Freight Brokerage Business. The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Читать онлайн книгу.

       Glossary

      The following is an alphabetical listing of common terminology used by freight brokers and agents. The best way to develop a true understanding of these terms is to obtain some type of specialized training as a freight broker or agent, and/or land a job that will provide you with real-world experience working within the industry.

      Accessorial charges: charges assessed by a carrier for services provided in addition to basic transportation, such as extra pickups, loading, and unloading.

      Air-ride: trailers built to reduce road shock and designed to carry fragile items; the suspension system supports the load on air-filled rubber bags rather than steel springs.

      Backhaul: the return trip of a vehicle from the destination back to the origin.

      Bill of lading: a document that serves as the contract of carriage between the shipper and the carrier.

      Bobtail: a tractor operating without a trailer.

      Bracing: securing items inside a vehicle to prevent damage.

      Break-bulk: the separation of a load into smaller shipments for delivery to ultimate consignees.

      Claim: a charge made against a carrier for loss, damage, or overcharge.

      Class rate: a rate constructed from a classification and a uniform distance system.

      Commercial zone: the area surrounding a city or town to which rates quoted for that city or town also apply.

      Common carrier: any person or agency publicly engaged in the business of transporting passengers or freight; common carriers are subject to two stringent obligations: compulsory service and liability for loss or damage to goods.

      Consignee: the receiver of a freight shipment, usually the buyer.

      Consignor: the sender of a freight shipment, usually the seller.

      Consolidation: the collection of smaller shipments to form a larger quantity to get lower transportation rates.

      Container (shipping container): standard-sized rectangular box used to transport freight by ship, rail, or motor carrier.

      Contract carrier: a company that transports freight under contract with one shipper or a limited number of shippers.

      Cost per hundredweight (cwt): an amount charged per hundred pounds of freight.

      Density: a physical characteristic of a commodity, which is important in rate-making since density affects vehicle utilization; determining density requires measuring its mass per unit per volume, or pounds per foot.

      Detention: the charge assessed by the carrier when the shipper or receiver holds a truck or trailer beyond the time allowed for loading and unloading.

      Doubles (twins, twin trailers): a tractor and two semitrailers that are connected.

      Drayage: a motor carrier that operates locally, providing pickup and delivery service.

      Driver assist: when a driver is asked to assist in the loading or unloading process; sometimes treated as an extra charge on a per-hour or flat rate.

      Driver’s log sheets: a log of miles traveled, hours of driving, off-times, and rest periods that drivers are required to keep.

      Dry van: a nonrefrigerated, noninsulated semitrailer handling general commodity freight that can withstand outside temperatures without suffering damage.

      Empty backhaul: when a truck returns empty from the destination to the point of origin and therefore does not generate return-trip revenue.

      Exclusive use: a request made by shippers that means their freight is the only freight on the truck.

      Exempt carrier: a for-hire carrier that is exempt from economic regulations.

      Expediting: determining where a shipment is during transit and attempting to speed up its delivery; many big companies have expeditors on staff who do this full time.

      Flats (or flatbeds): a flat, solidly built trailer designed to handle heavier and bulkier loads than a dry van, such as metal, equipment, and machinery.

      FOB: a term of sale that defines who is to pay transportation charges for a shipment, who is to control the movement of the shipment, or where title to the goods passes from the seller to the buyer; originally an acronym for “free on board.”

      For-hire carrier: a company that provides truck transportation of cargo belonging to others and is paid for doing so.

      Freight bill: the carrier’s invoice for transportation charges for a particular shipment.

      Freight broker: the middle person who connects shippers and carriers.

      Freight payable: technically, a freight bill that needs to be paid; in common use, it also refers to the special payables department large shippers may have that is dedicated to paying freight bills.

      Freight pool: a collection of trailer loads waiting for assignment to a driver and tractor.

      Front haul: the initial movement of the vehicle from the origin to the destination.

      Full truckload (FTL): a shipment occupying the entire trailer, typically with a weight of 30,000 pounds or more.

      Gross weight: the total weight of the goods being shipped, including packing and packaging materials.

      Hazmat: Hazardous materials, as classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); transportation of hazardous materials is strictly regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

      Incentive rate: a rate designed to encourage shippers to ship heavier volumes per shipment.

      Interline: two or more motor carriers working together to haul a shipment.

      Intermodal: combining two or more modes of transportation, such as truck and rail, truck and air, or rail and ocean.

      Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC): a federal regulatory agency that was abolished in 1995.

      Joint rate: a rate over a route that involves two or more carriers transporting the shipment.

      Just-in-time