Freight Forwarding Terminology

Delivered At Frontier (... named place). In DAF, the seller/exporter/manufacturer clears the goods for export and is responsible for making them available to the buyer at the named point and place at the frontier, not unloaded, and not cleared for import.
In the DAF term, naming the precise point, place, and time of availability at the frontier is very important as the buyer must make arrangements to unload and secure the goods in a timely manner.
Frontier can mean any frontier including the frontier of export.
The DAF term is valid for any mode of shipment, so long as the final shipment to the named place at the frontier is by land.
The seller is not responsible for procuring and paying for insurance cover.
Example: DAF Laredo, Texas. Seller is in Dallas, Texas, buyer is in Mexico Ciy, Mexico. The shipment travels by truck from Dallas to the frontier at Laredo, Texas USA, where the buyer takes possession and trucks the goods to Mexico City.

All substances of an inflammable nature which are liable to spontaneous combustion either in themselves or when stowed adjacent to other substances and, when mixed with air, are liable to generate explosive gases or produce suffocation or poisoning or tainting of foodstuffs. See also DANGEROUS LIQUIDS, HAZARDOUS GOODS, HAZCHEM.

A form required to be completed by an intending shipper as a notification of the intention to ship dangerous/hazardous cargo.

Liquids giving off inflammable vapors. See also DANGEROUS CARGO, HAZCHEM.

Plate affixed to a container giving details of gross and tare weights, external dimensions, owner, serial number, etc.

Two radial cranes on a ship which hold the lifeboats. They are constructed in such a way as to lower and lift the lifeboats the easiest way possible and are also unobstructed in case of an emergency.

Dummy Container Details.

Decentralized Container Park. An area to which containers are moved from a terminal and from which import containers are made available to a consignee.

Delivered Duty Paid (... named port of destination). In DDP, the seller/exporter/manufacturer clears the goods for export and is responsible for making them available to the buyer at the named place of destination, cleared for import, but not unloaded from the transport vehicle.
The seller, therefore, assumes all responsibilities for delivering the goods to the named place of destination, including all responsibility for import clearance, duties, and other costs payable upon import.
The DDP term can be used for any mode of transport.
All forms of payment are used in DDP transactions.
The DDP term is used when the named place of destination (point of delivery) is other than the seaport or airport.

Delivered Duty Unaid (... named port of destination). In DDU, the seller/exporter/manufacturer clears the goods for export and is responsible for making them available to the buyer at the named place of destination, not cleared for import.
The seller, therefore, assumes all responsibilities for delivering the goods to the named place of destination, but the buyer assumes all responsibility for import clearance, duties, administrative costs, and other costs payable upon import as well as transport to the final destination.
The DDU term can be used for any mode of transport. However, if the seller and buyer desire that delivery should take place on board a sea vessel or on a quay (wharf), the DES or DEQ terms are recommended.
All forms of payment are used in DDU transactions.
The DDP term is used when the named place of destination (point of delivery) is other than the seaport or airport.

Movement of empty containers from one location to another; relocation.

Space booked by shipper or charterer on a vessel but not used.

Percentage of a ship's carrying capacity that is not utilized.

A common measure of ship carrying capacity. The number of tons (2240 lbs.) of cargo, stores and bunkers that a vessel can transport. It is the difference between the number of tons of water a vessel displaces "light" and the number of tons it displaces "when submerged to the 'deep load line'." A vessel's cargo capacity is less than its total deadweight tonnage. The difference in weight between a vessel when it is fully loaded and when it is empty (in general transportation terms, the net) measured by the water it displaces. This is the most common, and useful, measurement for shipping as it measures cargo capacity.

Cargo carried on the ship's deck. On conventional ships this cargo may not be covered to the same level of liability by the ship owner or insurance company.

The officers and seamen comprising the deck department aboard ship. Also called deck crew, deck department, or just deck.

Small superstructure on the top deck of a vessel which contains the helm and other navigational instruments.

Also called Captain's Log. A full nautical record of a ship's voyage, written up at the end of each watch by the deck officer on watch. The principal entries are: courses steered; distance run; compass variations, sea and weather conditions; ship's position, principal headlands passed; names of lookouts, and any unusual position, principal headlands passed; names of lookouts, and any unusual happenings such as fire, collision, and the like..

As distinguished from engineer officer, refers to all officers who assist the master in navigating the vessel when at sea, and supervise the handling of cargo when in port.

Seaman who works on the deck of a ship and remains in the wheelhouse attending to the orders of the duty officers during navigation and maneuvering He also comes under the direct orders of the bosun.

The traffic routes of both cargo and passenger vessels which are regularly engaged on the high seas or on long voyages.

Any bulk, bagged or other type of cargo stowed in single hold ships.

Process of blowing warm, dry air into a full container of cargo to reduce the moisture content of the air and contents in the container and to thereby minimize the possibility of condensation damage.

A document issued by a shipping company or freight forwarder authorizing delivery of cargo from its place of landing and storage.

A charge for issuing a delivery order.

Delivery charge in the country of destination.

Compensation payable for the detention of goods or equipment beyond a certain agreed time period, e.g.:
1. A fee levied by the shipping company upon the port or supplier for not loading or unloading the vessel by a specified date agreed upon by contract. Usually, assessed upon a daily basis after the deadline.
2. A fee levied by the shipping company upon the consignee for not returning a shipping container within the specified time after taking delivery.

Delivered Ex Quay (... named port of destination). In DEQ, the seller/exporter/manufacturer clears the goods for export is responsible for making them available to the buyer on the quay (warf) at the named port of destination, not cleared for import.
The buyer, therefore, assumes all responsibilities for import clearance, duties, and other costs upon import as well as transport to the final destination. This is new for Incoterms 2000.
The DEQ term is used only for shipments of goods arriving at the port of destination by ocean or inland waterway.
All forms of payment are used in DEQ transactions.

Delivered Ex Ship (... named port of destination). In DES, the seller/exporter/manufacturer clears the goods for export is responsible for making them available to the buyer on board the ship at the named port of destination, not cleared for import.
The seller is thus responsible for all costs of getting the goods to the named port of destination prior to unloading.
The DES term is used only for ocean or inland waterway transport or by multimodal transport where the final delivery is made on a vessel at the named port of destination.
All forms of payment are used in DES transactions.

Time saved, reward for quick turnaround - in dry cargo only

Final point/place to which cargo is delivered to consignee/customer.

Charge for that portion of the 'through service' applying to land delivery from the overseas destination port to the inland destination.

Where demurrage is not agreed in the charter party, or only a limited amount of demurrage is agreed, a shipowner can sometimes recover damages for detention.

Compensation payable for the detention of goods or equipment beyond a certain agreed time period.

Unpacking of containers.

Vessel departure from specified voyage course which the vessel should follow in performance of the contract of carriage.

Temperature at which air becomes saturated with water vapor and any further drop in temperature will cause water droplets to condense out.

When a ship is unable to sail efficiently or in a seaworthy state as a result of engine trouble, lack of officers or crew, damage to the hull or ship's gear.

An essential document for officers and seamen as it serves an official certificate confirming sea experience in the employment for which he was engaged.

The point from which containers are physically loaded or unloaded.

A container which, because of its type of manufacture, can be abandoned after it has made an economic journey.

Pallet which is lightly constructed (e.g.: of thin timber, fiber board or plastic) which is used for only one or two journeys. See also EXPENDABLE PALLET.

Apparatus for lifting and lowering containers consisting of four separate hydraulically operated legs placed at each bottom corner casting of the container and operated together via a central pump connected to each leg by hoses.

Various devices used to bring the level of a loading bay to the height of a container, usually on a truck or trailer.

Charterers when canceling agreement sometimes quote 'doctrine of frustration' i.e. vessel is lost, extensive delays.

Domestic shipping routes serving Alaska and non-continental U.S. States and territories.

Through transport of a consignment of goods (in a container) from consignor to consignee without any discharging or reloading of goods or change in agreement, except for any Customs control or intervention.

One set of documents which provides for the delivery of a consignment of goods from point to point, e.g.: from the consignor's source to the consignee's store.

General term for all watertight spaces contained between the outside bottom plating, the tank top and the margin plate. The double bottoms are sub-divided into a number of separate tanks which may contain boiler feed water, drinking water, fuel oil, ballast, etc.

The depth of a ship in the water. The vertical distance between the waterline and the keel, in the U.S. expressed in feet, elsewhere in meters.

Inland haulage.

Fitted with drilling rig (oil derrick with rotary drill and a mud pumping system), drilling for petroleum.

Charge made by container owner on termination of hire of a container. Often levied to discourage delivery of containers in low demand areas where the leasing company may be forced to move the containers out to a more profitable area.

Container for transporting general cargo.

Container designed for transporting dry bulk powders or particulate products.

General cargo - merchandise other than liquid carried in bulk.

Vessel which carriers all merchandise, excluding liquid in bulk.

An enclosed basin into which a ship is taken for underwater cleaning and repairing. It is fitted with water tight entrance gates which when closed permit the dock to be pumped dry.

Any dry cargo not requiring controlled temperature protection.

Locks which are inserted into the corner castings of containers and which lock into these coatings when turned.

Specially constructed ship able to carry different types of cargoes such as ore and/or oil.

Freight and/or other charges to be collected in the destination country. See also COLLECT, CCX.

Freight and/or other charges to be collected in the origin country.

A term applied to loose wood or other material used in a ship's hold or in a shipping container, not being a part of the cargo, to prevent the cargo from moving or being damaged in transit.

Deadweight tons.