INDEX / A–Z
SEC. — / REFERENCE

The Language of Freight.

Every term in the manifest, defined in plain language — from accessorials to WMS.

3ABCDEFGHILMNPRSTWY
3
3PL
Third-party logistics — an outside provider that manages transportation, warehousing, and fulfillment on your behalf.
A
Accessorial
An extra charge beyond line-haul for services like liftgate, detention, or residential delivery.
APX / Appointment
A scheduled time slot for a truck to load or unload at a facility.
B
Backhaul
A return-trip load that fills a truck that would otherwise run empty home.
Bill of Lading
The legal contract and receipt between shipper and carrier detailing the freight being moved.
Blind Shipment
A shipment where the shipper or consignee is hidden from one of the parties.
BOL Number
The unique identifier on a bill of lading used to reference a shipment.
Bonded Warehouse
A secured facility where imported goods are stored before duties are paid.
C
Cartage
Local pickup and delivery of freight within a metro area.
Consignee
The party receiving a shipment at its destination.
Consignor
The party shipping the freight; the origin-side sender.
Cross-Dock
Unloading inbound freight and reloading it directly to outbound trucks with little or no storage.
Customs Broker
A licensed agent who clears imports through customs on your behalf.
D
Deadhead
Miles a truck drives empty, with no revenue-generating load onboard.
Detention
A fee charged when a truck waits beyond the free time allotted for loading or unloading.
Dimensional Weight
A pricing method based on a package's volume rather than actual weight.
Dock
The loading area where trucks are loaded and unloaded at a facility.
Drayage
Short-haul movement of containers, typically between a port or rail yard and a nearby facility.
Dunnage
Packing material used to secure and protect freight in transit.
E
EDI
Electronic Data Interchange — standardized digital exchange of shipment documents.
ELD
Electronic Logging Device — records a driver's hours of service automatically.
ETA
Estimated Time of Arrival — the projected delivery moment for a shipment.
F
Freight Class
An NMFC category that determines LTL pricing based on density and handling.
FTL
Full truckload — a shipment that fills, or is priced as, an entire trailer.
G
Geofence
A virtual boundary that triggers alerts when a shipment enters or leaves it.
H
Hazmat
Hazardous materials requiring special handling, labeling, and documentation.
Hours of Service
Federal limits on how long a driver may operate before mandatory rest.
I
Intermodal
Freight moved using two or more modes — e.g. rail plus truck — in the same container.
L
Lane
A defined origin-to-destination route that freight regularly moves along.
Line-Haul
The primary long-distance movement of freight between cities or terminals.
LTL
Less-than-truckload — consolidated shipments from multiple customers sharing one trailer.
M
Manifest
A document listing all freight, parties, and details for a shipment or route.
N
NMFC
National Motor Freight Classification — the standard for categorizing LTL freight.
P
Pallet
A portable platform that lets freight be moved and stacked as a unit.
Pick & Pack
Selecting items from inventory and packing them for outbound shipment.
Proof of Delivery
Signed confirmation that a shipment reached its destination and was accepted.
R
Reefer
A refrigerated trailer used to move temperature-sensitive freight.
S
SKU
Stock Keeping Unit — a unique code identifying a specific product.
T
Tender
The offer of a load to a carrier, which they can accept or reject.
TMS
Transportation Management System — software to plan, execute, and track freight.
Transload
Transferring freight from one mode or trailer to another mid-journey.
W
WMS
Warehouse Management System — software to run receiving, storage, picking, and shipping.
Y
Yard Management
Coordinating trailers, drivers, and dock doors within a facility's yard.