TERM

MEANING

ECU

European Currency Units. A financial unit used for EC accounting.

En route

Along the route of movement.

ETA

Estimated time of arrival.

ETD

Estimated time of departure.

Ex Work

An INCOTERMS term of sale applicable to all modes of transport.

Export

Shipment of goods to another country.

Export Declaration

A government document permitting designated goods to be shipped out of the country.

TERM

MEANING

F.A.K.

Freight All Kind. System whereby freight is charged per container, irrespective of the nature of the goods, and not according to a Tariff.

F.A.S.

Free Alongside Ship.

F.C.L.

Full Containerload. Arrangement whereby shipper utilizes all the space in a container which he packs himself.

F.I.O.

Free In and Out.

F.O.B.

Stands for Free On Board which is a mercantile expression used in sale contracts denoting that goods have to be delivered by the shippers on board the vessel at a particular place, free of charge.

FCL/FCL

See CY/CY.

FCL/LCL

See CY/CFS.

Feeder Vessel

Vessel employed in normally short sea routes to fetch or carry goods and containers to and from ocean going vessels.

FEU

Forty-foot Equivalent Unit (40'' or 2 TEUs)

Final Destination (FND)

End of carrier’s liability where carrier delivers the cargo to consignee.

Flash Point

A temperature that when certain inflammable cargo reaches will trigger spontaneous ignition. It is an IMCO standard information requirement for dangerous goods.

FMC

Federal Maritime Commission. US Government Agency responsible for regulatory aspects of all maritime activities.

Freight

(a) The price paid to the carrier for the transportation of goods or merchandise by sea from one place to another. (b) Freight is also used to denote goods which are in the process of being transported from one place to another.

Fresh Air Exchange (FAE)

The fresh air exchange system on a reefer removes harmful gases from reefers carrying sensitive perishable commodities. The fresh air vent is located on the reefer machinery end of the container. The fresh air vent is adjustable to accommodate a variety of cargo and chilled load operating conditions. The fresh air vent should be tightly closed when carrying frozen cargo.

Full Cellular Ship

A ship fitted for container carriage in all available space. The ship is fitted with vertical cells for container placement both below and above deck. No provisions are available for cargo other than containers.

Fumigation

Treatment with a pesticide active ingredient that is a gas under treatment conditions.

TERM

MEANING

G.R.I.

General Rate Increase

GATT

General Agreement on Tariff and Trade.  An international multilateral agreement embodying a code of practice for fair trading in international commerce.

General Average

General average is an unwritten, non-statutory, international maritime law which is universally recognized and applied. It is founded on the principle that vessel and goods are parties to the same venture and share exposure to the same perils, which may require sacrifice or the incurring of extraordinary expense on the part of one for the benefit of the whole venture.

Genset (Generator Set)

A portable power generator, which converts fuel into electrical power by mechanical means, and from which a reefer draws power. A clip-on generator set is mounted to the front of the refrigeration unit. An underslung generator set is mounted to the chassis upon which the reefer is mounted for handling and transport. The underslung generator set can be either side-mounted or center-mounted on the chassis.

Gooseneck

The front rails of the chassis that raise above the plane of the chassis and engage in the tunnel of a container.

Gross Tonnage

Applies to vessels, not to cargo. Determined by dividing by 100 the contents, in cubic feet, of the vessel's closed-in spaces. A vessel ton is 100 cubic feet.

Gross Weight

Entire weight of goods, packaging and container, ready for shipment.

TERM

MEANING

Hague Rules

1924 International Convention on Carriage of Goods by Sea. These rules govern liability for loss or damage to goods carried by sea under a bill of lading.

Hague-Visby Rules

1968 Revision of Hague Rules.

Hamburg Rules

In March 1978 an international conference in Hamburg adopted a new set of rules (The Hamburg Rules), which radically alter the liability which shipowners have to bear for loss or damage to goods in the courts of those nations where the rules apply.

Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System

A multi-purpose international goods-classification for manufacturers. Transporters, exporters, importers, customs officials, statisticians, and others in classifying goods moving in international trade under a single commodity code. 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 describing the articles moving in international trade. 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 Fibres; Chapter 57, Carpets).] The basic code contains four-digit headings and six-digit subheadings. (The U.S. will add digits for tariff and statistical purposes. In the U.S. duty rates will be the 8-digit level; statistical suffixes will be at the 10-digit level. The Harmonized System (HS) is scheduled to supplant the current U.S. tariff schedule (TSUSA) in January 1988.)

Hatch

The opening in the deck of a vessel; gives access to the cargo hold.

Haulier

The participating carrier responsible for drayage.

Heavy Lift

Articles too heavy to be lifted by a ship's tackle.

Heavy-Lift Charge

A charge made for lifting articles too heavy to be lifted by a ship's tackle.

High Cube

Any container which exceeds 8 feet 6 inches (102 inches) in height, usually 9 feet 6 inches.

House B/L

Bill of lading issued by forwarder.

House-to-House (H/H)

See CY/CY.

House-to-Pier (H/P)

See CY/CFS.

Hull

The body of a vessel exclusive of masts, yards, sails, rigging, machinery and equipment.

Hull Underwriter

The person with whom the ship’s hull, machinery apparel, and tackle is insured.

TERM

MEANING

I.M.C.O.

International Maritime Consultative Organization. A forum in which most major maritime nations participate and through which recommendations for the carriage of dangerous goods, bulk commodities and maritime regulations become internationally acceptable.

I.P.I.

Inland Points Intermodal. Inland carriage by another mode of transportation after discharge.

IMDG Code

International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code. The IMO recommendations for the carriage of dangerous goods by sea.

Import

Shipment of goods from a foreign country.

Import License

A document required and issued by some national governments authorizing the importation of goods into their individual countries.

Import Permit

Usually required for items that might affect the public health, morals, animal life, vegetation, etc. Examples include foodstuffs, feedstuffs, pharmaceuticals (human and veterinary), medical equipment, seeds, plants and various written material (including tapes, cassettes, movies, TV tapes or TV movies). In some countries an import permit is the same as an import license.

In Transit

In transit, or in passage.

Inbound

Inward bound. Direction of vessel or cargo going to port of discharge or final destination.

Incoterms

Incoterms are a set of uniform rules codifying the interpretation of trade terms defining the rights and obligation of both buyer and seller in an international transaction, thereby enabling anotherwise complex basis for a sale contract to be accomplished in three letters. Incoterms are drafted by the International Chamber of Commerce.

Inland Clearance Depot

A CFS with Customs Clearance Facilities.

Insulated Container

A container insulated on the walls, roof, floor and doors, to reduce the effect of external temperatures on the cargo.

Insulated Tank Container

The frame of a container constructed to hold one or more thermally insulated tanks for liquids.

Interchange

Transfer of a container from one party to another.

Interchange Points

A terminal at which freight in the course of transportation is delivered by one transportation line to another.

Intercoastal

Water service between two coasts; usually refers to water service between a point on the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts.

Intermodal

Used to denote movements of cargo or container between motor, rail or water carriers.

Intermodal Transport

Moving ocean freight containers by various transportation modes. The fact that the containers are of the same size and have common handling characteristics permits them to be transferred from truck to railroad to air carrier to ocean carrier.

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

ISO is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies from some 130 countries, one from each country. It is a non-governmental organization established in 1947 to promote the development of standardization facilitating international trade. ISO's work results in international agreements which are published as International Standards.

TERM

MEANING

Keel

The main center-line structural member, running fore and aft along the bottom of a ship, sometimes referred to as the backbone.

Knot

A unit of speed. The term "knot" means velocity in nautical miles per hour whether of a vessel or current. One nautical mile is roughly equivalent to 1.15 statute miles or 1.85 kilometers.

TERM

MEANING

L.C.L.

Less than Container Load. Cargo in quantity less than required for the application of a container load rate.

LCL/FCL

See CFS/CY.

LCL/LCL

See CFS/CFS.

Letter of Indemnity

Guarantee from the shipper or consignee to indemnify carrier for costs and/or loss, if any, in order to obtain favorable action by carrier, e.g. sometimes, it is used to allow consignee to take delivery of goods without surrendering B/L which has been delayed or become lost (for straight consignment case).

Lien

A legal claim upon goods for the satisfaction of some debt or duty.

Lift-On/Lift-Off
(LO-LO)

A container ship onto which containers are lifted by crane.

Lighter

An open or covered barge towed by a tugboat and used mainly in harbors and inland waterways.

Lighterage

Refers to the carriage of goods by lighter and the charge assessed therefore.

Line-haul

Transportation from one city to another as differentiated from local switching service.

Liner

Vessel plying a regular trade/defined route against a published sailing schedule.

Liner Terms

Freight includes the cost of loading onto and discharging from the vessel.

Lloyds' Registry

An organization maintained for the surveying and classing of ships so that insurance underwriters and others may know the quality and condition of the vessels offered for insurance or employment.

Load Factor

Percent of loaded containers against total capacity of vessel or allocation.

Locking Bar

Device that secures container doors at top and bottom.

Long Ton

2,240 pounds. (l.t., l.tn.)

Longshoreman

Individual employed locally in a port to load and unload ships.

Loose

Without packing.

Low-Bed

A trailer or semi-trailer with no sides and with the floor of the unit close to the ground.