Freight Dictionary

Final Mile Delivery closes the gap between transportation hubs and your customer’s door.

It’s the last leg in the delivery process, ensuring goods land safely at their destination.

This phase of the delivery process is crucial as it directly affects customer satisfaction due to its impact on delivery speed and the condition of the goods upon arrival.

Final mile delivery can be challenging due to factors like traffic, delivery precision, and the need for additional services such as installation or setup.

A flatbed trailer is a semi-trailer with a flat deck with no sides or roof.

These versatile trailers can carry various types of cargo, such as lumber, construction materials, and heavy machinery.

They are instrumental in construction, agriculture, and manufacturing, where large and bulky items must be transported frequently.

Flatcars serve a straightforward yet critical role in freight transportation.

They consist of a flat, horizontal deck mounted on wheels, making them versatile carriers for goods.

These railroad cars are engineered to transport dimensional loads — items too tall, wide, long, or heavy for standard rail cars.

Flatcars handle everything from hefty construction machinery and military equipment to specialized aircraft parts.

Their design allows for the efficient use of space and secure cargo transportation across vast distances.

The beauty of flatcars lies in their simplicity and versatility — a true backbone in the freight transportation world.

Forklifts: Forklifts are gas-powered vehicles used for handling larger and heavier freight during full truckload shipments, typically capable of lifting loads up to 4,000 pounds.

Freight Bill: A freight bill is the carrier’s invoice detailing the payment required for transportation services rendered.

A freight broker connects companies with shipping needs to transportation services, ensuring smooth negotiations and interactions between shippers and carriers.

Freight brokers do not own any trucks or ships; their expertise lies in selecting the best carrier for each shipment’s specific requirements.

Their primary responsibilities include negotiating reasonable rates, arranging transportation, and tracking shipments.

With in-depth knowledge of shipping regulations and an extensive network of carriers, freight brokers can secure deals at lower costs than businesses might obtain independently.

Freight capacity talks about the most significant load of goods a transport can carry.

Freight capacity utilization compares the actual weight of the goods and the maximum weight that can be carried in one trip.

It’s all about fitting as much as possible into trucks, ships, or trains without exceeding limits.

By doing this well, companies save money and move things faster.

For business owners who ship goods, getting this right can make a big difference in how well things run and how much they cost.

A freight claim is when you ask a carrier to pay you back because your shipped items got lost, damaged, showed up late, or cost too much.

If you send products and they break, you use a claim to get some money back.

There are two main types of damage claims: visible damage, which you see immediately, and concealed damage, found after opening the box.

Claims aren’t always about damage; sometimes, things get lost or arrive late.

Freight Class: Freight class is a standardized measurement determined by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) that categorizes shipments based on factors like density, stow-ability, handling, and liability. It ensures consistent pricing across different LTL carriers and businesses.

Freight diversion happens when goods need to change their planned path or end place while on their way.

It might occur because a shipper decides to send the cargo to a different receiver or due to unforeseen events that make the original route impossible.

This process can lead to extra fees for the additional miles covered.

This shift impacts cargo carriers’ management of loads, enforcing contracts, and adjusting real-time schedules.

Freight Payables: Freight payables refer to freight bills that need to be paid to carriers for their transportation services.

Fronthaul: Fronthaul, from the carrier’s perspective, represents the total weight of a loaded truck, which includes the combined weight of goods, fuel, packaging, pallets, tractor, and trailer.

A Full Truckload (FTL) is a shipping method in which a single shipment fills an entire truck or trailer.

This method is used when the truckload shipment is too big to be combined with other smaller shipments, known as Less Than Truckload (LTL).

Typically, these FTL trucks are about 53 feet long and can carry 20,000 pounds.

This means FTL makes the most of cargo space and cuts down on handling.