Glossary

Glossary

Automated Commercial Environment Or ACE is a USA Customs & Border Protection (CBP) digital system developed to promote legitimate trade while boosting border security.
The electronic Advance Cargo Information are records of information needed to identify high-risk cargo prior to loading and/or arrival by WCO members.
A carrier/truck company using its own trucks/assets to do a truckload.
A safety review of a motor carrier’s records done by the Department of Transportation (DOT). The audit verifies the carrier is compliant with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSA).
Operating authority, or motor carrier authority, is a motor carrier’s right to operate as a for-hire entity with a commercial motor vehicle to transport goods via interstate commerce.
A rod that connects wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle and supports the weight of the vehicle.
The weight of the loads, gear, and supplies on a vehicle.
Insurance covering the freight being transported in case of a claim, loss, damage, etc., occurring during transit.
A company that provides local pickup and delivery.
This is a two-way radio system used to communicate traffic conditions, help requests, and conversation.
Commercial Driver’s License. Allows people to drive a truck or bus that weighs more than 26,001 pounds and is used in support of a business.
A legal demand by a shipper seeking financial compensation for loss or damages on a shipment. A claim can also be made by a trucking company to an insurance company due to a vehicle accident.
The total weight of a vehicle including its power unit, equipment, freight, trailers, fuel, etc.
The empty weight of a vehicle. Also curb weight and tare weight.
The person or company responsible for receiving the shipment and providing proof of delivery. Also commonly referred to as the receiver.
The company or person shipping the product.
The act of combining multiple less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments into a larger shipment to create a full truckload.
Blank checks you receive from your company to get cash advances when you’re on the road, or for certain truck expenses, lumpers, etc. When you need a cash advance, you tell your dispatcher how much money you need, and he gives you a code to place on the check. This is a reference number the truck stop (or wherever you’re getting the cash advance) uses to verify that the check is good.
A fuel card you’re issued by your company for you to use for fuel, oil etc. Also, can be used to receive cash advances.
The abbreviation for Electronic Logging Device, which is an automatic device that monitors and logs a moving truck. Also used for tracking the location of the cargo and the truck. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has mandated that all trucks have an ELD installed and always operating during their hours of service.
Electronic Document Interchange. An electronic system for sharing transportation-related documents like bills of lading.
Electric On-Board Recorder. A device that records information about a truck’s trip.
Estimated time of arrival
A computerized system to keep track of their hours of service and miles. The carrier and dispatcher have instant access to this information, which improves their ability to schedule drivers appropriately. The federal government has mandated the use of E-Logs over traditional hand-written logs.
A specialized segment of transportation for time-sensitive shipments. These loads are typically hauled by dedicated carriers and team drivers.
When a factoring company advances the payment of open invoices to truck companies, usually within 24 hours. Factoring increases cash flow more quickly than standard payment terms.
Refers to a shipper’s or receiver’s priority in the order of arriving trucks to be loaded or unloaded. FCFS is based solely on the order in which they make it to the location.
The way tractors and trailers are connected. The fifth wheel accepts a trailer’s kingpin and supports the front end of the trailer.
When the driver unloads the cargo by himself.
An open trailer used for carrying construction materials and equipment and other objects of unusual size and shape.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Regulates the US commercial trucking industry that prevents commercial vehicle-related injuries and fatalities through safety regulations and information systems.
When the company dispatcher assigns a load, customer and delivery time to a driver and the driver must take the load or suffer consequences (such as being forced to wait around several hours or another day for another load, or even being fired).
The universal term describing any items transported by airplane, ship, rail, or commercial vehicle.
Also known as freight invoices. The final bills sent by the carrier to the shipper for the transportation services provided. These may include different or additional services that weren’t on the original load tender.
Similar to a freight broker, a forwarder facilitates the shipping of goods but typically for international freight and can be held responsible for claims.
An added payment to the carrier to accommodate current fuel prices. The Energy Information Administration (within the U.S. Department of Energy) publishes the Average Fuel Index each week, which helps companies establish how much they will add in fuel surcharge on top of shipping rates.
The use of a dry van, flatbed, or reefer truck to move a full load of freight. Multiple smaller loads can be consolidated to create a full truckload.
The manufacturer’s rating of how much weight an axle can carry.
The total weight of an entire loaded vehicle including truck, trailer, and cargo.
A device that regulates the truck’s top speed. Large fleets use these to ensure their drivers stay within guidelines to improve fuel efficiency and safety.
The total weight of a vehicle and everything on it.
How much the manufacturer approves the vehicle to carry.
Hazardous materials.
A barrier behind the truck cab designed to protect the driver from behind in the case of a load shifting forward from the trailer.
FMCSA safety regulations governing how long and when drivers may be on duty and driving.
Pickup and delivery.
PAPS numbers are for shipments crossing into the U.S. on a truck at either the northern or southern border. PAPS stands for pre-arrival processing system. All shipments that require pre-arrival clearance are required to have a PAPS number.
Pre-Arrival Review System (PARS) in trucking is a system that allows carriers and trucking companies to submit electronic data about their cross-border shipments to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) before the goods arrive at the Canadian border.
Cargo weight.
A document allowing permission for carriers to transport freight that exceeds standard or legal weight and size limits.
Used to connect doubles and triples.
The location where a load is picked up.
A facility located at an international or state border requiring some drivers to stop and show paperwork.
A fleet that specializes in carrying goods for its own company.
A wireless communication system that carriers use to keep in touch with drivers. It’s like a combination of GPS, email, and text messaging. The system helps the company keep track of its trucks and it helps drivers know the status of their next load and the weather.
A legally binding document confirming the agreed-upon rate and total cost of service between a shipper and carrier, usually issued by the shipper or broker.
Two drivers start out in two different origin points several hours apart with loaded trucks. They meet in the middle, exchange cargo and return to their points of origin.
Refrigerated trailer that has a temperature control in the front and insulated walls. It’s like driving a giant freezer. These are usually used for perishable food items.
Helps the brakes slow down the vehicle. Also, Jakebrake.
A trailer made to travel on both road and rail.
Often seen on a steep grade, these are wide, soft areas a truck can pull into to slow down when its brakes lose power.
Visit a nearby weigh station and check the total weight of the trailer.
A person or company who is usually the supplier or owner of the goods shipped, also called consignor.
The weight of a truck not including the liquids like fuel and coolant.
Another term for a pallet that holds freight for being loaded onto a trailer.
A space to sleep behind the truck’s cab.
When two drivers work together so one can sleep while the other one drives, allowing freight to move as fast as possible while staying within federal hours of service regulations.
A fifth wheel that can move back and forth to change weight distribution among axles.
A unique 2-4 letter code used for identifying transportation and trucking companies.
A one-piece truck with the cargo area attached to the chassis, as opposed to a tractor-trailer combination vehicle.
A written agreement to guarantee compliance or payment of debt if a borrower defaults.
An enclosed trailer used to haul bulk commodities like concrete mix, gasoline, and oil.
When two drivers work together so one can sleep while the other one drives, allowing freight to move as fast as possible while staying within federal hours of service regulations.
A company that serves as an intermediary between companies needing shipping services and motor carriers, often used interchangeably with freight brokerages.
Truckload. A full trailer-load of freight.
A trucking company that carries a single shipper’s freight on one truckload.
A load that will return a driver back to their home city or near the company’s home terminal.
Sleeping compartment behind the cab.
A document explaining the agreement between a shipper and carrier. This document is usually signed by all parties as proof of completion, and includes information like commodity, weight, pick-up and delivery dates, etc.
A blind shipment is when the consignee involved in a shipment is unaware of who the shipper is. This type of shipment is requested by distributors who want their goods shipped directly to the retailer to avoid going through additional distribution channels.
Tractor operating without a trailer. Also, a deadhead.
A bridge protection formula used by federal and state governments to regulate the amount of weight that can be put on each of a vehicle’s axles, and how far apart the axles must be.
Freight that is shipped in large volumes without being packaged, like sand, gasoline, steel, etc.
Shipping Container. One giant box, about 20 or 40 feet long that will fit in ships’ holds and can also be carried by rail or truck. Some containers are lighter and longer and are only used in rail and road transportation.
A trailer designed to carry containers.
A company that carries freight for a small number of customers under contract.
Cents per Mile. The per-mile rate at which drivers are paid.
Carriers with combined annual interstate and intrastate revenues of $10 million+.
Carriers with combined annual interstate and intrastate revenues between $3 million and $10 million.
Carriers with combined annual interstate and intrastate revenues less than $3 million.
A truck with no cargo.
The amount of value a shipment is declared to have by the shipper or owner of the freight.
A lane of freight that typically runs on a specified schedule at regular intervals, with the same products and parties involved. Dedicated lanes are highly sought after by drivers, as they are essentially guaranteed, scheduled income.
Most shippers and receivers have a 2-hour window to load or unload a truck. Any time after that window is considered detention time. During detention, a driver must wait over the allotted time to be loaded or unloaded, which can cause them to miss other pick-ups and cut into profits.
Someone employed by a carrier or trucking company that acts as the intermediary party between drivers and shippers to coordinate loads, and sometimes manage other back-office tasks.
The license granted to carriers by the Department of Transportation. This is not the same as an MC number.
The detailed record of a driver’s day of work, divided into four sections: driving, on-duty not driving, off-duty and sleeper berth. Most logs are now kept electronically.
The mechanics that deliver the power created from the engine to the drive wheels on a vehicle.
Extra pay for additional pickup or delivery stops.
The term for when a driver drops an empty trailer at a shipper’s loading yard and picks up a pre-loaded trailer. This keeps drivers from having to wait while the trailer is loaded.
A combination of a truck and two trailers.
The common type of trailer used for hauling general freight that has no climate control needs.
Carrying freight a short distance as part of a longer trip. For example, a tractor picking up freight from a rail yard and carrying it 50 miles to its destination.
A shipment that has not yet cleared customs from being imported or exported.
A contract between two companies negotiating the switch of a trailer to pick up and deliver shipments. This is most common along border towns between countries.
The term for shipments that require more than one type of transportation mode, such as ship and truck, truck and rail, etc.
An agreement among U.S. and Canadian jurisdictions created to simplify tax calculations for interstate and international carriers.
Shipments that travel between multiple states.
Shipments that pick up and deliver in the same state.
When the tractor and trailer are at a sharp angle to one another.
The art of getting goods to a customer extremely close to the time he needs to sell it. This keeps the seller’s costs low by reducing inventory.
An axle’s wheels pivot around a kingpin.
Connects the truck to the trailer.
Supports to hold up the front end of a trailer when it is not attached to a tractor.
The term for a driver being detained overnight or for a 12 – 24-hour period during pick up, loading, delivery, etc. of a shipment. Layovers typically involve fees.
A vehicle longer than a double trailer, like a triple.
A company or person that pays money to use someone else’s property.
A company or person that owns the property someone else is paying to use.
An extra axle that can be lowered and put into use for a heavier load so that the vehicle can meet federal and local weight standards.
An insurance policy that protects people and entities from being held.
Also known as a freight matching service or freight board, a load board is an online marketplace that allows shippers and brokers to connect with carriers to move their freight. Load boards give truckers the opportunity to find work quickly. Example: DAT, Loadlink, Truckstop
A telescoping bar used to secure cargo and prevent shifting in a van trailer.
Belts made of canvas that are used to secure a load onto the deck of a trailer.
The official offer extended to a carrier by a broker/shipper. These documents typically include information about scheduling, the equipment required, the commodity being moved and any other special instructions. Same as Rate Confirmations.
Delivering within yours or customer’s operating areas and within a 100-mile radius.
A truck driver’s book for recording hours and activities during a 24-hour period.
The art and science of getting people and materials where they need to be when they need to be there.
Driving long distances.
A flatbed trailer with a low deck used for carrying taller materials like construction equipment.
Less-Than-Truckload. Carrying less cargo than a full truckload weight for a customer. This includes shipping one package or half of a truckload.
A company that specializes in combining smaller shipments for multiple customers on one truck.
A lumper fee is a fee you pay if the delivery site uses third-party workers to help load or unload your truck. You’ll find lumper services at food warehousing companies and other high-volume distribution centers.
An identifying license granted to carriers by the FMCSA.
When there is more product delivered than was ordered.
Trucker who owns or leases and operates his own truck(s).
Over-the-Road. Long-haul trucking, as opposed to local or regional.
A system established in 2005 for streamlining the process of commercial carrier registration for interstate transportation.
Part of the connection between the tractor and trailer, it carries weight from the trailer, and houses the kingpin, which connects to the fifth wheel of the tractor.
The US Department of Transportation, a federal agency responsible for regulating federal transportation.
Vehicle Identification Number. The manufacturer gives a unique VIN to every vehicle.
The process of storing goods in a warehouse.
A document issued by a carrier to list important details regarding a shipment.
A way to measure the weight of a vehicle as it rolls through a station, instead of making it come to a complete stop.
A form given by the Payee to its customer to withdraw payment as a foreign-based entity and without a Tax Identification Number.
A tractor that moves trailers around a warehouse or distribution center.
The fee a vehicle must pay to use a particular section of highway.
TONU stands for Truck Order Not Used and can happen when a trucker is prepared to pick up a load, or even at the location for pick-up, and the order is canceled last minute. A TONU fee is the charge that the shipper pays for the cancellation.
A truck that is made to pull a trailer.
A truck and trailer together.
A firm that specializes in handling cross-border transactions.
A system used to track shipments, tender loads, communicate with shippers and drivers, etc.