The logistics dictionary

In quality management, when a continuing series of lots is considered, AQL represents a quality level that, for the purposes of sampling inspection within a Fulfillment center, is the limit of a satisfactory process average. Disclaimer Our content is not […]

ADR is the name of the European treaty regarding dangerous goods. The treaty contains regulations for traffic regarding packaging, securing of loads, and labelling of dangerous goods. ADR is an abbreviation for “Accord européen relatif au Transport international des marchandises […]

An ASN (Advanced Shipping Notice) is a notification to the warehouse that there is a pending inbound shipment. Disclaimer Our content is not in any way legal advice or binding. The information provided by might not be the official legal […]

An airway bill or AWB is a document that accompanies goods shipped by an international courier, which allow for tracking, mostly used in Shipping via Air. It serves as a receipt of goods by an airline, as well as a contract […]

Hand Carry moves small packages and documents on scheduled passenger flights. These are available around the clock, 7 days a week, 365 days per year. It is one of the fastest modes of cargo Transportation and is also known as […]

An airline unit or Unit Load Device (ULD) is an airfreight pallet or an airfreight container which is used to hold loose Freight to be shipped via airfreight.Airline units are used to protect your goods in transit and to speed […]

An Arrival Notice is also referred to as a delivery notice. This is a message, usually automated, where the carrier notifies the appropriate party that the shipment has arrived. Disclaimer Our content is not in any way legal advice or […]

The actual time of arrival, or ATA, is the exact time a given form of Transportation arrives at its intended destination. As opposed to the ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival), the ATA is the time that the flight, train, bus, cruise, or […]

Actual Time of Departure is the time when a given form of Transportation is actually departing. In logistics, ATD can also mean the point in time when a shipment is dispatched. The counterpart to this is ATA (Actual Time of […]

An ATR 1 certificate is a Customs document that can be used when trading between EU countries and Turkey. The EU has an Customs agreement with Turkey that says that most goods can be imported without duties. Goods need to […]

Designed for the Transport of cars by road. Common Load 10-20 tonnes. An autohauler or car hauler, also known as a car-carrying trailer, car carrier trailer, or auto Transport trailer, is a type of trailer or semi-trailer designed to efficiently […]

An automated guided vehicle or automatic guided vehicle (AGV), also called autonomous mobile robot (AMR), is a portable computer-controlled materials handling system robot that follows along marked long lines or wires on the floor, or uses radio waves, vision cameras, magnets, or lasers for navigation. They are most […]

An automated Storage/Retrieval System (AS/RS) is a high-density rack inventory storage system with unmanned vehicles automatically loading and unloading products to/from the racks. Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) are typically used in applications where:There is a very high volume […]

An Autorack, also known as an “auto carrier” (also called “car transporter” outside the US), is a specialized piece of railroad rolling stock (railwagon) used to transport automobiles and light trucks. Autoracks are used to Transport new vehicles from factories to automotive distributors, and to Transport passengers’ vehicles in car shuttles and motorail services, such […]

Available to Promis (ATP) relates to the uncommitted portion of a company’s inventory and planned production maintained in the master schedule to support customer-order promising. The ATP quantity is the uncommitted inventory balance in the first period and is normally […]

Business-to-business dealings, where one business buys materials from another business. Disclaimer Our content is not in any way legal advice or binding. The information provided by might not be the official legal or full definition. Also when pursuing a specific […]

Business-to-customer dealings, where a final customer buys from a business Disclaimer Our content is not in any way legal advice or binding. The information provided by might not be the official legal or full definition. Also when pursuing a specific […]

A Barge is a long flat-bottomed boat for carrying Freight on canals and rivers, either under its own power or towed by another. Disclaimer Our content is not in any way legal advice or binding. The information provided by might […]

A bill of lading is a contract between you, the owner of the goods, and the carrier stating what goods you’re shipping, where the shipment is coming from and where it’s headed. It also serves as a receipt issued by […]

A Binding Tariff Information (BTI), is a written decision on the Commodity Code for a specific product. You can use the BTI when you import or export goods to or from all EU Member States. This ensures a uniform tariff […]

A bogie bolster wagon is a British railway term for a wagon designed to carry long thin cargoes such as timber or rails and other steel sections. The sides and ends are minimal and there is no roof. The load is carried […]

A bogie in the UK, or a railroad truck, wheel truck, or simply truck in North America, is a structure underneath a railway vehicle (wagon, coach or locomotive) to which axles (and, hence, wheels) are attached through bearings. In Indian English, bogie may also refer to an entire railway carriage. In South Africa, the term bogie is […]

A bill of materials (BOM) include all the assemblies and parts required to construct a finished item ready to be shipped. It also incorporates the packaging materials required to send the product to the customer. In essence a BOM is […]

A railroad car or wagon that is enclosed and generally used to carry freight. The Boxcars (also called Covered (goods) Van / Louvre / Covered wagon), while not the simplest Freight car design, is probably the most versatile since it […]

Break-bulk/general cargo consists of goods transported, stowed and handled piecemeal to some degree, typically bundled somehow in unit loads for hoisting, either with cargo nets, slings, or crates, or stacked on trays, pallets or skids. Furthermore, batches of break-bulk goods […]

A bulk carrier or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to Transport unpackaged bulk cargo, such as grains, coal, ore, steel coils and cement, in its cargo holds. The term “dry bulk carrier” is used to distinguish bulk carriers from bulk liquid carriers such as oil, chemical, or liquefied petroleum gas carriers. […]

Bulk goods are goods  such as coal, grains, oil, or chemicals that are not packaged in any type of container and are stored, transported, and sold in large quantities Disclaimer Our content is not in any way legal advice or binding. The information provided by might not be the official legal or full definition. Also when pursuing […]

Bundling enables you to sell more and decrease marketing and distribution costs. Instead of marketing every product you can group complementary products together and market them as a single product. By packaging different items together you only need one warehouse bin […]

A cargo Manifest is a consolidated list of all the cargo that is on board a cargo vessel. The list of all cargo carried on the vessel will appear under the vessel name and identification marks of the vessel. It […]

A Carnet or ATA Carnet (pronounced kar-nay) is an international customs and temporary export-import document. It is used to clear customs in 87 countries and territories without paying duties and import taxes on merchandise that will be re-exported within 12 months*.  Carnets are also known as […]

Circumstances in which carriers are liable for damage to your stock. Often carriers limit the liability for an individual shipment, as well as for the total sum of shipments under one client account. Watch out for this to ensure that […]

Carrier onboard delivery is the use of an aircraft to ferry personnel, mail, supplies, and high-priority cargo and/or goods. This service is also called Hand Carry. Disclaimer Our content is not in any way legal advice or binding. The information […]

The Transport of perishable goods by air increases constantly with growing consumer demand for healthy products all year round. The most important aspects of air Transportation of perishables are time and temperature management to prevent food loss. The aviation industry […]

CEIV Lithium Battery (CEIV LiBa) is a certification program designed to enable shippers and Freight forwarders of lithium battery products to meet their safety obligation by complying with the applicable Transport regulations. Lithium batteries have become the preferred energy source […]

Animal Transportation by air is considered to be the most humane and expedient method of Transportation over long distances. However, it doesn’t come without its challenges which are due to the very specific requirements that supply chain stakeholders need to […]

The Transportation of temperature controlled and time-sensitive products, including vaccines, must meet pharmaceutical manufacturers’ requirements. IATA is taking a leading role in supporting aviation’s compliance efforts through its CEIV Pharma program. Building a network of certified pharmaceutical trade lanes that […]

A CEIV trade lane is a general classification of any transport-related activities between two defined countries. A trade lane is CEIV Pharma, CEIV Live Animals, CEIV Fresh or CEIV Lithium Battery certified if the origin and destination is being linked […]

A Center beam Flatwagon / car are railwagons used to carry lumber and other building supplies. Disclaimer Our content is not in any way legal advice or binding. The information provided by might not be the official legal or full […]

A certificate of conformity, or CoC, (also called Type Approval) is issued by an authorized party (sometimes the manufacturer, sometimes an independent laboratory such as ABS, TÜV, UL, CSA, KIWA) and states that the product meets the required standards or specification. Compliance […]

Certificates of insurance (COIs) are documents containing all the essential details of an insurance policy in an easily digestible, standardized format. COI is intended to prove a policy’s status, provide quick access to its coverage details, reduce exposure to risk, and […]

A Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin (MCO), also known as a Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin (MSO), is a specified document certifying the country of origin of the merchandise required by certain foreign countries for tariff purposes. It sometimes requires the signature of the consulate of the country to which it is destined. Specifically […]

A Certificate of Origin (CO) is an important international trade document that certifies that goods in a particular export shipment are wholly obtained, produced, manufactured or processed in a particular country. They declare the ‘nationality’ of the product and also […]

The Certification of Origin Form A is a type of Certificate of Origin. The CO allows imports from the countries included in the GSP (General System of Preferences) to qualify for the elimination or reduction of tariffs as this system […]

CFR, Cost and Freight (insert named port of destination) is an IncoTerm which is restricted to goods transported by sea or inland waterway (barge). The seller is bears the responsibility for the costs and risks when bringing the goods to […]

Charter or Chartering, implies to rent a vehicle, especially an aircraft, for a special use and not as part of a regular service. A Charter is often dedicated rent for a certain purpose. Disclaimer Our content is not in any […]

CIF, Cost Insurance and Freight (insert named port of destination) is an IncoTerm whereby the use of this IncoTerm is restricted to goods transported by sea or inland waterway. The IncoTerm Cost, Insurance and Freight is very similar to Cost […]

Do you Transport goods abroad by train? Then you’ll need a Convention Internationale concernant le Transport des Marchandises par Chemin de Fer (CIM-freight note) or Internationale Spoor Vrachtbrief (International Railroad Freightnote, ISV). The document consists of 5 copies: one for […]

CIP, Carriage and Insurance Paid To (insert place of destination) is an IncoTerm which is roughly the same as CPT, Carriage Paid To, except for the fact that the seller is also obligated to arrange and pay a (minimum coverage) […]

CMNI means The Budapest Convention on the contract for the carriage of goods by inland waterways (Budapest, 22 June 2001).” The convention is intended to harmonise contractual and navigational standards on inland waterways in European countries. This Transport document is used when […]

A CMR Transport document or consignment note, constitutes a proof of the contract of carriage by road, determines the scope and responsibility for the operation performed and identifies the parties involved and the goods being transported. Its use implies adherence […]