3rd Party Logistics (3PL)
Activities carried out by businesses in storage, distribution, and other logistics operations through outsourcing.
4th Party Logistics (4PL)
Activities carried out by businesses in logistics organization and management through outsourcing. 4PL service providers generally manage the entire supply chain on behalf of the manufacturer or service provider.
Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR)
European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road.
Aden Gulf Surcharge (AGS)
Additional fee for the risk of passing through the Gulf of Aden.
Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV)
Driverless robots programmed to move between different production and warehouse stations, using automated vehicles such as carts, pallets, or trays. These systems are used to increase efficiency, reduce product damage, and lower overall costs by limiting the number of employees required to complete a task.
AS-RS
Automated storage and retrieval systems consisting of various computer-controlled mechanisms to automatically place and retrieve loads from defined storage locations.
Actual Time of Arrival (ATA)
The actual time of arrival.
ATA Carnet
A document that enables the temporary export and import of goods.
Actual Time of Departure (ATD)
The actual time of departure.
Air Waybill (AWB)
Air transport bill of lading.
Bill of Lading (B/L)
Sea transport bill of lading.
Business to Business (B2B)
Trade between companies.
Business to Consumer (B2C)
Trade directed at the final consumer.
Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF)
Additional charges demanded by carriers due to fluctuations in fuel prices.
Barcode
Barcode number.
Break-bulk
Cargo that must be loaded separately, not in intermodal containers or in bulk form like oil or grain. Vessels carrying such cargo are called general cargo ships.
Currency Adjustment Factor (CAF)
Additional charges demanded by carriers due to fluctuations in currency exchange rates.
Cubic Meter (CBM)
The volume of a cube with 1-meter sides (m³).
Certificate of Origin
Document of origin.
Cost and Freight (CFR)
Freight is paid by the shipper, insurance by the buyer.
Chargeable Weight / Freight Measurement
Freight calculated on the basis of chargeable weight, according to the occupied space.
Cost, Insurance, and Freight (CIF)
Freight and insurance are paid by the shipper.
Carriage and Insurance Paid to (CIP)
Goods delivered to the carrier with freight, insurance, and export customs procedures paid.
International Consignment Note (CMR)
Legally binding document for international road freight.
Cash on Delivery (COD)
Payment upon delivery, also called “collect on delivery,” with no invoice possible.
Change of Destination (COD)
Change of the agreed delivery address.
Consignee
Receiver.
Consignor
Sender/Shipper – the party from whom the goods are shipped.
Control Tower
Expert groups managing and improving the supply chain and product flow smoothly for businesses.
Conversion Key
Table of measurement units used for conversions between unit systems.
Carriage Paid To (CPT)
Delivered to the carrier with freight paid.
Cross Docking
Goods from suppliers are sent to dispatch points within a certain time frame without being stored in a warehouse.
Delivered at Place (DAP)
Delivered to the buyer excluding taxes and duties.
Delivered at Terminal (DAT)
Delivered to the buyer’s terminal.
Delivered Duty Paid (DDP)
Delivered to the buyer with all duties paid.
Deep Sea
Intercontinental sea freight.
Demurrage
Fee charged when equipment is held beyond the free period.
Detention
Fee for late return of a container (container rental).
Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR)
Regulations for the transport of dangerous goods by air.
Dry Bulk Cargo
Unpackaged bulk cargo such as sand, grain, etc.
Bulk Cargo
Goods transported in large quantities without packaging, e.g., crude oil, grain, coal, or gravel, in liquid, solid, or granular form.
European Article Number (EAN)
European barcode code.
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
Electronic data exchange between applications.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
Enterprise Resource Planning – integrated management of core business processes, often in real time, mediated by software and technology.
Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA)
Estimated arrival time.
Estimated Time of Departure (ETD)
Estimated departure time.
EUR-1 Certificate
EUR-1 European Free Circulation Certificate.
Ex Works (EXW)
An international trade term stating that the seller makes goods available at a specified location and the buyer bears transport costs.
Free Alongside Ship (FAS)
Delivery alongside the ship.
Free Carrier (FCA)
Delivered at the specified place, to the buyer’s carrier.
Full Container Load (FCL)
Full container load.
Feeder Vessel
Vessels operating between transshipment ports.
Forty-foot Equivalent Unit (FEU / FFU)
40-foot container equivalent unit.
Free On Board (FOB)
Delivered on board the ship; freight is paid by the buyer.
Fuel Surcharge (FSC)
Additional charges demanded by carriers in case of fuel price increases.
Full Truck Load (FTL)
Truck fully loaded with goods.
GSP Certificate
Generalized System of Preferences Certificate (Form A for preferential origin under GSP).
House Air Waybill (HAWB)
House air waybill.
Hazardous Material (HAZMAT)
Dangerous goods – air transport.
House Bill of Lading (HBL)
House sea bill of lading.
International Air Transport Association (IATA)
International Air Transport Association.
Information on Delivery (IOD)
Delivery information.
Less than Container Load (LCL)
Partial container load.
Lo-Lo (Lift On/Lift Off)
Cargo loading/unloading by crane.
Master Air Waybill (MAWB)
Master air waybill.
Master Bill of Lading (MBL)
Master sea bill of lading.
Reefer Container
Refrigerated container.
Ro-Ro Vessel
Roll-on/roll-off vessel used for wheeled cargo.
Supply Chain Management (SCM)
The management of goods and services flow, including storage and transportation of raw materials, work-in-progress inventory, and finished goods from point of origin to consumption. Networks of interconnected businesses come together to deliver products and services to end customers.
Sulphur Emission Control Area (SECA)
Emission control areas for sea freight.
In some geographic areas, maritime transport is subject to specific emission restrictions. Shipping companies in these regions must use fuels with lower sulphur emissions than conventional fuels. The additional cost is charged to the freight buyer as a SECA surcharge.
Shipper
Consignor/Sender.
Short Sea Shipping
Short-distance maritime transport.
Service Level Agreement (SLA)
Agreement regarding delivery times and service levels.
Security Surcharge (SSC)
Additional charges demanded by carriers against security risks.