| AD. VAL. | Ad valorem (lat.); of (good’s) value |
| ADR | European Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by road (European agreement on international dangerous goods road shipments) |
| ADVISE | Notification to consignee on cargo’s arrival or despatch |
| AIR WAYBILL AWB | Accompanying document for air shipments |
| AMETER | Accounting mechanism adopted by trading partners |
| ASSOCIATION AGREEMENTS | Agreements of non-EC states with the European community Union on the granting of customs preferences |
| ATA | Customs admission booklet for cargo’s temporary export or import |
| AVERAGE | Damage sustained by a ship or its cargo as a result of marine accident |
| AWB | Air Waybill |
| BAF | Bunker fuel adjustment factor applied in marine traffic |
| BILL OF LANDING, B/L | Legal document issued by the forwarder stating his obligations related to cargo’s delivery to the B/L’s legitimate holder, serving as security |
| BOND | Customs bond (safe storage place under customs control that allows duty / VAT to be deferred) |
| BORDERO | Cargo manifest issued by the consolidator to inform the deconsolidator about details of the individual shipments |
| BOX | Hard sided, hard rack, solid back doors |
| BREAK BULK | Cargo shipped neither in containers nor on pallets |
| BULK CARRIER | Vessel for shipments of bulk goods (e.g. ore, grain etc.) |
| C.L.E.C.A.T. | Comité de Liaison Européen des Commissionaires et Auxilliaires de Transports du Marché Commun (Alliance of forwarders of EU countries to Brussels) |
| C/P | Charter Party (contract of carriage in tramp navigation) |
| CABOTAGE | Operating inland shipments outside one’s country of registration |
| CAF | Currency adjustment factor applied in ocean shipping |
| CARNET-A.T.A. | Customs booklet admitting cargo’s temporary import or export issued for international road hauliers |
| CARNET-T.I.R. | Customs booklet admitting free transit passage issued for international road Hauliers |
| CARRIER | A person or firm engaged in the carriage of passengers or goods |
| CBM | Cubic Meter |
| CEMT | (Conférence Européenne des Ministres des Transports) Permanent conference of Eurpean traffic ministers |
| CFR | Incoterm - Cost and Freight |
| CHARGEABLE WEIGHT | Greater of Weight, cbm, ldm applied to consignment for charging |
| CHARTER CONTRACT | Sea carriage contract. A vessel is entirely or partly leased for a voyage or for a period |
| CHOCCING / DUNNAGE | Securing materials usually wood |
| CIF | Incoterm - Cost and Freight |
| CIM | (Convention Internationale concernant le Transport de Marchandises par Chemin de Fer) International Convention concerning the carriage of goods by rail |
| CMR | (Convention relative au contrat de transport international de marchadises par route) Convention on the contract of carriage in international road traffic |
| COD | Payment term Cash on Delivery |
| CONGESTION SURCHARGE | Ammount charged additionally due to port’s congestion |
| CONNEX RIGHT CONSIGNEE | Reciever of goods |
| CPT | Incoterm - Carriage paid |
| CROSS-TRADER | Vessels operating international regular navigation services without calling at a port of the country of their registration |
| D/O DELIVERY ORDER | Stipulations on cargo’s delivery |
| DAF | Incoterm - Delivered at frontier |
| DDP | Incoterm – Delivered duty paid |
| DDU | Incoterm – Delivered duty unpaid |
| DECLARE | Making a full statement of dutiable cargo |
| DEQ | Incoterm – Delivered ex quai |
| DES | Incoterm – Delivered ex ship |
| DGR | (Air Traffic) Dangerous Goods Regulations |
| DISTRIBUTION | Delivery |
| DOCUMENT | Standardized customs document used in all EU countries |
| DRY DOCK | Vessel out of service for repair |
| E.T.A. | Estimated Time of Arrival |
| EAN | European Data Numbering |
| EDI | Electronic Data Interchange |
| EDIFACT | Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport |
| EFTA | European Free Trade Association |
| ENDORSEMENT | Signature on the back of order papers as a mark of transmission |
| EXW | Incoterm – Ex works |
| F/L | Full trailer load |
| FAK RATES | Freight all kinds (flat-rate tariff irrespective of kind of cargo) |
| FAS | Incoterm – Free alongside ship |
| FCA | Incoterm – Free carrier |
| FCL/FCL | Full container load |
| FEEDER SERVICE | Additional service rendered to deliver / pick up cargo to and from ports / regions not directly called by the shipping lines’ container ships |
| FIATA | Fédération Internationale des Association de Transporteurs et Assimilés (International Forwarders Associations) |
| FIFO | First in, first out |
| FLAT | Container size platform with fixed front walls as cargo support |
| FLATBED | Trailer, No Sides, Backdoors or rack |
| FMCG | Fast moving consumer goods |
| FOB | Incoterm – Free on board |
| GROUPAGE | Less than 3 tonne, 9cbm |
| HAULAGE | Pre and Oncarriage |
| I.C.C. | International Chamber of Commerce |
| IATA | International Air Transport Association (Umbrella organization of air cargo operators) |
| IGLOO | Air cargo loading appliances |
| IMCO | International Maritime Consultative Organization (United Nations Organisation) |
| IMDG-CODE | International Maritime dangerous Goods Code (International code for dangerous good sea shipments) |
| IMO | International Maritime Organisation (IMCO Follow-up organisation founded 1982) |
| INCOTERMS | International commercial terms expressing the sharing of costs and risks between buyer and seller |
| INTEGRATOR | Forwarder rendering door-to-door shipments including forwarder’s service |
| INTRASTAT | Statistics on the goods flow among EU countries |
| JIT | Just in time (delivery) at the precise moment |
| L/C LETTER OF CREDIT | Warranty of buyer’s bank to effect payment in favour of seller (creditor = beneficiary) provided the latter implements his obligations from the sales contract |
| LCL | Less than Container Load (Part load of a container stuffed in port) |
| LDM | Loading Meter |
| LIFO | Last in - last out |
| LINER TERMS | Transport terms of a shipping line |
| LOLO | Lift on, lift off vessels |
| MANIFEST | Register of all consignments loaded aboard a Ship/Plane/Trailer |
| MAWB | Master air waybill (Air waybill applied for consolidation cargo) |
| MULTIMODAL | |
| NOTIFY-ADDRESS | Address stated in the order B/L to be contacted by shipping line to advise ship’s arrival |
| NVOCC | Non Vessel Operating Common Carrier (Freight forwarder operating as shipowner without running own ships) |
| OBU | On Board Unit |
| OF LIEN | Right of lien which can be exercised only for cargo directly related to the claim |
| PART LOAD | More than 3tonne, 9cbm, less than full load |
| POD | Proof of Delivery |
| PPE | Personal protective equiptment |
| PROFILINE | As above but with a superstructure |
| QM | Quality Management |
| REFUND / REBATE | Supplementary reduction of freight charges |
| RIGID | Truck / Trailer |
| RO / RO | Roll on / Roll Off (Technology used for loading and unloading trucks and other “rolling” cargo onto and from ships |
| ROAD RAILER | Trailer train. Semi truck trailer loaded on a siding on bogie wagons and composed into full train |
| SDR | Special Drawing Rights with the IMF – fictitious money as a calculation basis (e.g. for maximal liability under CMR) |
| SHIPMENT | Multistage shipment operated by several carriers, Combined international shipment |
| SINGLE | |
| SLOT | Segment of a container ship’s cell into which a container is loaded |
| STRAPPING | Securing with straps |
| STRIPPING | Unloading cargo out of container |
| STUFFING | Loading cargo unto container |
| SURCHARGE | Amount charged to settle additional costs in shipping |
| TAUT LINER / EUROLINER | Curtain sided trailer, solid back doors, solid rack, minimal superstructure |
| TBL | Through bill of landing |
| TERMINAL | Berth at which a container ship is loaded or unloaded |
| TEU | Twenty foot equivalent unit (Measure of container’s loading capacity, converted into 20feet units) |
| T-FORM | Customs transit document |
| THC | Transport international des Marchandises par la Route (Preferential forwarding procedure for the truck haulage of bonded goods) |
| TILT | Curtain sided vehicle, usually with superstructure internally |
| TQM | Total Quality Management |
| TRAILER | Non self-propelled vehicle coupled on a motor tractor |
| TRANSIT | Passage |
| TRANSSHIPMENT | Reloading |
| ULD | Unit Load Device (Loading Unit, i.e. one pallet) |
| VAT | Value Added Tax |
| VISBY RULES | International agreement on the contract of sea carriage, stipulating, among others, conditions of liability |
| VNA | Very Narrow aisle |
| VOSA | Vehicle and operator standards agency – regulatory body in UK for commercial vehicle and operator road safety |
| WA | Wide aisle racking |
| WAIVER CLAUSE | Client’s statement to refrain from insurance coverage on cargo damages for national shipments |
| WAREHOUSE RECEIPT | Receipt issued by warehouse manager on cargo’s acceptance for storage |
| WET BOND | Safe Store for alcohol where deferment of excise duty can be performed |
| WTO | World Trade Organisation |