Shipping Glossary

BL / Bill of Lading: A contract and receipt issued by the carrier for goods shipped by sea.
CBM: Cubic Meter — the standard unit of volume for freight (length × width × height in meters).
Chargeable Weight: The greater of actual and volumetric weight, used to price air freight.
Cross-Dock: Unloading and reloading freight for immediate onward shipment.
Customs Broker: A licensed party that clears shipments through customs on your behalf.
Demurrage: Charge for leaving a container at the terminal beyond the Last Free Day.
Drayage: Short-haul trucking of a container between a port/ramp and a nearby facility.
FCL: Full Container Load — you book an entire container for your cargo.
HTS Code: Harmonized Tariff Schedule code that classifies goods for duty purposes.
Incoterms: International Commercial Terms defining buyer/seller responsibilities (e.g. FOB, CIF, DDP).
ISF: Importer Security Filing (10+2) — required data filed before ocean cargo arrives in the US.
LCL: Less-than-Container Load — your cargo shares a container with others.
LFD: Last Free Day — the deadline to pick up a container before demurrage starts.
NVOCC: Non-Vessel-Operating Common Carrier — a carrier that issues its own bills of lading without owning ships.
ODC: Over-Dimensional Cargo — freight exceeding standard container/trailer size.
Per-diem / Detention: Daily charge for holding the carrier’s container/chassis beyond free time.
POD: Proof of Delivery — confirmation (often photo/signature) that a shipment was delivered.
Reefer: A refrigerated container for temperature-controlled cargo.
Section 321: US de-minimis provision allowing duty-free entry for shipments valued at $800 or less.
Transload: Transferring cargo from one mode/container to another without long-term storage.

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