Glossary

Water carriers that transport freight between two coasts, such as between the East and West Coast ports of the U.S. (via the Panama Canal).

A private carrier hauls goods for a subsidiary and charges the subsidiary a fee. Legal if subsidiary is wholly owned or the private carrier has common carrier authority.

When two or more motor carriers work together to haul a shipment to a destination. Carriers may interchange equipment or rehandle the shipment.

A stopping point for a shipment prior to the final destination, such as a warehouse, port, or transportation hub.

A warehouse located between suppliers, manufacturing plants, and customers. Designed to provide increased customer service and reduced distribution costs.

In logistics, devices that help move materials from one place to another, such as bridge cranes, monorails, and stacker cranes.

Location where cargo is transferred between modes of transportation, usually from a ship or truck to rail or vice versa.

An intermediary logistics firm that buys intermodal capacity from railroads and trucking companies and sells intermodal services to shippers.

Moving freight using two or more transportation modes, such as truck and rail, truck and barge, or any other combination of two or more modes.

The person or business section to whom the products and services are sold or transferred are within the same business organization.

The portion of the Cost-of-Goods Sold (COGS) that is typically reported as labor and overhead, minus the costs classified as outsourced.

Water carriers that transport goods over internal, navigable rivers within a country. Vessels and barges are primarily used on inland waterways.

United Nations agency that supports cooperation in air transport including researching new air transport policies and standardizing innovations. www.icao.int

Document required by an importing country that recognizes a controlled shipment is entering the country and will be monitored to prevent unauthorized re-export.

A division of the International Chamber Of Commerce (ICC); a focal point in the fight against all types of maritime crime and malpractice. www.icc-ccs.org/icc/imb

The United Nations agency responsible for issues regarding maritime safety, security, and environmental protection. https://www.imo.org/en/

An independent, non-governmental international organization that developes standards with a membership of 167 national standards bodies. www.iso.org

The electronic communications network connecting computer networks around the world.

In the U.S., the movement of goods across state lines. The Constitution gives Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce.

A U.S. regulatory agency for transportation modes that was abolished in 1995. Its functions were transferred to the Surface Transportation Board.

In the U.S., a series of Interstate and Defense Highways, over 41,000 miles of four-lane, limited-access roads connecting major population centers.

In the U.S., the movement of goods from origin to destination within a state without crossing into another state. Regulated by state laws.

The listing of raw materials, work in process, finished goods, and supplies required for creation of a company’s goods and services.

The degree to which on-hand quantity is equivalent to the recorded stock count. Divide the on-hand number by the recorded number and multiply by 100 for the %.

All expenses related to holding unsold goods, including warehousing, labor, transportation, taxes, insurance, depreciation, shrinkage, and opportunity costs.