Glossary

A positive indication or determination that a product or service has met the requirements of a relevant specification, contract, or regulation.

The recipient of the goods being transported. The receiver of a freight shipment. In the vernacular, the buyer.

The delivery of goods to a carrier to be shipped. Also, a supplier placing goods at a customer location without receiving payment until the goods are used or sold.

A type of inventory where the goods or products are paid for when they are sold by the reseller or vendor, not at the time they are shipped to the reseller or vendor.

The originator of a shipment of goods. The sender of a freight shipment, usually the seller. In the vernacular, the shipper.

For freight, combining two or more shipments in order to realize lower transportation rates.

Location where consolidation takes place.

A company that groups shipments, orders, and/or goods to facilitate movement. They combine multiple orders into one shipment to provide cost savings.

A bill of lading from a consolidator for the receipt of merchandise that will be grouped with cargo obtained from other shippers.

An obstacle or planned control that limits throughput or the utilization of capacity.

A government official appointed to reside in a foreign country and represent his or her government's commercial interests there and assist its citizens.

Formal statement made to the consul of a country describing goods to be shipped to the consul’s country and for which approval must be obtained before shipment.

Specific forms signed by the consul of a country to which cargo is destined.

A document used by some foreign countries to certify information about a shipment of goods such as the consignor, consignee, and value of the shipment.

A database focused on information about a retailer’s individual consumers and used primarily for marketing and promotion.

A document used in international trade to declare goods that have been consumed. It is also used to calculate the duty owed.

Weatherproof metal box, usually 20 or 40 feet long and designed for shipping freight via chassis, rail, and vessel; stackable, and generally for overseas shipments.

See Container.

See Chassis.

When the scheduled time to deliver is not met and the container will be delivered late. Causes can vary from port congestion to carrier issues to weather problems.

Facility where empty containers are stored. May be operated by the shipping line that owns the containers, a freight forwarder, or a third party logistics provider.

A facility, usually near a shipping point (such as a port), where freight shipments are consolidated or de-consolidated and staged between transport legs.

The charge assessed for services performed, such as consolidation or deconsolidation, at the freight station.

A steamship-line service where cargo is transported between CFS's and containers may be stuffed, stripped, or consolidated. Usually used for LCL shipments.

See Container Number.