Glossary of Shipping Terms

A
acceptance letter of credit	A letter of credit that requires presentation of a time draft drawn by the bearer upon the issuing bank or another bank.
act of God	A violent act of nature such as lightning, flood, earthquake, or hurricane that man can neither cause nor prevent.
ad valorem duty	A duty calculated on the basis of value. Usually a percentage of the value.
advised credit	A letter of credit whose terms and conditions have been notified to the beneficiary by an advising bank on behalf of the issuing bank. The advising bank does not thereby commit itself to pay or guarantee the payment of the letter of credit.
advising bank	A correspondent of a bank that issues a letter of credit and, on behalf of the issuing bank, notifies the beneficiary of the terms of the credit without engagement on its part to pay or guarantee the credit.
aft	In, toward, or close to the stern (rear) of a vessel or the rear of an aircraft or spacecraft.
air cargo	Property of any kind, excluding passenger baggage and mail, that is transported by aircraft.
air express	Expedited air freight service.
air parcel post	Parcels shipped through the mails to be transported by air.
airway bill	The shipping document used for the transportation of air freight, which includes: conditions, limitations of liability, shipping instructions, description of commodity, and applicable transportation charges. It is similar to a straight non-negotiable bill of lading and is used for similar purposes.
all-cargo aircraft	Aircraft used for the sole purpose of transporting cargo or mail.
amidships	The area of an ocean vessel midway between the bow (the front) and the stern (the rear). When the term applies to an airplane, it is midway between the nose and the tail.
antidumping duties	Additional duties assessed on imported goods sold to an importing country at a price that is less than fair value, (fair value usually defined as the price on the exporting country's domestic market or to third countries) and are found to cause or threaten material injury to industry of the importing country.
any quantity	A cargo freight rate that applies to an article without regard to the weight or quantity shipped.
apron	1. Area of the airport where planes are parked. May be used for loading and unloading of aircraft. 2. Area along the waterside edges of a pier, not under cover, used for loading and unloading of vessels.
B
bank acceptance	A draft drawn on and accepted by a bank
bank guarantee	An indemnity letter in which the bank commits itself to pay a certain sum if a third party fails to perform or if any other form of default occurs. Example: Used when a bank wants a carrier to release a shipment that it has financed, but the original bills of lading is not yet available for surrender to the carrier.
bank release	A document issued by a bank that is the consignee of a shipment authorizing a carrier to deliver a shipment.
banker's draft	A draft payable on demand and drawn by, or on behalf of, a bank upon itself or upon another bank such as a foreign bank, where it maintains an account or a relationship.
bank acceptance	A draft or bill of exchange drawn upon and accepted by a bank.
bareboat charter	The charter of a vessel in which the charter party has the right to use his own master and crew on the vessel and pays all operating expenses.
barge	A flat-bottomed cargo vessel primarily used on rivers and canals usually towed or pushed, but it may be self-propelled.
barter	Trade of goods or services without money.
basing rate	A freight rate used for the sole purpose of determining other freight rates.
beneficiary	An individual or company entitled to draw or demand payment under the terms of a letter of credit.
berth	Docking space where a ship is anchored.
bill of lading	A document issued by a carrier to a shipper, listing and acknowledging receipt of goods and specifying terms of delivery.
billed weight	Designated weight shown on the freight bill used to calculate the freight charges.
blanket rate	A rate of premium for insurance applied across the board where there is more than one kind of property to be insured.
bond	1. A written agreement to perform or refrain from performing specified acts, usually guaranteed by a third party. 2. A security evidencing debt, specifying the date payment is due and usually specifying a rate of interest and its dates of periodic payment.
bond of indemnity	A bond to indemnify (insure; protect against damage, loss, or injury) the party to whom the bond is issued.
bonded (USA)	Refers to goods which are held, stored, or transported under circumstances where applicable duty or taxes have not been definitely determined or paid and admissibility has not been arranged. Bonds must be posted by those responsible for the goods during this period (the carriers, warehouses, and/or importers) to indemnify the government if the goods are released improperly.
bonded terminal (USA)	A terminal approved by Customs for temporary storage of imported goods until Customs duties are paid or goods released. Bonds must be posted by the terminal operator to indemnify the government if the goods are released improperly.
bonded warehouse (USA)	An approved private warehouse used for the storage of goods until duties or taxes are paid and the goods are properly released by Customs. Bonds must be posted by the warehouse proprietor and by the importer to indemnify the government if the goods are released improperly.
booking	Arrangements made for a shipment with representatives of a vessel or airline.
break bulk	1. Description of a ship that transports cargo carried in its hold that is usually packed in cases, bales, cartons, drums, carboys, etc. rather than in containers. 2. Unload packaged cargo from a 'break bulk ship' or from a container and distribute it.
break bulk cargo	Cargo that is shipped in packing units such as cartons, cases, crates, bales, or drums, but not containerized.
broker	One that acts as an agent for others, as in negotiating contracts, purchases, or sales in return for a fee or commission.
bulk cargo	Cargo consisting of an unpacked commodity such as grain, oil, and ore.
bulk carrier	A vessel that carries bulk cargo
bulk freight	Cargo not in packages or containers.
bunker adjustment factor	An adjustment in shipping charges to offset price fluctuations in the cost of bunker fuel.
bunker fuel	Fuel used to power a ship
bunker(s)	1. The compartment (hold) of a ship that stores fuel. 2. The fuel for a vessel
C
cargo	Freight carried by ship, an aircraft, or another vehicle.
cargo agent	An agent appointed by an airline or shipping line to solicit and process international air and ocean freight shipments.
cargo manifest	A list of cargo being transported or warehoused.
cargo tonnage	The weight of a shipment or of ship's total cargo expressed in tons.
carrier	A legal entity that is in the business of transporting passengers or goods for hire.
chargeable weight	The weight or volume of a shipment used in determining freight charges.
charter service	Temporary hiring of an aircraft or vessel for the transportation of cargo or passengers.
chartered ship	A ship leased for a stated time, voyage, or voyages.
chassis	1. A special trailer or undercarriage on which containers are moved over the road. 2. The undercarriage of a vehicle.
claused bill of lading	An added clause on a bill of lading that denotes a deficient condition of the goods or packaging, or other annotated conditions, which modifies the printed conditions on the Bill Of Lading.
clean bill of lading	A bill of lading issued by a carrier for goods delivered in "apparent good order and condition" that bears no notations or added clauses that may limit the liability of the carrier.
clearance	1. Compliance with governmental requirements that allow a carrier to berth in a port to unlade or lade cargo and passengers. 2. Compliance with customs formalities that allow goods to be imported or to be exported.
closed-end transaction	A credit transaction with a fixed amount of time for repayment.
combination aircraft	An aircraft capable of transporting both cargo and passengers on the same flight.
combined bill of lading	A bill of lading covering a shipment of goods by more than one mode of transportation.
commercial invoice	A document that details the transaction between a seller and a buyer, which provides their names and addresses, the date of the sale, a description of the goods sold, the quantity, the unit price, the terms of sale, and the total money due. If it is an invoice between a seller and buyer from different countries, it also indicates the type of currency.
commercial letter of credit	An a letter or document issued by a bank to provide credit for a customer that enables him to finance the purchase of goods or to meet other commitments.
commodity code	The system of identifying a commodity by an assigned number.
connecting carrier	A carrier that has a physical connection with another carrier or forms a connecting link between two or more carriers.
consignee	The person or firm named in a freight contract to whom goods have been shipped or turned over for care.
consignor	An entity that ships goods to another. The consignor on a bill of lading is the shipper.
consolidated container	A shipping container that contains cargo from various shippers for delivery to various consignees.
consolidation	The combining of smaller shipments into a single shipment.
consular invoice	An invoice for a shipment of goods that is certified by the counsel of the country for which the merchandise is destined and which may require a special form and be subject to special fees.
contract carrier	Excluding common carriers, any person who under contract will transport passengers or goods for an agreed compensation.
customs	1. A duty or tax imposed on imported and, less commonly, exported goods. 2. The governmental agency authorized to collect custom duties/taxes. 3. Procedure for inspecting goods and baggage entering a country.
D
dangerous goods	Goods that can pose a health or safety risk.
date draft	A draft which matures after a specified number of days from the date it is issued.
deadweight	1. The maximum weight that a ship can carry so that it settles in the water to its Plimsoll mark; also measurable by the weight of the water the vessel displaces when fully loaded less the displacement when it was unloaded. 2. Cargo of such high density that a long ton (2240 lbs.) can be stowed in less than 70 cubic feet.
deck cargo	Cargo shipped on the deck of a vessel rather than in its hold.
declared value for carriage	The value of goods declared to the carrier by the shipper for the purposes of determining charges and establishing the liability of the carrier.
declared value for customs	The value of a shipment according to the customs laws of the destination country that is required to be declared by the shipper on the shipping documents or by the importer when he presents the goods for customs clearance.
deferred air freight	Less urgent freight that can be delivered on later flights more convenient for the airline at lower tariffs.
deferred payment letter of credit	A letter of credit that allows the buyer to take possession of goods by agreeing to pay the issuing bank or the confirming bank at a fixed future date.
delivery order	A document from the consignee, shipper, or owner of freight ordering the release of freight to another party.
demurrage	1. In international transportation, a charge for the failure to remove cargo from a terminal within the allowed free time. Also, a charge for failure to load or unload a ship within the allowed period. 2. (USA) In domestic transportation, a penalty charge against users for use of carriers' equipment beyond the allowed free time.
destination	The place to which a shipment or person is going.
discharging	Unloading cargo from a carrier or contents from a container.
dock	1. Loading or unloading platform at an industrial location or carrier terminal. 2. A ship's berth or wharf.
dock receipt	A receipt issued by a vessel agent that certifies that goods have been received.
domestic exports	Exports of goods which were grown, produced, mined, or manufactured in the country from which exported.
door-to-door	Shipping service from shipper's door to consignee's door.
drayage	The charge made for hauling freight via carts, drays, or trucks.
dry cargo	Cargo of solid, dry material, not liquid or gas. Usually, the term excludes cargo requiring special temperature controls.
dumping	The sale of goods in a foreign country at less than" fair value" (a price lower than that at which it is sold within the exporting country or to third countries), which materially injures, or threatens to materially injure, that industry in the foreign country.
dunnage	Materials placed around cargo to prevent shifting or damage while in transit.
duty	Government tax levied on the import or export of goods. The U.S. Constitution forbids the levying of taxes by the U.S. on exports. However, most foreign governments do not have this restriction.
E
embargo	Government prohibition of exports or imports with respect to specific products or specific foreign countries.
en route	Goods, passengers, or vessels in transit.
entrepot	A storage facility (often in an intermediate country) where goods are kept and distributed.
entrepot trade	The import and export of goods that receive no further processing but are distributed from the entrepot facility, which is usually chosen for its location and lack of restrictions on trade.
entry documents	Documents required to complete customs entry so as to secure the release of imported merchandise.
ETA	Estimated time of arrival.
ETD	Estimated time of departure.
Ex Factory	A sale term where the title to goods passes from the vendor to the buyer when they leave the vendor's dock, as does the liability for loss or damage and the expenses of shipment. Is still widely used, but is being replaced by the Incoterm EXW (Ex Works). See Incoterms.
excise tax	Internal tax on the manufacture, sale, or consumption of goods, licenses to pursue certain occupations, and corporate privileges.
expedited	Accelerating the movement of shipments through regular channels.
export	To send or transport goods abroad.
export declaration (USA)	The Shipper's Export Declaration is a required customs document for exportation of goods from the United States, which provides statistics and facilitates control where applicable.
export duty	A tax imposed by a nation on their exports.
export license	A license issued to exporters by a government to permit them to export goods to other countries. Such goods may be of strategic importance, or simply in short supply, or are controlled to comply with foreign agreements.
exporter	An individual or company that ships goods from one country to another in the course of trade.
exporter identification number (USA)	An identification number assigned to exporters of goods from the United States, which is required on the Shipper's Export Declaration for all shipments from the USA..
F
feeder vessel	1. A short-sea vessel that is part of a cargo network that transfers cargo from smaller ports to major ports where larger vessels dock. This spares larger vessels the expense and loss of time loading and unloading at smaller ports.
FEU	Forty foot equivalent units of shipping containers; two 20 ft containers = 1 FEU.
flag	A reference to the country of registry of a vessel.
force majeure	Superior or overpowering force or unexpected or uncontrollable event, which cannot be avoided by the exercise of due care and is included in contracts to excuse parties from performance when such events occur.
foreign bond	An international bond, usually denominated in the currency of the country where it is issued.
foreign flag	The national identification of a carrier registered in a foreign country. A vessel flies the national flag of the country in which it is registered, which may not be the country of the carrier's owner.
free in and out (FIO)	A pricing term indicating that the vessel operator is responsible for the cost of loading and unloading.
free market	A market with unrestricted trading of goods, where the prices of goods are determined by supply and demand. Internationally, an unrestricted movement of goods, unhampered by the existence of tariffs or other trade barriers.
free time	That length of time that a carrier's equipment can be used without incurring additional charges. (See Storage, Demurrage, or Per Diem.)
free zone	A designated area at a port or city where goods may be received and held without the payment of duty.
freight	1. Goods transported by a commercial carrier. 2. Charge for transporting goods.
freight forwarder	A business that acts as an agent on behalf of a shipper. A freight forwarder frequently prepares necessary documents and makes all the arrangements to ship the goods.
G
gateway	A location at which freight moving from one territory to another is interchanged between transportation lines.
GBL	Government Bill of Lading.
general cargo vessels	A vessel that carries break-bulk cargo such as bags, cartons, cases, crates and drums, either individually or in unitized or palletized loads.
go-down (Far East)	A warehouse where goods are stored and delivered.
GRI	General Rate Increase. An across-the-board tariff increase implemented by conference members and applied to base rates.
gross tonnage	Applies only to vessel (0.2+0.02 log₁₀V) where V is the volume in cubic meters of all enclosed spaces on the vessel.
gross weight	Total weight of goods prepared for shipping, including packaging and freight car or container.
groupage	A consolidation service that ships small freight in one container.
H
Hague Rules, The	A multilateral, maritime treaty adopted in 1921 at The Hague, Netherlands, which standardizes liability of an international carrier under the Ocean Bill of Lading and establishes a legal basis for the bill of lading.
Harbor Fees	Amount charged vessels to use a harbor.
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS)	An international goods-classification system for describing cargo in international trade under a single commodity-coding scheme. For more information, go to http://www.usitc.gov/taffairs.htm
hazardous materials	A substance or material that has been determined to be capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported in commerce.
HAZMAT	The Office of Hazardous Materials Safety, which is within the United States Department of Transportation's Research and Special Programs Administration and is responsible for coordinating a national safety program for the transportation of hazardous materials by air, rail, highway, and water. For more information, go to http://hazmat.dot.gov/.
heavy lift (HL)	Any article deemed by rules in a vessel's tariff to be beyond a certain weight. It may be too heavy for the ship's tackle and require special equipment such as a floating crane.
heavy lift charge	In a maritime tariff, a charge made for lifting heavy articles to load or unload them.
heavy lift vessel	A vessel with heavy lift cranes and other equipment designated to be self-sustaining in the handling of heavy cargo.
HTSUS	See Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.
I
IATA	International Air Transport Association
import	To bring or carry in goods from abroad for trade or sale.
import duty (ID)	Custom duty collected on imported goods.
import license (I/L)	An authorization by a legal authority for the importation of goods which are subject to restriction.
import restrictions	Any one of a series of tariff and non-tariff barriers imposed by an importing nation to control the volume of goods coming into the country from other countries.
importer	An individual, firm or legal entity that brings goods, or causes goods to be brought from a foreign country into a customs territory.
in bond (USA)	A procedure under which goods are transported, stored, or handled, prior to clearance and release by customs, and the government's interest is secured by indemnity bonds.
in bond shipment	An import or export shipment that has not been cleared by Customs and is transported, stored, or handled with security to the government provided by indemnity bonds.
Incoterms	An abbreviation of International Commercial Terms. Incoterms are published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). It is a set of rules for the interpretation of the most commonly used trade terms in foreign trade in which parties to a contract can agree upon to avoid misunderstandings, disputes and litigation.
inherent vice	The inherent physical properties of goods which may cause them to suffer deterioration or damage without outside influence. (For example: spontaneous combustion, rust etc.)
inland bill of lading	A bill of lading used in transporting goods overland.
inland carrier	A transportation line which hauls cargo inland by: truck, rail, barge, inland waterways, or domestic airline flights.
inspection certificate	A document describing the condition of goods and confirming that they have been inspected.
intermodal compatibility	The physical capability of a shipment of goods to be transported from one form of transportation to another.
intermodal transport	Coordinated transport of freight using multiple methods of transportation.
J
jettison	Casting overboard at sea such as jetsam (cargo or equipment thrown overboard to lighten a ship in distress).
joint rate	A single freight rate on cargo moving by means of two or more carriers who share the income.
K
knocked down	An article disassembled, unassembled, folded, or telescoped to reduce its bulk; subject to easy assembly. This is usually done to reduce the dimensions of the shipping package to save transportation and storage costs.
L
landbridge	A system of through rates and service offered by a carrier for cargo shipments from a foreign port by ocean vessel, transiting another country across land, and then again being loaded aboard an ocean vessel for delivery to the destination country. The movement across a country's land from port-to-port is the "landbridge" portion of the transportation. See also microbridge and minibridge.
lane metre	A method of measuring the space capacity of roll on/roll off (Ro Ro) ships whereby each unit of space (linear metre) is represented by an area of deck 1m in length by 2.5m in width.
lashing	To hold goods in position by the use of wires, ropes, chains, or straps.
laycan	Abbreviation for laydays canceling periods during which a ship owner must tender notice that a ship has arrived at the port of loading and is ready to load cargo.
laytime/laydays	Time given by the ship owner to allow a chartered vessel to load and discharge cargo.
less than a container load (LCL)	A container with cargos from/for different shipper/receivers (i.e., contains more than one ships cargo).
less-than-truckload	A shipment which does not completely fill a truck or which weighs less than the weight required for the application of the truck load freight rate (which is usually a lower freight rate than applied to less-than-truckload cargo.)
Letter Of Credit (L/C)	A commitment, usually by a bank on behalf of a client, to pay a beneficiary a stated amount of money under specified conditions.
lighter	A barge towed by a tugboat and used mainly in harbors and inland waterways for the transport of cargo to and from ships. Some may be self-powered.
lighter aboard ship (LASH)	Some ships are constructed to carry special barges (lighters). These barges can go to smaller docks, go into inland waterways, load cargo at those places, and then carry it back to the ship, which lifts the barges aboard, with their cargo, and transports them overseas. Discharge of cargo is accomplished in the same manner.
lighterage	The loading or unloading of a ship by means of a lighter (barge), especially when shallow waters prevent an ocean going vessel from approaching a berth, or if berths are unavailable.
liner in liner out (LILO)	Full liner terms. Qualification to a freight rate that signifies that it consists of the ocean carriage and the cost of cargo handling at the loading and discharging ports (to ship's rail) according to the custom of a particular set of ports.
Limited Liability (USA)	Limitation of Liability Act. A U.S. statute which permits a ship-owner to restrict his liability to whatever value his ship has after an event such as a sinking or collision.
line haul	The direct movement of freight between two major ports by a single ship.
line haul vessel	A vessel which is on a regularly defined schedule between ports.
linear metre	Method of measuring volume of cargo on Ro Ro vessels, in which the measurement is an estimate of the length of the cargo laid end-to-end. See lane metre.
liner terms	Conditions under which a shipping company will transport goods, including in the amount payable for freight the cost both for loading and discharge of the cargo from the vessel.
loading	Placing cargo into a truck, a shipping container, or onto a vessel.
LO/LO	Lift on/Lift off.
longshoreman	A laborer who loads and unloads ships, handles cargo and containers at shipping terminals, and loads and unloads containers at shipping terminals.
logistics	Management of transporting goods for export or import.
lower deck containers	Carrier-owned containers specially designed to fit in the cargo compartments of a wide-body aircraft. These compartments are on the lower deck of the aircraft beneath the passenger level.
M
mafi	See roll trailer.
manifest	A document listing and describing the cargo contents of a carrier, container or warehouse.
maritime	Relating to marine shipping or navigation.
megacarrier	A massive shipping line that primarily services the east/west trade.
microbridge	A system of through rates and service offered by a carrier for cargo shipments from any inland U.S. location to a port by sea, to a foreign port, and finally overland to foreign inland destination.
minibridge	The process of taking inland cargo bound for export to the coast by rail and loading it directly to a ship.
minimum charge	The lowest amount that will be charged regardless of the amount of service rendered.
N
NAFTA	North American Free Trade Agreement.
negotiable bill of lading	A bill of lading whose terms make it transferable by endorsement, which make the goods that it covers deliverable to bearer, or to the order of a named party or to the assigns.
nested	Packed one within another; for example, the way paper cups are stacked as a way of saving space.
net weight	The weight of goods without packaging. The weight of the contents of a package.
NMB	National Maritime Board.
NRT	Net registered tonnage.
NVOCC	Non-vessel owning common carrier.
O
ocean bill of lading	A receipt for the cargo and a contract for transportation issued by an ocean carrier. When issued in negotiable form, it is also an instrument of title.
on board	Notation on a bill of lading indicating that the goods have been loaded on board a named ship.
on deck bill of lading	An ocean bill of lading containing the notation that the goods have been loaded on the deck of the vessel.
open-end contract	An agreement by which the buyer may purchase an unspecified amount of goods from a seller over a certain period of time without changes in the price or the contract terms.
P
packing list	A document listing the merchandise in a particular shipment that indicates the kind and quantity in each package.
pallet	A platform, with or without sides, on which a number of packages or pieces may be loaded to facilitate handling. Usually the pallet is constructed so that it has space underneath it to permit lifting by mechanical equipment.
palletizing	The loading and securing of a number of sacks, bags, boxes or drums on a pallet base.
perishable freight	Goods subject to decay or deterioration during shipment.
pickup order	An order to a carrier to pick up freight at a location.
pier-to-pier	Shipment of cargo with carrier responsibility from origin pier to discharge pier.
piggyback	The transportation of truck trailers and containers on specially equipped railroad flat-cars.
Port	1. A place used for loading and unloading cargo or passengers of vessels. It can be within a natural harbor on a coast, a river, or within sheltered water produced by artificial jetties. 2. A place where customs officers are stationed for the collection of duties and the control of imports and exports.
port charge	A fee for services performed at ports.
port of discharge	The port at which a shipment is off loaded by a transportation line.
port of entry	A place where Customs is stationed to control the arrival of carriers, goods, and persons from foreign countries.
port of export	A place where Customs is stationed to control departures of carriers, passengers, and goods to foreign countries.
prepaid charges	1. Charges, including freight, are paid by the shipper. 2. Charges designated as prepaid are paid by the shipper with other charges to be collected from the receiver.
priority air freight	Reserved air freight or air express service where a shipment has a priority after mail and the small package services.
Q
quay	A structure attached to land to which a vessel is moored.
R
rail waybill	A document used to control the transportation of a shipment of goods via rail.
reach stacker	A container-handling truck that can stack containers and reach behind two rows of containers.
received for shipment bill of lading	A bill of lading that confirms the receipt of goods by the carrier for transportation on a particular vessel, but neither their actual loading on board the vessel nor their actual shipment.
REDS	Registered Excise Shippers and Dealers.
reefer	Refrigerated container that carries cargo that must be frozen or chilled.
reefer Container	A controlled temperature shipping container (usually refrigerated with a self-contained refrigeration unit).
Re-export	The export of imported goods without appreciable added value
reserved freight space	A service by some airlines and ship lines that allow shippers to reserve freight space on designated voyages.
restricted letter of credit	A letter of credit which restricts negotiation to the bank that the issuing bank has nominated in the credit.
road waybill	Transport document is used to control shipments of goods via truck. It contains the same information as an inland bill of lading, with freight and other charges, and routing.
roll on, roll off (RoRo)	1. Freight ship or ferry that allow vehicles to drive on and off (roll-on roll-off). 2. Carriers equipped with large openings at bow and stern and sometimes also in the side with hydraulically operated ramps providing easy access, which permits rapid loading and discharge. Fully loaded trucks or trailers carrying containers are accommodated on the deck. 3. A system of loading and discharging a ship where the cargo is driven on and off on ramps.
roll trailer	A wheeled trailer (also called mafi) used to load (or unload) cargo aboard ship, which can remain board throughout the voyage. Usually it is attached to a tugmaster, with a gooseneck.
S
seafreight	Charges for sea transport only.
shipment	1.The act of shipping of goods. 2.Goods being shipped.
shipped on deck	Goods shipped on the deck of a vessel. The bill of lading covering goods shipped on deck must be annotated to that effect.
shipper	1. A commercial transporter (consigner and receiver) of goods, also called a carrier. 2. One who tenders goods to a carrier for transportation. 3. The sender of goods to be transported as distinct from the receiver or the consignee.
shipping order	Instructions from a shipper to a carrier for the transportation of goods.
ship's manifest	Captain's statement providing details of the ship, crew, cargo, and ports of destination.
short form bill of lading	A bill of lading on which does not list the detailed conditions of transportation, but instead there is a statement which declares them to be incorporated by reference and states the place where they are available.
shortage	A deficiency in quantity shipped, stored, or received.
short shipped	Cargo not loaded and left on key, either by accident or design.
SITC	Standard International Trade Classification.
SO	Seller's option.
SOB	Shipped on board.
specific commodity rate	A favorable freight rate usually applicable to certain classes of commodities that ship in large volume shipments.
spot rate	The rate (price per unit) for purchase or sale of a commodity or foreign exchange for immediate delivery.
SSN	Standard Shipping Note.
stability	The ability of the vessel to maintain equilibrium or resume its original position after displacement, as by the sea. Also a vessel's stability taking into account the weight and position of the cargo within the vessel.
stackmaster	A pontoon with two collapsible ends.
standby letter of credit	A letter of credit that a bank issues on behalf of its customer to serve as a guarantee to the beneficiary of the letter of credit that the bank's customer will perform a specified contract with the beneficiary. If the customer defaults, the beneficiary can draw funds against the letter of credit as penalties or as payments.
starboard	Right side of a ship when facing the front or forward end.
steamship (or steamer)	Vessels powered by steam engines. However, the term is often used as an anachronism to describe powered vessels in general, and companies who operate ocean-going cargo vessels are often called "steams

Glossary of Shipping Terms

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