Industry Terminology Overview: Below is a list of trucking industry terms. The terms are broken up into 6 different sections: General Terms, Driver/Carrier Terms, Vehicle Terms, Vehicle Parts Terms, Trailer Terms, and Trailer Configuration Terms. General Terms Definitions Bill of Lading A paper document between a shipper and a carrier acknowledging (BOL, BL, B/L): the receipt of goods for transport. Usually describes the nature of the cargo; hazardous materials classification (if any); amount of cargo by weight, size, and/or number of pallets, boxes, barrels, etc; and the origin and destination of the cargo. Bobtailing: Operating a tractor unit with no trailer attached. (See Deadheading). Broker: A person or company that arranges for the truck transportation of cargo belonging to others, using for-hire carriers to provide the actual truck transportation. Bulk Cargo or Large quantities of undivided or unpackaged cargo, such as a tank Bulk Freight: trailer filled with gasoline. Cabotage: The rights of a country to control the movement of vessels and vehicles transporting goods or passengers within its borders. May refer to the transportation of cargo between two points within a country by a vehicle registered in another country. Cargo: See Freight/Commodity. Consignee: The person or entity transferring legal responsibility or ownership of the cargo (or consignment) from the carrier. (Receiver). Consignment: An agreement between a consignee and a consignor in which the goods are taken responsibility for and transported by a third party, the carrier. May also simply refer to the consigned goods (i.e., the cargo). (Shipper). Consignor: The person or entity transferring legal responsibility or ownership of the cargo (or consignment) to the carrier. Deadheading: Operating a truck with an empty trailer. Demurrage: A charge by the carrier (trains/containers/ships) for excess retention of shipping vessel, container, trailer, etc.; caused by To learn more visit hoh.fastport.com. 1 untimely unloading. Detention: A charge by the carrier (any mode) for excess retention of shipping vessel, container, trailer, etc.; caused by untimely unloading. Electronic A device hooked into the truck which transmits useful management Onboard information such as truck location, speed, and idle time. (Truckers Recorder (EOBR): hate them). Float Shifting: Shifting gears without using the clutch pedal. Also called "slip shifting" or "dead sticking". Freight: The materials or goods being transported. Hazardous Dangerous goods ~ Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise Materials potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts or especially (Haz-mat): hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under haz-mat regulations. (Truckers must be Haz-Mat Certified to haul). Intermodal: A single trailer or container that encounters multiple forms of transportation along its route, such as truck/ship/rail. Just-in-time: A method of inventory control in which warehousing is either nonexistent or kept to a minimum. The freight arrives "just in time", and only when it is needed. Log Book: A form which describes the working duties of truck drivers for each 24-hour period. Manifest: A document that describes the contents of a shipment in greater detail than a bill of lading. Commonly used as a checklist during loading/unloading. Operating Motor carriers for-hire must apply for the authority to engage in Authority: interstate commerce with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. (Common/Contract/Broker). Oversize Load: A unit of cargo that is larger than the legally defined limits for width, length, height, and/or weight; it cannot be broken down into smaller units. Pallet: A wooden (or sometimes plastic) platform on which boxes or cargo are stacked and sometimes shrink-wrapped. Usually refers to the entire palletized stack of boxes, although it can refer to the platform itself. Progressive A method of shifting gears that optimizes the power range of the Shifting: engine, which in turn optimizes fuel efficiency. To learn more visit hoh.fastport.com. 2 Receiver: Consignee, importer, or buyer (who may or may not be the same) named in the bill of lading as the party responsible for receiving a shipment. Shipper: A consignor, exporter, or seller (who may or may not be the same) named in the bill of lading as the party responsible for initiating a shipment. Shore Power: A land-based electric power supply for trucks. Eliminates the need for engine idling while parked, and in the case of IdleAire, also supplies land-based climate control within the truck cab, as well as Internet and TV access. Terminal: A dock or hub where freight originates, terminates, or is handled in the transportation process; or a location where motor carriers maintain operating facilities. Tractor: A semi-truck (powered unit) used to pull a load or semi-trailer (unpowered unit) by means of a fifth wheel mounted over the rear axle(s) in a semi-truck/semi-trailer combination. Driver/Carrier Definitions Terms Common A for-hire carrier that is obligated to serve the general public. Carrier: (Must have either common or contract authority). Company Driver: Employee of a carrier who is assigned to drive company-owned trucks. Contract A for-hire carrier contracted to one particular shipper. A contract Carrier: carrier enters into a contract whose terms are negotiated between a specific carrier and specific customer. (Authority Type). Dedicated A driver or carrier who transports cargo between regular, prescribed Route: routes. Regular route drivers usually are at home on regular intervals, given the scheduled nature of their routes. For-hire Carrier: A licensed carrier that holds itself out to hire under either a public tariff for the general public (for-hire common carrier) or under a contract filed with a specific shipper (contract carrier). For-hire carriers must apply for operating authority with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Irregular Route: See Over-the-Road. Less-than-Truck A driver or carrier who specializes in, or a load composed of many load (LTL): different types of cargo, each typically weighing less than 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg), with many different destinations. Generally To learn more visit hoh.fastport.com. 3 involves the use of terminal facilities to break and consolidate shipments. A LTL driver normally has a dedicated or regional route. Long-haul: See Over-the-Road. Motor Carrier: A person or company providing transportation of property or passengers using commercial motor vehicles. Over-the-Road A driver or carrier who transports cargo to any place at any time, (OTR): without prescribed schedules or routes. Long-Haul OTR involves being away for weeks, or months at a time, often cross-country or international (Canada and Mexico), given the unscheduled nature of their routes. Owner-Operator Self-employed independent drivers who operate privately owned or (O/O): leased trucks, as opposed to a company driver. Private Carrier: A not-for-hire carrier contracted to or owned by a shipper that does not offer services to the general public, and operates primarily to transport its own goods. Regional Route: A driver or carrier who transports cargo in a limited geographical area, usually within a certain radius of one's own home or company terminal, and may or may not maintain a schedule. Regular Route: See Dedicated Route. Team Drivers: A team of two or more drivers who ride together and drive the same truck in shifts, essentially allowing the truck to remain in motion almost constantly. Primarily used for time-sensitive freight. Truckload (TL): A driver or carrier who specializes in, or a load composed of one type of cargo, typically weighing more than 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg), with normally one destination. A truckload driver is normally an over-the-road driver with an irregular route. Vehicles Terms Definitions Big Rig: See Semi-Truck. Big Truck: See Semi-Truck. Bobtail: Either a tractor without a trailer, or a box truck. In verb form, this also refers to operating a truck without a trailer. Bob Truck: See Box Truck. Box Truck: A smaller, single-unit, non-articulated truck, usually having between 6 and 10 wheels. To learn more visit hoh.fastport.com. 4 Cab Over: A short, box-shaped tractor with no hood, and a steep vertical front. The "cab" rides "over" the engine and front steering axle. Used when a shorter wheelbase is needed. Combination A vehicle composed of two or more separate units, a tractor Vehicle: (powered unit, semi-truck) and a trailer (unpowered unit, semi-trailer). Conventional A tractor featuring a forward engine and a cab situated in front of Vehicle: the rear axle, with a conventional hood configuration. Day Cab: A truck cab without a sleeper berth. Dump Truck: Usually refers to a straight truck with a bucket-like cargo area, although it can refer to a semi-truck with a dump trailer. Eighteen-Wheele This term is derived from the number of wheels that the typical OTR r: tractor-trailer configuration has. See also semi-truck. Semi-Truck: An articulated (jointed) combination vehicle, commonly composed of a 10-wheeled tractor and an 8-wheeled trailer. Straight Truck: See Box Truck. Tractor-Trailer: See Semi-Truck. Truck Crane: A special truck (carrier) with a permanently mounted crane (upper). This design allows faster moves from site to site than conventional cranes. Vehicle Parts Definitions Terms Baffle: A partition or separator within a liquid tank, used to inhibit the flow of fluids within the tank. During acceleration, turning, and braking, a large liquid-filled tank may produce unexpected forces on the vehicle due to the inertia of liquids. Bulkhead: A strong wall-like structure placed at the front of a flatbed trailer (or on the rear of the tractor) used to protect the driver against shifting cargo during a front-end collision. May also refer to any separator within a dry or liquid trailer (also called a baffle for liquid trailers) used to partition the load.