Shipping Definitions
LTL (Less than Truckload)
Less than truckload shipping or less than load (LTL) is the transportation of relatively small freight.
LCL (Less than Container Load)
A term used to describe the transportation of small ocean freight shipments not requiring the full capacity of an ocean container – usually less than 20 CBM (cubic meters).
Known Shipper
Known shipper is a shipper status given by the TSA (Transportation Security Administration). A shipper must be a known shipper in order to load cargo on a passenger aircraft from the US.
Jones Act
The Jones Act is a federal law that regulates maritime commerce in the United States. The Jones Act requires goods shipped between U.S. ports to be transported on ships that are built, owned, and operated by United States citizens or permanent ...
International Roadcheck
International Roadcheck is a three-day enforcement event when CVSA-certified inspectors conduct large-scale, high-visibility roadside inspections of commercial trucks and buses and their drivers. These inspections occurred at inspection sites, weigh ...
Intensive Exam
For an intensive exam, if Customs and Border Protection (CBP) selects your container, the container will be trucked to a Centralized Examination Station (CES), where the CES will unload the container.
Inside Delivery Fee
Inside delivery is a convenient service that many shippers offer. If a loading dock is not available at your delivery site, for an additional fee, you can request inside delivery on most freight shipments. This means, the driver will carry your ...
Inherent Vice
A natural characteristic that causes some goods to be spoiled or become damaged, which cargo insurance companies will not accept as a risk.
Incoterms
Incoterms are a set of rules which define the responsibilities of sellers and buyers for the delivery of goods under sales contracts. They are published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and are widely used in commercial transactions.
Importer of Record
Common customs term - It refers to an importer, whether an entity or individual, who is responsible for ensuring that legal goods are imported in accordance with the law of the place.
ISPS Code (International Ship and Port Facility Security Code)
ISPS is a security measure established after the 9/11 attacks by the IMO (International Maritime Organization) as part of the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention. ISPS assigns responsibilities to governments, shipping companies, shipping ...
ISF (Importer Security Filing)
ISF is a US Customs and Border Protection rule that requires containerized cargo information, for security purposes, to be transmitted to the agency at least 24 hours before goods are loaded onto an ocean vessel headed to the U.S. for shipment into ...
Hazmat
HAZMAT is an abbreviation for “hazardous materials”—substances in quantities or forms that may pose a reasonable risk to health, property, or the environment. HAZMATs include such substances as toxic chemicals, fuels, nuclear waste products, and ...
Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF)
The Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF) is a fee imposed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for U.S. imports shipped via ocean freight. It is charged at 0.125% of the value of the commercial cargo shipped through identified ports.
HS / HTS Codes
HTS (Harmonized Tariff Schedule) codes are product classification codes between 8-10 digits. The Harmonized System classification is a six-digit standard, called a subheading, for classifying globally traded products. HS codes, also called HS ...
HC (High Cube) Container
High-cube containers are similar in structure to standard containers, but taller. High-cube containers are 2896 mm, or 9'6", tall.
General Order
General Order is a status provided to cargo that is being held up at Customs as a result of inadequate documentation or other issues with clearing.
General Average
It is a principle where all stakeholders share losses proportionally in the event of an emergency or danger which may require partial voluntary sacrifice in order to save the whole ship.
Gating In
Gating in for containers means checking in at the port of origin.
GRI (General Rate Increase)
A GRI (General Rate Increase) is the amount by which ocean carriers increase their base rates across specific lines, generally as a result of increased demand.
Fuel Surcharge (FSC)
A fuel surcharge is a reimbursement for the fuel expenses you incur during the delivery. It is usually added to the freight charges on either a per-mile or percentage basis.
Forklift
A forklift is a powered industrial truck used to lift and move materials over short distances.
First Sale Valuation
First sale is a valuation method to get the lowest possible entered value cost on an imported product.
Federal Maritime Commission (FMC)
The United States Federal Maritime Commission is an independent federal agency, based in Washington, D.C., responsible for the regulation of oceanborne international transportation of the U.S.
FTL (Full Truckload)
Full truckload, commonly referred to as FTL, is a type of shipping mode whereby a truck carries one dedicated shipment.
FOB (Free on Board)
FOB, "Free On Board", is a term in international commercial law specifying at what point respective obligations, costs, and risk involved in the delivery of goods shift from the seller to the buyer under the Incoterms standard published by the ...
FEU (Forty-foot Equivalent Unit)
Forty-foot equivalent alludes to containerized cargo equal to one forty-foot (40 x 8 x 8 feet) or two twenty-foot (20 x 8 x 8 feet) containers. One FEU equals about 25 metric tons or 72 cubic meters.
FDA (Food and Drug Administration)
The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices.
FCL (Full Container Load)
A standard (twenty or forty-foot) container that is loaded and unloaded under the risk and account of the shipper or consignee.
FCA (Free Carrier)
Free Carrier means that the seller fulfills his obligation to deliver when he has handed over the goods, cleared for export, into the charge of the carrier named by the buyer at the named place or point.
FBA ID
An Amazon Reference ID is a unique number used by Amazon.com to identify Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) shipments when they arrive at a warehouse. The ID can be found on the Amazon Seller Central website after creating a shipment and must be noted on ...
FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon)
With Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), you store your products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we pick, pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products.
Export License
An export license grants permission to conduct a certain type of export transaction. It is issued by the appropriate licensing agency after a careful review of the facts surrounding the given export transaction.
Export Control Classification Number (ECCN)
An Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) is a five-character alphanumeric key used in the Commerce Control List (CCL) to classify U.S.exports and determine whether an export license is needed from the Department of Commerce.
EXW (Ex Works)
When importing on Ex Works terms the buyer is responsible for the whole shipment from door to door. All costs and liabilities are with the buyer.
EORI (Economic Operator Registration and Identification)
An EORI number is a European Union registration and identification number for businesses which undertake the import or export of goods into or out of the EU.
ELD (Electronic Logging Device)
Electronic Logging Device is electronic hardware that is attached to a commercial motor vehicle engine to record driving hours.
EIN (Employer Identification Number)
The Employer Identification Number (EIN), also known as the Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) or the Federal Tax Identification Number, is a unique nine-digit number assigned by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to business entities ...
EBS (Emergency Bunker Surcharge)
Emergency Bunker Surcharge (EBS) is a last minute fee that occurs when actual market fuel prices are higher than was originally anticipated by the carriers. EBS prices vary according to fuel prices.
Duty Drawback
A refund that can be obtained when an import fee has already been paid for a good, but the good is then subsequently exported.
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