to the fully enclosed

nature of the trailer, which allows freight to be protected from the elements. Palletized products are

most common as they can be efficiently and safely loaded / unloaded with a forklift or pallet jack from

a dock.

FLATBED

Flatbed trailers are designed to transport products which are long, heavy or oddly proportioned which

creates a challenge when loading/unloading an enclosed trailer. The open nature of the trailer allows

for loading / unloading from the rear, sides or top; allowing forklifts and cranes to create an even lift

on the freight. Flatbeds are best suited being loaded / unloaded from the ground, rather than from a

dock.

FREIGHT

Freight is any product being transported.

FREIGHT BROKER

A freight broker, also known as a 3PL or third-party logistics company, is an independent contractor

paid to arrange freight transportation. Unlike asset-based carriers, freight brokers have much more

available capacity since they are not restricted to a certain set of available assets.

FULL TRUCKLOAD

Full truckloads are shipments which require the use of a full trailer.

LIFT GATE

A lift gate is a mechanical device attached to the back of a truck so that a heavy object can be lifted to

or from the ground.

LESS THAN TRUCKLOAD

Less than truckload, or LTL are shipments which utilize 12 linear feet or less. LTL shipments are

typically performed by national or regional LTL carriers who have built hub and spoke models designed

to efficiently move smaller freight shipments.

PALLET JACK

A pallet jack is a tool used to lift and move pallets.

PARTIAL TRUCKLOAD

Partial truckloads are shipments which do not require use of the entire trailer. These shipments can be

combined with other shipments resulting in reduced costs to ship freight. This method is typically

associated with partial shipments which exceed 12 linear feet. For partial truckloads less than 12

linear feet, see LTL.

REEFER

Reefer trailers are designed to transport products which require to be kept at a specific temperature

or temperature range through the entirety of the transit. While reefers are traditionally utilized to

keep freight cold, reefers have the ability to be kept at warmer temperatures to protect freight from

freezing, or run dry freight with the refrigeration unit turned off.

SHIPPER

A shipper is the party which sends or ships goods in a freight shipment.

TONU

TONU, an acronym standing for “Truck Ordered, Not Used”, is a cancellation charge for ordering a

truck and then cancelling the order.