| Term |
Definition |
| Accessorials |
Additional services, such as detention and lumper, that go beyond typical pickup and delivery |
| Anti Lock Braking System (ABS) |
A safety system that allows the wheels on a vehicle to maintain contact with the road surface according to driver inputs while braking |
| Axle Weight |
The weight on a single axle of the truck; this is regulated to prevent road damage. |
| Backhaul |
Carrying cargo on a return trip—either hauling the same or different goods back over part of the same route |
| Bill of Lading (BOL) |
A legal document between the shipper and the carrier detailing the type, quantity, and destination of the goods being carried
|
| Blind Shipment |
When the shipper and receiver are unaware of one another |
| Bobtail |
Driving a semi tractor without a trailer attached |
| Bulk Freight |
Goods that are not packaged, like grain or coal |
| Cab |
The driver's compartment of a truck |
| Chassis |
A special trailer used to transport shipping containers over the road; it has no walls or roof and is merely a frame with wheels, brakes, and necessary equipment |
| Commercial Driver's License (CDL) |
The special license required in the United States, Canada and Mexico to legally operate large or specialized vehicles, such as trucks or vehicles carrying hazardous materials |
| Consignee |
The person or place where a shipment is to be delivered |
| Consignor |
The person or place where a shipment originates—aka: the shipper |
| Container |
A standard-sized, large box used for freight shipment via different modes of transport, such as truck, rail, and sea |
| Converter Dolly |
An unpowered commercial vehicle that is designed to convert a semi-trailer into a full trailer |
| Deadhead |
Operating a truck without cargo between two locations |
| Dedicated Lane |
A regularly scheduled route for a specific shipper; it usually involves moving freight in both directions but it can also be “backhaul back” or “deadhead back” |
| Demurrage |
A fee for leaving equipment in someone else's terminal, rail yard, or port |
| Detention |
A fee for holding a truck and/or driver beyond the scheduled pickup or delivery window |
| Doubles |
Two trailers pulled by one tractor |
| Drayage |
Transport of goods over a short distance, often as part of a longer overall journey |
| Drop and Hook |
When a driver “drops” off a trailer and “hooks” to (hauls away) a different trailer |
| Dry Van |
A standard, enclosed trailer, usually 53' long or 28-1/2' long |
| ELD (Electronic Logging Devices) |
Devices used by drivers to automatically record driving time and hours of service |
| Factor |
A financial institution that buys a shipper's or broker's accounts receivable at a discount and collects the full amount |
| FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) |
The U.S. federal agency regulating the trucking industry |
| Freight Forwarder |
An individual or company that acts as an intermediary between a shipper and various transportation services |
| Fuel Surcharge |
An additional charge to cover the fluctuating cost of fuel. It's typically a percentage of the base rate |
| Hazmat |
Short for Hazardous Materials. It refers to goods that can pose a risk to health, safety, or property during transportation |
| Hotshot Loads |
Small loads that require quick delivery and can fit on a box truck, pickup truck, or trailer |
| Hours of Service (HOS) |
Regulations by FMCSA that limit when and how long truck drivers may drive and dictate required rest periods |
| IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement) |
An agreement among the 48 contiguous U.S. states and 10 Canadian provinces that simplifies the reporting of fuel use by motor carriers operating in multiple jurisdictions |
| Intermodal |
The process of moving freight using two or more modes of transportation, typically trucks, trains, and/or ships |
| Jackknife |
A dangerous scenario where a truck and its trailer fold at the connection point, resembling a folding pocket knife |
| Kingpin |
A coupling pin centered on the front underside of a truck's trailer that connects the trailer to the truck's fifth wheel and provides pivoting |
| Landing gear |
The legs that support the front of a semi-trailer when it's not attached to a tractor |
| Lane |
A term often used to refer to a specific freight shipping route between two points |
| Less than Truckload (LTL) |
A shipment that does not require the entire space of a truck. Companies that specialize in LTL make extensive use of “double” and “triple” trailer configurations |
| Linehaul |
The movement of freight over the road from one location to another, excluding pickup and delivery service |
| Logbook |
A record of a driver's hours of service. Formerly written on paper, logbooks are now kept electronically |
| Lowboy |
A type of flat bed trailer with a lowered section in the middle, which rides lower to the ground, allowing for the transport of taller/bulkier loads |
| Lumper |
A person hired to load and unload the truck, often at a warehouse or distribution center |
| Manifest |
A document listing the cargo, passengers, and crew of a ship, aircraft, or vehicle, for the use of customs and other officials |
| Owner Operator (O/O) |
A truck driver who owns and operates their own truck(s) or small trucking business |
| Payload |
The weight of the cargo being hauled |
| Power Only |
When an owner-operator or fleet provides only the tractor portion to haul someone else's trailer |
| Reefer |
A refrigerated/heated trailer used for temperature-sensitive cargo |
| Roll |
When a load is moved to the next day or a later time; the term can also refer to the movement of a truck from one place to another |
| Sleeper |
A compartment attached to the cab where drivers can rest or sleep |
| Tandem |
A set of two axles, one immediately following the other |
| TMS (Transportation Management System) |
A software platform designed to streamline and optimize the planning, execution, and monitoring of transportation operations, including shipment planning, carrier selection, freight auditing, tracking, and reporting |
| TONU (Truck Order Not Used) |
A fee charged when a carrier reserves a truck for a shipper, but the shipper cancels the load |
| Transload |
The process of transferring a shipment from one mode of transportation to another |
| Tridem |
A set of three axles, one immediately following the other (not common in US interstate commerce) |
| Triples |
Three trailers pulled by one tractor |
| Yard Goat |
A specialized yard truck designed to move trailers within a terminal or warehouse yard |
| Yard Jockey |
Person who operates a yard truck (or hostler or “yard goat”) that moves trailers within a terminal or warehouse yard |