Glossary for transport & freight forwarding - common concepts & terms

Glossary Transport & Freight Forwarding A-Z

• ADR

  A regulatory framework for the transportation of dangerous goods by road within Europe. Includes requirements for labeling, documentation, and training.

• Air Freight

  Transport of goods by air - used for fast and international deliveries.

• Cabotage

  Transport within a country by a foreign transport company - regulated by EU legislation.

• Cargo

  Goods being transported - can be general cargo, bulk, container or special cargo.

• Carrier

  The company performing the actual transport - e.g. a trucking company, an airlines, or shipping line.

• Carrier Management

  The strategic management of relationships with carriers - including contracts, performance monitoring, and compliance.

• CFS (Container Freight Station)

  A terminal where goods are consolidated or deconsolidated for container transport. 

• CMR

  Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road - regulates liability and conditions between consignor and carrier.

• CO₂ footprint

  The amount of carbon emissions generated by a transport – used to measure climate impact.

• Consignee

  The party receiving the goods - responsible for receiving and making any claims.

• Consignor

  The party sending the goods – responsible for correct documentation and packaging.

• Cross Trade

  Transport where neither the sender nor the receiver is located in the country where the transport takes place.

• Customer Portal

  Web interface where the customer can book shipping, track shipments, and access documents.

• Customs Invoice

  A document used for export to declare the value and content of the goods.

• Delivery Terms

  Agreed terms for how and when goods are delivered – often based on Incoterms.

• DHL / UPS / FedEx

  Examples of global transport and courier companies offering express deliveries. 

• EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)

  Digital exchange of information between systems – e.g., booking, tracking, and invoicing.

• Environmental Certification

  For example, ISO 14001 - shows that a company works systematically with environmental issues.

• Export

  Shipping goods to another country – requires customs clearance and export documentation.

• FCL (Full Container Load)

  Container transportation where an entire container is booked by one shipper.

• Freight

  Transpor of goods from one location to another - can be by road, air, rail, or sea.

• Freight Analysis

  Review of actual freight costs versus contracted rates – used to identify discrepancies and savings opportunities.

• Freight Forwarding

  A service where a forwarder organizes and books transport – including documentation and customs clearance. 

• Freight Procurement

  The process where a company compares and selects carriers based on price, quality, and capacity.

• General cargo

  Goods transported as individual units - e.g. pallets, boxes, or machinery.

• Green Logistics

  Logistics solutions focused on the environment and sustainability - e.g. fossil-free transports and energy-efficient vehicles.

• Import

  Bringing goods into a country – requires customs clearance and import documentation.

• Incoterms

  International commercial terms defining responsibilities, costs, and risks between buyer and seller.

• Intermodal Transport

  Transport combining several modes - e.g. train and truck.

• JIT (Just In Time)

  A transport strategy where deliveries are made exactly when they are needed - minimizing inventory requirements.

• LCL (Less than Container Load)

  Container transport where goods share space with other shipments

• Load Carriers

  A unit used to transport goods – e.g., pallet, container, box. 

• Load Planning

  Optimising how goods are placed in vehicles to maximise capacity and safety.

• Logistics System

  Digital systems that manage transport booking, tracking, invoicing, and documentation.

• Overload

  When a vehicle is loaded beyond the allowed weight – can lead to fines and safety risks.

• Parcel

  A smaller shipment - often handled by courier or postal services.

• Rail Freight

  Transport of goods by rail – environmentally friendly and efficient for long distances.

• Return Transport

  Transport of goods back to the sender - e.g. for returns or recycling.

• Road Freight

  Transportation of goods by truck - the most common mode of transport fordomestic distribution.

• Route Optimization

  Planning transport routes to minimize distance, time, and emissions.

• Sea Freight

  Transport of goods by ship – cost-effective for large volumes and long distances.

• Single Point of Contact (SPOC)

  A dedicated contact person or function at the logistics partner responsible for handling all transport-related communication.

• TA system

  A system for managing bookings, labels, freight documents, and tracking – often integrated with ERP systems. 

• TMS (Transport Management System)

  A system for planning, booking, and monitoring transports – often integrated with ERP. 

• Tracking

  Real-time tracking of goods - shows where the shipment is located.

• Transport Booking

  Booking freight via systems or manually - often an outsourced service.

• Transport Optimization

  Analysis and improvement of transport flows to reduce costs, lead times, and environmental impact.

• Waybill

  A document containing information about the goods, the consignor, the consignee, and the transport conditions.