Anchorage: Port charge relating to a vessel moored at approved anchorage site in a harbor.

Apron: The area immediately in front of or behind a wharf shed on which cargo is lifted. On
the "front apron," cargo is unloaded from or loaded onto a ship. Behind the shed, cargo
moves over the "rear apron" into and out of railroad cars.

Backhaul: To haul a shipment back over part of a route which it has already traveled; a
marine transportation carrier’s return movement of cargo, usually opposite from the
direction of its primary cargo distribution.

Barge: A large, flat-bottomed boat used to carry cargo from a port to shallow-draft
waterways. Barges have no locomotion and are pushed by towboats. A single, standard
barge can hold 1,500 tons of cargo or as much as either 15 railroad cars or 60 trucks can
carry. A barge is 200 feet long, 35 feet wide and has a draft of 9 feet. Barges carry dry bulk
(grain, coal, lumber, gravel, etc.) and liquid bulk (petroleum, vegetable oils, molasses, etc.).

Berth: (verb) To bring a ship to a berth. (noun) The wharf space at which a ship docks. A
wharf may have two or three berths, depending on the length of incoming ships.

Bill of lading: A contract between a shipper and carrier listing the terms for moving freight
between specified points.

Board of Commissioners: The members of the governing board of a port authority are

called commissioners. Members of a Board of Commissioners can be elected or appointed
and usually serve for several years.

Bollard: A line-securing device on a wharf around which mooring and berthing lines are
fastened.

Bonded warehouse: A building designated by U.S. Customs authorities for storage of goods
without payment of duties to Customs until goods are removed.

Box: Slang term for a container.

Breakbulk cargo: Non-containerized general cargo stored in boxes, bales, pallets or other

units to be loaded onto or discharged from ships or other forms of transportation. (See
also: bulk and container.) Examples include iron, steel, machinery, linerboard and
woodpulp.

Bulk cargo: Loose cargo (dry or liquid) that is loaded (shoveled, scooped, forked,
mechanically conveyed or pumped) in volume directly into a ship’s hold; e.g., grain, coal and
oil.

Bulkhead: A structure used to protect against shifting cargo and/or to separate the load.

Buoys: Floats that warn of hazards such as rocks or shallow ground, to help ships maneuver
through unfamiliar harbors.
Cabotage: Shipment of cargo between a nation’s ports is also called coastwise trade. The
U.S. and some other countries require such trade to be carried on domestic ships only.

Capacity: The available space for, or ability to handle, freight.

Captive cargo port: When most of a port’s inbound cargoes are being shipped short
distances and most of its export products come from nearby areas, the port is called a
captive cargo port. (Contrast with a transit port.)

Cargo: The freight (goods, products) carried by a ship, barge, train, truck or plane.

Carrier: An individual, partnership or corporation engaged in the business of transporting

goods or passengers (See also: ocean carrier.)

Cartage: Originally the process of transporting by cart. Today, the term is used for trucking
or trucking fees.

Chandlers: Like a hotel at sea, a ship needs many supplies to operate and serve its crew--
groceries; paper products; engine parts; electronics; hardware; etc. A chandler sells these
supplies to the ship’s agent. Originally, chandlers (candle makers) provided illumination to
ships. Over time they expanded the variety of products they could provide to ships.

Channels of distribution: The routes by which products are transported from origin to

destination. This includes the physical routes, as well as the different companies involved in
ultimately delivering the goods to buyers.

Checkers: See clerks.

Chock: A piece of wood or other material put next to cargo to prevent it from shifting.

Civil service: Some U.S., state, city and parish government jobs are protected under civil
service systems which are designed to provide a degree of security to employees and to
deter nepotism, political patronage and arbitrary treatment of workers.

Clerks: When cargo is unloaded from a ship, a clerk checks the actual count of the goods
(number of boxes, drums, bundles, pipes, etc.) versus the amount listed on the ship’s
manifest. He will note shortages, overages or damage. This is used to make claims if needed.

Common carrier: Trucking, railroad or barge lines that are licensed to transport goods or
people nationwide are called common carriers.

Conference rate: Rates arrived at by conference of carriers applicable to water

transportation.

Consignment: A shipment of goods. The buyer of this shipment is called the consignee; the

seller of the goods is called the consignor.
Consolidated Freight Station or Container Freight Station (CFS)- Location on terminal
grounds where stuffing and stripping of containers is conducted.

Consolidator: The person or firm that consolidates (combines) cargo from a number of

shippers into a container that will deliver the goods to several buyers.

Container: A box made of aluminum, steel or fiberglass used to transport cargo by ship, rail,
truck or barge. Common dimensions are 20' x 8’ x 8' (called a TEU or twenty-foot equivalent
unit) or 40' x 8' x 8', called an FEU. Variations are collapsible containers, tank containers (for
liquids) and "rag tops" (open-topped containers covered by a tarpaulin for cargo that sticks
above the top of a closed box). In the container industry, containers are usually simply
called boxes.

Container freight station: The facility for stuffing and stripping a container of its cargo,
especially for movement by railroad.

Container chassis: A piece of equipment specifically designed for the movement of

containers by highway to and from container terminals.

Container crane: Usually, a rail-mounted gantry crane located on a wharf for the purpose of
loading and unloading containers on vessels.

container terminal: A specialized facility where ocean container vessels dock to discharge
and load containers, equipped with cranes with a safe lifting capacity of 35-40 tons, with
booms having an outreach of up to 120 feet in order to reach the outside cells of vessels.
Most such cranes operate on rail tracks and have articulating rail trucks on each of their four
legs, enabling them to traverse along the terminal and work various bays on the vessel and
for more than one crane to work a single vessel simultaneously. Most terminals have direct
rail access and container storage areas, and are served by highway carriers.

Containerization: The technique of using a container to store, protect and handle cargo

while it is in transit. This shipping method has both greatly expedited the speed at which
cargo is moved from origin to destination and lowered shipping costs.

Container on Flat Car (COFC)- A container placed directly on a railroad flatcar without
chassis.

Contraband: Goods prohibited in trade (such as weapons going to Iran, anything to Cuba).

Smuggled goods.

Corps of Engineers: This department of the U. S. Army is responsible for flood protection

and providing safe navigation channels. The Corps builds and maintains the levees, flood
walls and spillways that keep major rivers out of low lying communities. The Corps is vital to
keeping navigation channels open by dredging sand, silt and gravel that accumulate on river
and harbor bottoms.

Craft: A boat, ship or airplane.

Customs: A duty or tax on imported goods. These fees are a major bonus to the economy. In
1999, for example, the U. S. Customs Department collected over $22 billion in fees
nationally, which went into the U.S. Treasury. The Customs Department also works to
prevent the importation of illegal drugs and contraband.

Customs broker: This person prepares the needed documentation for importing goods (just
as a freight forwarder does for exports). The broker is licensed by the Treasury Department
to clear goods through U.S. Customs. Performs duties related to documentation, cargo
clearance, coordination of inland and ocean transportation, dockside inspection of cargo,
etc. (Also known as a customhouse broker.)

Dead Weight Tonnage (DWT): Maximum weight of a vessel including the vessel, cargo and
ballast.

Deadhead: When a truck returning from a delivery has no return freight on the back haul, it
is said to be in deadhead.

Deck barge: Transports heavy or oversize cargoes mounted to its top deck instead of inside
a hold. Machinery, appliances, project cargoes and even recreational vehicles move on deck
barges.

Demurrage: A penalty fee assessed when cargo isn’t moved off a wharf before the free time
allowance ends.

Dock: (verb) - To bring in a vessel to tie up at a wharf berth. (One parks a car, but docks a
ship.) (noun) - A dock is a structure built along, or at an angle from, a navigable waterway so
that vessels may lie alongside to receive or discharge cargo. Sometimes, the whole wharf is
informally called a dock.

Dockage: A charge by a port authority for the length of water frontage used by a vessel tied
up at a wharf.

Draft: The depth of a loaded vessel in the water taken from the level of the waterline to the
lowest point of the hull of the vessel; depth of water, or distance between the bottom of the
ship and waterline.

Drayage: Transport by truck for short distances; e.g. from wharf to warehouse..

Dredge: (noun) A waterborne machine that removes unwanted silt accumulations from the
bottom of a waterway. (verb) The process of removing sediment from harbor or river
bottoms for safety purposes and to allow for deeper vessels.

Dry bulk: Minerals or grains stored in loose piles moving without mark or count.

Examples are potash, industrial sands, wheat, soybeans and peanuts.

Dunnage: Wood or other material used in stowing ship cargo to prevent its movement.
Duty: A government tax on imported merchandise.

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI): The exchange of information through an electronic

format. Electronic commerce has been under intensive development in the transportation
industry to achieve a competitive advantage in international markets.

elevator: A complex including storage facilities, computerized loading; inspection rooms and
docks to load and unload dry bulk cargo such as grain or green coffee.

export packers: Firms that securely pack export products into a container to crate to protect
the cargo from damage during an ocean voyage.

feeder service: Ocean transport system involving use of centralized ports to assemble and
disseminate cargo to and from ports within a geographic area. Commodities are transported
between major ports, then transferred to feeder vessels for further transport to a number
of additional ports.

fender piles: The wooden or plastic pilings on the outer edge of the wharf function like the
fenders on a car. They are there to absorb the shock of a ship as it docks at the wharf and to
protect the structural pilings that actually support the wharf. Fender piles are also called
sacrifice piles since they are designed to be discarded after they are broken.

fleeting: The area at which barges, towboats and tugs are berthed until needed. The
operation of building or dismantling barge tows.

Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) - Known in some countries as a free zone, a foreign trade zone
(FTZ) is a site within the USA (in or near a U.S. Customs port of entry) where foreign and
domestic goods are held until they ready to be released into international commerce. If the
final product is imported into the U.S., duties and taxes are not due until the goods are
release into the U.S. market. Merchandise may enter a FTZ without a formal Customs entry
or the payment of Customs duties or government excise taxes. In the zone, goods may be:
stored; tested; sampled; repackaged or relabeled; cleaned; combined with other products;
repaired or assembled, etc.

freight: Merchandise hauled by transportation lines.

freight forwarder: An individual or company that prepares the documentation and

coordinates the movement and storage of export cargoes. See also Customs house broker.

gantry crane: Track-mounted, shoreside crane utilized in the loading and unloading of

breakbulk cargo, containers and heavy lift cargo.

general cargo: Consists of both containerized and breakbulk goods, in contrast to bulk

cargo. See: breakbulk, container, bulk, dry bulk). General cargo operations produce more
jobs than bulk handling.

Grain elevator: Facility at which bulk grain is unloaded, weighed, cleaned, blended and
exported.
gross tonnage: The sum of container, breakbulk and bulk tonnage.

harbor: A port of haven where ships may anchor.

heavy hauler: A truck equipped to transport unusually heavy cargoes (steel slabs,
bulldozers, transformers, boats, heavy machinery, etc.)

heavy lift: Very heavy cargoes that require specialized equipment to move the products to
and from ship/truck/rail/barge and terminals. This "heavy lift" machinery may be installed
aboard a ship designed just for such transport. Shore cranes, floating cranes and lift trucks
may also adapted for such heavy lifts.

Home port: Port from which a cruise ship loads passengers and begins its itinerary, and to
which it returns to disembark passengers upon conclusion of voyage. Sometimes referred to
as "embarkation port" and "turn around port."

hopper car: A freight car used for handling dry bulks, with an openable top and one or more
openings on the bottom through which the cargo is dumped.

Hostler (or hustler): A tractor, usually unlicensed, for moving containers within a yard. An
employees who drives a tractor for the purpose of moving cargo within a container yard.

interchange: Point of entry/exit for trucks delivering and picking up containerized cargo.

Point where pickups and deposits of containers in storage area or yard are assigned.

I.L.A. - International Longshoremen’s Association, which operates on the East and Gulf
Coasts. See labor unions and longshoremen.

I.L.W.U.- International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which operates on the West Coast.
See labor unions and longshoremen.

intermodal shipment: When more than one mode of transportation is used to ship cargo
from origin to destination, it is called intermodal transportation. For example, boxes of hot
sauce from Louisiana are stuffed into metal boxes called containers at the factory. That
container is put onto a truck chassis (or a railroad flat car) and moved to a port. There the
container is lifted off the vehicle and lifted onto a ship. At the receiving port, the process is
reversed. Intermodal transportation uses few laborers and speeds up the delivery time.

IMX: This is transportation shorthand for intermodal exchange. In an IMX yard, containers

can be lifted from truck chassis to rail intermodal cars or vice versa.

ISO: International Organization for Standardization. Worldwide organization formed to

promote development of standards to facilitate the international carriage and exchange of
goods and services. Governs construction specifications for ISO containers.

JIT: The abbreviation for "just in time," which is a way to minimize warehousing costs by
having cargo shipped to arrive just in time for its use. This inventory control method
depends on extremely reliable transportation.
labor union: An organization of workers formed to serve members’ collective interests with
regard to wages and working conditions. The maritime unions within ports can include locals
of the larger union, such as the General Longshore Workers; Clerks and Checkers; Sack-
sewers, Sweepers, Water boys and Coopers; Dock Loaders and Unloaders of Freight Cars
and Barges; Dray Clerks, Weighers and Samplers; plus the Seafarer’s International Union;
the National Maritime Union; the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association and the
Teamsters. Some laborers don’t belong to a union.

landlord port: At a landlord port, the port authority builds the wharves, which it then rents
or leases to a terminal operator (usually a stevedoring company). The operator invests in
cargo-handling equipment (forklifts, cranes, etc), hires longshore laborers to operate such
lift machinery and negotiates contracts with ocean carriers (steamship services) to handle
the unloading and loading of ship cargoes. (See also: operating port.)

LASH: These 900-foot-long ships carry small barges inside the vessel. LASH stands for Lighter
Aboard Ship. Just as cargo is transported by barge from the shallower parts of the
Mississippi River to the Port of New Orleans for export aboard ocean-going ships, LASH
barges are lifted into these unusual ships. Overseas, the ship can discharge clusters of
barges in the open waters. Then several towboats will assemble the barges into tows bound
for various ports and inland waterways, without the ship having to spend time traveling to
each port.

launch service: Companies that offer "water-taxi" service to ships at anchor.

LCL: The acronym for "less than container load." It refers to a partial container load that is
usually consolidated with other goods to fill a container.

Length Overall (LOA): Linear measurement of a vessel from bow to stern.

Lift On-Lift Off (LO/LO): Cargo handling technique involving transfer of commodities to and
from the ship using shoreside cranes or ship's gear.

LTL: Means a shipment that is "less than truckload". Cargoes from different sources are
usually consolidated to save costs.

long ton: A long ton equals 2240 pounds.

longshoremen: Dock workers who load and unload ships, or perform administrative tasks
associated with the loading or unloading of cargo. They may or may not be members of
labor unions. Longshore gangs are hired by stevedoring firms to work the ships.
Longshoremen are also called stevedores.

manifest: The ship captain’s list of individual goods that make up the ship’s cargo.

marine surveyor: Person who inspects a ship hull or its cargo for damage or quality.

master: The officer in charge of the ship. "Captain" is a courtesy title often given to a
master.
maritime: (adjective) Located on or near the sea. Commerce or navigation by sea. The
maritime industry includes people working for transportation (ship, rail, truck and
towboat/barge) companies, freight forwarders and customs brokers; stevedoring
companies; labor unions; chandlers; warehouses; ship building and repair firms;
importers/exporters; pilot associations, etc.

marshaling yard: This is a container parking lot, or any open area where containers are
stored in a precise order according to the ship loading plan. Containers terminals may use a
grounded or wheeled layout. If the cargo box is placed directly on the ground, it is called a
grounded operation. If the box is on a chassis/trailer, it is a wheeled operation.

mean low water (MLW): Lowest average level water reaches on an outgoing tide.

mean high water (MHW): Highest average level water reaches on an outgoing tide.

mooring dolphin: A cluster of pilings to which a boat or barge ties up.

motor ship (MS) or motor vessel (MV): A ship propelled by internal-combustion engines.

NVOCC: A non-vessel-owning common carrier that buys space aboard a ship to get a lower
volume rate. An NVOCC then sells that space to various small shippers, consolidates their
freight, issues bills of lading and books space aboard a ship.

neo-bulk cargo: Uniformly packaged goods, such as wood pulp bales, which stow as solidly
as bulk, but are handled as general cargoes.

ocean carrier: Diesel-fueled vessels have replaced the old steamships of the past, although
many people still refer to modern diesel ships as steamships. Likewise, the person who
represents the ship in port is still often called a steamship agent. (See: steamship agent)

on-dock rail: Direct shipside rail service. Includes the ability to load and unload
containers/breakbulk directly from rail car to vessel.

on-terminal rail: Rail service and trackage provided by a railroad within a designated

terminal area.

operating port: At an operational port like Charleston, South Carolina, the port authority
builds the wharves, owns the cranes and cargo-handling equipment and hires the labor to
move cargo in the sheds and yards. A stevedore hires longshore labor to lift cargo between
the ship and the dock, where the port’s laborers pick it up and bring it to the storage site.
(See landlord port.)

pallet: A short wooden, metal or plastic platform on which package cargo is placed, then
handled by a forklift truck.

Pier: A structure which just out into a waterway from the shore, for mooring vessels and
cargo handling. Sometimes called a finger pier.
Piggyback: A rail transport mode where a loaded truck trailer is shipped on a rail flatcar.

pilot: A licensed navigational guide with thorough knowledge of a particular section of a

waterway whose occupation is to steep ships along a coast or into and out of a harbor. Local
pilots board the ship to advise the captain and navigator of local navigation conditions
(difficult currents; hidden wrecks, etc.).

port: This term is used both for the harbor area where ships are docked and for the agency
(port authority), which administers use of public wharves and port properties.

port-of-call: Port at which cruise ship makes a stop along its itinerary. Calls may range from
five to 24 hours. Sometimes referred to as "transit port" and "destination port." (See
also: home port)

project cargo: The materials and equipment to assemble a special project overseas, such as
a factory or highway.

quay: A wharf, which parallels the waterline.

railhead: End of the railroad line or point in the area of operations at which cargo is loaded
and unloaded.

railyard: A rail terminal at which occur traditional railroad activities for sorting and
redistribution of railcars and cargo.

reefer: A container with refrigeration for transporting frozen foods (meat, ice cream, fruit,
etc.)

refrigeration or reefer units: The protective cooling of perishable freight by ice, liquid

nitrogen, or mechanical devices

ro/ro: Short for roll on/roll/off . A ro/ro ship is designed with ramps that can be lowered to
the dock so cars, buses, trucks or other vehicles can drive into the belly of the ship, rather
than be lifted aboard. A ro/ro ship, like a container ship, has a quick turnaround time of
about 12 hours.

Rubber-Tired Gantry (RTG): Traveling crane used for the movement and positioning of
containers in a container field. RTG's may also be used for loading and unloading containers
from rail cars.

sheddage: Regardless of the length of stay, a vessel is charged a one-time fee for use of
shed space and/or marginal (waterside) rail track space. The charge is based on the length
of a vessel.

short ton: A short ton equals 2,000. Lifting capacity and cargo measurements are designated
in short tons.
Spreader: a device for lifting containers by their corner posts. The spreader bar on a
container crane is telescopic to allow lifting various length containers.

steamship: Today, ships that transport cargo overseas are powered by diesel fuel instead of
steam. Many people still use the term "steamship," but the more modern term for the
service is "ocean carrier" and for the ship itself, "motor vessel."

steamship agent: The local representative who acts as a liaison among ship owners, local
port authorities, terminals and supply/service companies. An agent handles all details for
getting the ship into port; having it unloaded and loaded; inspected and out to sea quickly.
An agent arranges for pilots; tug services; stevedores; inspections, etc., as well as, seeing
that a ship is supplied with food, water, mail, medical services, etc. A steamship agency does
not own the ship.

steamship company: A business that owns ships that operate in international trade .

steamship line: A steamship (ocean carrier) service running on a particular international

route. Examples: NSCSA (National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia), American President
Lines (APL), Maersk Sealand, Evergreen, etc.

stevedores: Labor management companies that provide equipment and hire workers to

transfer cargo between ships and docks. Stevedore companies may also serve as terminal
operators. The laborers hired by the stevedoring firms are called stevedores or
longshoremen.

straddle carrier: Container terminal equipment, which is motorized and runs on rubber
tires. It can straddle a single row of containers and is primarily used to move containers
around the terminal, but also to transport containers to and from the transtainer and
load/unload containers from truck chassis.

stripping: The process of removing cargo from a container.

stuffing: The process of packing a container with loose cargo prior to inland or ocean
shipment.

Tank barges: Used for transporting bulk liquids, such as petroleum, chemicals, molasses,
vegetable oils and liquefied gases.

tariff: Schedule, system of duties imposed by a government on the import/export of goods;

also, the charges, rates and rules of a transportation company as listed in published industry
tables.

terminal: The place where cargo is handled is called a terminal (or a wharf).

terminal operator: The company that operates cargo handling activities on a wharf . A

terminal operator oversees unloading cargo from ship to dock, checking the quantity of
cargoes versus the ship’s manifest (list of goods), transferring of the cargo into the shed,
checking documents authorizing a trucker to pick up cargo, overseeing the
loading/unloading of railroad cars, etc.

toplift: A piece of equipment similar to a forklift that lifts from above rather than below.
Used to handle containers in the storage yard to and from storage stacks, trucks and
railcars.

towboat: A snub-nosed boat with push knees used for pushing barges. A small towboat
(called a push boat) may push one or two barges around the harbor. A large towboat is used
to push from 5 to 40 barges in a tow is called a line boat. From the Port of New Orleans, line
boats deliver cargo to Mid-America via the 14,500-mile waterway system flowing through
the Crescent City.

(See also tug boat)

tractor-trailer: Some trucks are a solid unit, such as a van, but many have three main units.
The front section where the driver sits is called the cab or the tractor (because it pulls a
load). Cargo is loaded into the metal box (container), which is loaded onto the wheel base
called a chassis or a trailer. These big trucks are often also called 18-wheelers.

Trailer On Flat Car (TOFC): A container placed on a chassis that is in turn placed on a
railroad car.

tramp: A ship operating with no fixed route or published schedule.

transit port: When the majority of cargoes moving through a port aren’t coming from or
destined for the local market, the port is called a transit (or through) port.

transit shed: The shed on a wharf is designed to protect cargoes from weather damage and
is used only for short-term storage. Warehouses operated by private firms house goods for
longer periods.

transshipment: The unloading of cargo at a port or point where it is then reloaded,

sometimes into another mode of transportation, for transfer to a final destination.

Transtainer: A type of crane used in the handling of containers, which is motorized,

mounted on rubber tires and can straddle at least four railway tracks, some up to six, with a
lifting capacity of 35 tons for loading and unloading containers to and from railway cards.

trucks: Heavy automotive vehicles used to transport cargo. In the maritime industry, cargo
is often carried by tractor-trailers. The tractor is the front part of the vehicle, also called a
cab. The trailer is the detachable wheeled chassis behind the tractor, on which containers or
other cargoes are placed. (See: common carrier; heavy hauler; drayage)

tugboat: Strong v-hull shaped boat used for maneuvering ships into and out of port and to
carry supplies. A ship is too powerful to pull up to the wharf on its own. It cuts power and
lets the tug nudge it in. Generally barges are pushed by towboats, not tugs.
Twenty Foot Equivalent Unit (TEU): A unit of measurement equal to the space occupied by
a standard twenty foot container. Used in stating the capacity of container vessel or storage
area. One 40 ft. Container is equal to two TEU's.

U. S. Army Corps of Engineers: See Corps of Engineers.

U. S. Customs: See Customs.

vessel: A ship or large boat.

vessel operator: A firm that charters vessels for its service requirements, which are handled
by their own offices or appointed agents at ports of call. Vessel operators also handle the
operation of vessels on behalf of owners.

warehouse: A place in which goods or merchandise is stored.

way bill: The document used to identify the shipper and consignee, present the routing,
describe the goods, present the applicable rate, show the weight of the shipment, and make
other useful information notations.

wharf: The place at which ships tie up to unload and load cargo. The wharf typically has
front and rear loading docks (aprons), a transit shed, open (unshedded) storage areas, truck
bays, and rail tracks.

wharfage fee: A charge assessed by a pier or wharf owner for handling incoming or
outgoing cargo.

yard: a system of tracks within a certain area used for making up trains, storing cars, placing
cars to be loaded or unloaded, etc.

PORT AND SHIPPING TERMINOLOGY - MARITIME GLOSSARY

A

AFT
In, near, or toward the stern of the vessel.

ALONGSIDE
A phrase referring to the side of a ship. Goods delivered "alongside" are to be placed on the
dock or barge within reach of the transport ship's tackle so that they can be loaded.

ASTERN
A backward direction in the line of a vessel's fore and aft line; behind. If a vessel moves
backwards it is said to move astern; opposite to ahead.

B
BACKFREIGHT
The owners of a ship are entitled to payment as freight for merchandise returned through
the fault of either the consignees or the consignors. Such payment, which is over and above
the normal freight, is called backfreight.

BACKHAUL
To haul a shipment back over part of a route that it has already traveled; return movement
of cargo, usually opposite from the direction of its primary cargo destination.

BAGGED CARGO
Various kinds of commodities usually packed in sacks or in bags, such as sugar, cement, milk
powder, onion, grain, flour, etc.

BALLAST
Heavy substances loaded by a vessel to improve stability, trimming, sea-keeping and to
increase the immersion at the propeller. Sea water ballast is commonly loaded in most
vessels in ballast tanks, positioned in compartments right at the bottom and in some cases
on the sides, called wing tanks. On a tanker, ballast is seawater that is taken into the cargo
tanks to submerge the vessel to a proper trim.

BALLAST KEEL
A heavy keel fitted to sailing vessels to lower the center of gravity and improve stability.

BALLAST MOVEMENT
A voyage or voyage leg made without any paying cargo in a vessel's tanks. To maintain
proper stability, trim, or draft, sea water is usually carried during such movements.

BALLAST TANK
Compartments at the bottom of a ship or on the sides which are filled with liquids for
stability and to make the ship seaworthy. Any shipboard tank or compartment on a tanker
normally used for carrying salt-water ballast. When these compartments or tanks are not
connected with the cargo system they are called segregated ballast tanks or systems.

BARE BOAT CHARTER

A charter in which the bare ship is chartered without crew; the charterer, for a stipulated
sum taking over the vessel for a stated period of time, with a minimum of restrictions; the
charterer appoints the master and the crew and pays all running expenses. See Demise
Charter.

BARGE
Flat-bottomed boat designed to carry cargo on inland waterways, usually without engines or
crew accommodations. Barges can be lashed together and either pushed or pulled by tugs,
carrying cargo of 60,000 tons or more. Small barges for carrying cargo between ship and
shore are known as lighters.

BARGE ABOARD CATAMARAN

A way of loading cargo into large barges and then in turn loading the barges into a ship.
BARGE CARRIERS
Ships designed to carry either barges or containers exclusively, or some variable number of
barges and containers simultaneously. Currently this class includes two types of vessels, the
LASH and the SEABEE.

BEAM
The width of a ship.Also called breadth.

BELT LINE
A switching railroad operating within a port or other commercial area.

BERTH
A place in which a vessel is moored or secured; place alongside a quay where a ship loads or
discharges cargo.

BERTH TERM
Shipped under a rate that does not include the cost of loading or unloading.

BERTHAGE
Charges for the use of a berth.

BUILD-OWN-OPERATE (BOO)
A form of project wherein a private party or consortium agrees to finance, construct,
operate, and maintain a facility previously owned and/or operated by a public authority.
The concessionaire retains ownership of the facility. The concessionaire bears the
commercial risk of operating the facility.

BILL OF LADING
A document that establishes the terms of contract between a shipper and a transportation
company. It serves as a document of title, a contract of carriage, and a receipt for goods.

BLACK CARGO
Cargo banned by general cargo workers for some reason. This ban could be because the
cargo is dangerous or hazardous to health.

BLACK GANG
A slang expression referring to the personnel in the engine department aboard ship.

BLS
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor.

BOATSWAIN (BOSUN)
The highest unlicensed rating in the deck department who has immediate charge of all deck
hands and who in turn comes under the direct orders of the master or chief mate or mate.

BOILERS
Steam generating units used aboard ship to provide steam for propulsion (and) for heating
and other auxiliary purposes.

BOW
The front of a vessel.

BOW THRUSTERS
A propeller at the lower sea-covered part of the bow of the ship which turns at right angles
to the fore-and-aft line and thus provides transverse thrust as a maneuvering aid.

BOGIE
A set of wheels built specifically as rear wheels under a sea container.

BULKHEAD
A structure to resist water; a partition separating one part of a ship from another part.

BOND PORT
Port of a vessel’s initial customs entry to any country; also known as first port of call.

BONDED WAREHOUSE
A warehouse authorized by customs authorities for storage of goods on which payment of
duties is deferred until the goods are removed.

BULK
Cargo shipped in loose condition and of a homogeneous nature. Cargoes that are shipped
unpackaged either dry, such as grain and ore, or liquid, such as petroleum products. Bulk
service generally is not provided on a regularly scheduled basis, but rather as needed, on
specialized ships, transporting a specific commodity.

BULK CARRIER
Ship specifically designed to transport vast amounts of cargoes such as sugar, grain, wine,
ore, chemicals, liquefied natural gas; coal and oil. See also LNG Carrier, Tanker, OBO Ship.

BULKHEAD
A name given to any vertical partition which separates different compartments or spaces
from one another.

BUNKERS
Fuel consumed by the engines of a ship; compartments or tanks in a ship for fuel storage.

BUOY - A floating object employed as an aid to mariners to mark the navigable limits of
channels, their fairways, sunken dangers, isolated rocks, telegraph cables, and the like;
floating devices fixed in place at sea, lake or river as reference points for navigation or for
other purposes.

BUNKERS
Fuel used aboard ships.
BREAK BULK
Loose, non-containerized cargo stowed directly into a ship’s hold; to unload and distribute a
portion or all of the contents of a container.

BROKER
A person who arranges for transportation of loads for a percentage of the revenue from the
load.

BUILD-OPERATE-TRANSFER (BOT)
A form of concession wherein a private party or consortium agrees to finance, construct,
operate, and maintain a facility for a specified period and then transfer the facility to a
government or other public authority. The concessionaire bears the commercial risk of
operating the facility.

CARFLOAT
A barge equipped with tracks on which railroad cars are moved by water.

CARGO TONNAGE
Ocean freight is frequently billed on the basis of weight or measurement tons. Weight tons
can be expressed in terms of short tons of 2000 pounds, long tons of 2240 pounds, or metric
tons of 1000 kilograms (2204.62 pounds). Measurement tons are usually expresses as cargo
measurement of 40 cubic feet (1.12 cubic meters) or cubic meters (35.3 cubic feet).

CARRIER
Any person or entity who, in a contract of carriage, undertakes to perform or to procure the
performance of carriage by sea, inland waterway, rail, road, air, or by a combination of such
modes.

CABOTAGE
Shipments between ports of a single nation, frequently reserved to national flag vessels of
that nation.

CONCESSION
An arrangement whereby a private party (concessionaire) leases assets from a public
authority for an extended period and has responsibility for financing specified new fixed
investments during the period and for providing specified services associated with the
assets; in return, the concessionaire receives specified revenues from the operation of the
assets; the assets revert to the public sector at expiration of the contract.

CARTAGE
Intra-port or local hauling of cargo by drays or trucks; also referred to as drayage.

CHASSIS
A frame with wheels and container locking devises to secure the container for movement.
CONSERVANCY
In some countries, this fee is levied to retain upkeep of the approaches to waterways and
canals.

CLASSIFICATION YARD
A railroad yard with many tracks used for assembling freight trains.

CONSOLIDATION
Cargo containing shipments of two or more shoppers of suppliers. Containerload shipments
may be consolidated for one or more consignees.

CLEANING IN TRANSIT
The stopping of articles (such as farm products) for cleaning at a point between the point of
origin and destination.

CONTAINER
A truck trailer body that can be detached from the chassis for loading onto a vessel, a rail
car, or stacked in a container depot. Containers may be ventilated, insulated, refrigerated,
flat rack, vehicle rack, open top, bulk liquid, dry bulk, or other special configurations. Typical
containers may be 20 feet, 40 feet, 45 feet, 48 feet, or 53 feet in length, 8 feet or 8.5 feet in
width, and 8.5 feet or 9.5 feet in height.

CLEARANCE
The size beyond which vessels, cars, or loads cannot pass through, under, or over bridges,
tunnels, highways, etc.

CLEAT
A device secured on the floor of a container to provide additional support or strength to a
cargo-restraining device, or a device attached to a wharf to secure mooring lines.

CONTAINER FREIGHT STATION (CFS)

A shipping dock where cargo is loaded ("stuffed") into or unloaded ("stripped") from
containers. Container reloading to/from sea containers to rail and motor carrier equipment
is an activity typically performed in a container freight station.

COMMON CARRIER
A transportation company that provides service to the general public at published rates.

CONTAINER POOL
An agreement between parties that allows the efficient use and supply of containers; a
common supply of containers available to the shipper as required.

CUSTOMHOUSE
A government office where duties are paid, documents filed, etc., on foreign shipments.

CUSTOMS BROKER
A person or firm, licensed by the customs authority of their country when required, engaged
in entering and clearing goods through customs for a client (importer).

CONTAINERSHIP
Ship equipped with cells into which containers can be stacked; containerships may be full or
partial, depending on whether all or only some of its compartments are fitted with container
cells.

CUT-OFF TIME (CLOSING TIME)

The latest time a container may be delivered to a terminal for loading to a scheduled vessel,
train, or truck.

CONTAINER TERMINAL
An area designated for the stowage of cargo in containers, usually accessible by truck,
railroad, and marine transportation, where containers are picked up, dropped off,
maintained, and housed.

CONTAINER YARD
A materials handling/storage facility used for completely unitized loads in containers and/or
empty containers.

CONTRABAND
Cargo that is prohibited.

CONTRACT CARRIER DOCK

Any person not a common carrier who, under special and individual contracts or
agreements, transports passengers or cargo for compensation. For ships, a cargo handling
area parallel to the shoreline.

CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE
Sophisticated, computer controlled systems that manage the mixture of gases within a
container throughout an intermodal journey, thereby reducing decay.

DAILY RUNNING COST

Cost per day of operating a ship.

DECONSOLIDATION POINT
Place where loose or other non-containerized cargo is ungrouped for delivery.

DEMURRAGE
The delay of a vessel or detention of a shipment beyond the stipulated time allowed for
loading or unloading; the resulting payment to the owner for such delay or detention.

DUNNAGE
Material used in stowing cargo either for separation or the prevention of damage
DRAFT
The depth of a loaded vessel in the water, taken from the level of the waterline, to the
lowest point of the hull of the vessel; depth of water, or distance between the bottom of the
ship and the water line. Also referred to as draught.

DREDGING
Removal of sediment to deepen access channels, provide turning basins for ships, and
adequate water depth along waterside facilities.

DRAYAGE
Charge made for local hauling by dray or truck.

DRY-BULK CONTAINER
A container constructed to carry grain, powder and other free-flowing solids in bulk. Used in
conjunction with a tilt chassis or platform.

DRY CARGO
Merchandise other than liquid carried in bulk.

DRY CARGO SHIP

Vessel which carriers all merchandise, excluding liquid in bulk.

DRY DOCK
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.

DRY BULK
Low density cargo, such as agri-food products, fertilizers and ores, that are transported in
bulk carriers.

DUAL PURPOSE SHIP

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

DUMPING
Attempting to import merchandise into a country at a price less than the fair market value,
usually through subsidy by exporting country.

DUNNAGE
A term applied to loose wood or other material used in a ship's hold for the protection of
cargo.

ETA
Estimated Time of Arrival
ETD
Estimated Time of Departure

ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE (EDI)

Transmission of transactional data between computer systems.

EDIFACT
Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Trade. International data
interchange standards sponsored by the United Nations.

EMINENT DOMAIN
The sovereign power to take property for a necessary public use, with reasonable
compensation.

Empty Container Handler

Empty container handler Name given to any truck dedicated to handling empty containers
in a port or terminal. Commonly it is a frontlift truck which has a capacity much lower than a
truck designed to lift laden containers. It is generally capable of stacking containers three or
four high and some models can stack six high.

FOREIGN TRADE ZONE

A free port in a country divorced from customs authority but under government control.
Merchandise, except contraband, may be stored in the zone without being subject to import
duty regulations.

FORTY-FOOT EQUIVALENT UNITS (FEUS)

Unit of measurement equivalent to one fortyfoot container. Two twenty-foot containers
(TEUs) equal one FEU. Container vessel capacity and port throughput capacity are
frequently referred to in FEUs or TEUs.

FORCE MAJEURE
The title of a common clause in contracts, exempting the parties for non-fulfillment of their
obligations as a result of conditions beyond their control, such as earthquakes, floods, or
war.

FREIGHT, DEMURRAGE AND DEFENSE

Class of insurance provided by a protection and indemnity club that covers legal costs
incurred by a ship owner in connection with claims arising from the operation of his ship.

FREIGHT PAYABLE AT DESTINATION

Method of paying the freight often used for shipment of bulk cargo whose weight is
established on discharge from the ship.

FEEDER SERVICE
Transport service whereby loaded or empty containers in a regional area are transferred to
a "mother ship" for a long-haul ocean voyage.

FIXED COSTS
Costs that do not vary with the level of activity. Some fixed costs continue even if no cargo is
carried; for example, terminal leases, rent, and property taxes.

FREIGHT FORWARDER
Person or company who arranges for the carriage of goods and associated formalities on
behalf of a shipper. The duties of a forwarder include booking space on a ship, providing all
the necessary documentation and arranging Customs clearance.

FREE TRADE ZONE

A zone, often within a port (but not always so located), designated by the government of a
country for duty-free entry of any non-prohibited goods. Merchandise may be stored,
displayed, used for manufacturing, etc., with the zone and re-exported without duties being
applied. Also referred to as free port.

GANTRY CRANE
A crane or hoisting machine moored on a frame or structure spanning an intervening space,
and designed to hoist containers into our out of a ship.

GATEWAY
A point at which freight moving from one territory to another is interchanged between
transportation lines.

GROUNDING
Deliberate contact by a ship with the bottom while the ship is moored or anchored as a
result of the water level dropping or when approaching the coast as a result of a
navigational error.

GROUPAGE
The grouping together of several compatible consignments into a full container load. Also
referred to as consolidation.

HARBOR DUES
Various local charges against all seagoing vessels entering a harbor, to cover maintenance of
channel depths, buoys, lights, etc. All harbors do not necessarily have this charge.

HARBOR MASTER
A person usually having the experience of a certificated master mariner and having a good
knowledge of the characteristics of the port and its whole area. He administers the entire
shipping movements that take place in and within reach of the port he is responsible for.
HARD AGROUND
A vessel which has gone aground and is incapable of refloating under her own power

HEAVY LIFT CHARGE

A charge made for lifting articles too heavy to be lifted by a ship’s tackle.

HARBOUR DUES
Port charges to a vessel for each harbour entry, usually on a per gross registered ton basis
for commercial vessels.

HOLD
A ship’s interior storage compartment.

IN BOND
Cargo moving under customs control where duty has not yet been paid.

INDUCEMENT
Placing a port on a vessel’s itinerary because the volume of cargo offered by that port
justifies the cost of routing the vessel.

INLAND CARRIER
A transportation company that hauls export or import traffic between ports and inland
points.

INTERMODAL
Movement of cargo containers interchangeably between transport modes where the
equipment is compatible within the multiple systems.

JACOB'S LADDER
A rope ladder suspended from the side of a vessel and used for boarding.

JETTY
Structure projecting out to sea, designed to protect a port from the force of the waves but
also used to berth ships.

JUMBOISING
Conversion of a ship to increase cargo-carrying capacity by dividing and adding a new
section.

KEEL
A flat steel plate running along the center line of a vessel.

KEELAGE
Dues paid by a ship making use of certain British ports.

KNOT
Measure of speed of a ship, equal to one nautical mile (1,852 meters) per hour.

LADEN
Loaded aboard a vessel.

LAID-UP TONNAGE
Ships not in active service; a ship which is out of commission for fitting out, awaiting better
markets, needing work for classification, etc.

LAKER
Type of ship which trades only in the Great Lakes of North America. They usually carry grain
and ore cargoes.

LANDBRIDGE
A system of through rates and service offered by a carrier for cargo shipments from a
foreign port to a U.S. port, across U.S. land to another U.S. port and finally by sea to a
foreign port destination.

LASH
Abbreviation for "Lighter Aboard Ship." A specially constructed vessel equipped with an
overhead crane for lifting specially designed barges and stowing them into cellular slots on
the vessel.

LASH
Lighter aboard ship: A barge carrier designed to act as a shuttle between ports, taking on
and discharging barges.

LASH SHIPS
LASH stand for Lighter Aboard Ship. It is a specialized container ship carrying very large
floating containers, or "lighters." The ship carries its own massive crane, which loads and
discharges the containers over the stern. The lighters each have a capacity of 400 tons and
are stowed in the holds and on deck. While the ship is at sea with one set of lighters, further
sets can be made ready. Loading and discharge are rapid at about 15 minutes per lighter, no
port or dock facilities are needed, and the lighters can be grouped for pushing by towboats
along inland waterways.

LINE HAUL
The movement of freight over the tracks of a transportation line from one city to another.
LIMITED RECOURSE FINANCING
Project financing in which sponsors or governments agree to provide contingent financial
support to give lenders extra comfort; typically provided during the construction and start-
up period of a project, which is generally the riskiest time in the life of an infrastructure
project.

LINER
A vessel sailing between specified ports on a regular basis.

LADEN DRAUGHT
Depth of water to which a ship is immersed when fully loaded.

LLOYDS’ REGISTRY
An organization maintained for the surveying and classing of ships so that insurance
underwriters and others may know the quality and condition of the vessels involved.

LANDLORD PORT
An institutional structure whereby the port authority or other relevant public agency retains
ownership of the land, as well as responsibility for maintaining approach channels and
navigation aids; under this model, the port does not engage in any operational activities.

LONGSHOREMAN
Individual employed locally in a port to load and unload ships.

LEASE-DEVELOP-OPERATE (LDO)
A form of concession wherein, under a longterm lease, a private company upgrades and
expands an existing facility and manages its cash flows. The public authority holds title to
the facility throughout the concession period and receives lease payments on the assets.

LO-LO (LIFT ON/LIFT OFF)

A type of vessel that allows cargo to be loaded or unloaded by either ship or shore cranes.

LIGHTER
An open or covered barge towed by a tugboat and used primarily to harbors and inland
waterways to carry cargo to/from alongside a vessel.

MAIN DECK
The main continuous deck of a ship running from fore to aft; the principle deck; the deck
from which the freeboard is determined.

MALPRACTICE
A carrier giving a customer illegal preference to attract cargo. This can take the form of a
money refund (rebate); using lower figures than actual for the assessment of freight charges
(undercubing); misdeclaration of the commodity shipped to allow the assessment of a lower
tariff rate; waiving published tariff charges for demurrage, CFS handling or equalization;
providing specialized equipment to a shipper to the detriment of other shippers, etc.

MANIFEST
A document containing a full list of the ship's cargo, extracted from the bills of lading.

MEZZANINE FINANCING
A mix of financing instruments, including equity, subordinated debt, completion guarantees,
and bridge financing, the balance of which changes as the risk profile of a project changes;
i.e., as a project moves beyond construction into operation.

MARITIME
Business pertaining to commerce or navigation transacted upon the sea or in seaports in
such matters as the court of admiralty has jurisdiction.

MARITIME ADMINISTRATION (MarAd )

Oversees subsidy programs to the United States Merchant Marine. Assigns routes to
subsidized liners.

MARPOL 73/78
The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified
by the Protocol of 1978.

MASTHEAD LIGHT
A white light positioned over the fore and aft centerline of the vessel.

MIXED CARGO
Two or more products carried on board one ship.

MOBILE CRANE
General purpose crane capable of being moved from one part of a port to another.

MOOR
To attach a ship to the shore by ropes.

NATIONAL CARGO BUREAU

A private organization having representatives throughout the main harbors in the U.S. It is
empowered to inspect cargoes of a hazardous nature and issue certificates which are
automatically approved by the Coast Guard.

NATIONAL FLAG
The flag carried by a ship to show her nationality.

NAUTICAL MILE
Distance of one minute of longitude at the equator, approximately 6,076.115 feet. The
metric equivalent is 1852 meters.
NAVSAC
Navigation Safety Advisory Council, an industry advisory body to the U.S. Coast Guard.

NDRF
National Defense Reserve Fleet.

NEOBULK
Shipments consisting entirely of units of a single commodity, such as cars, lumber, or scrap
metal.

NEO-BULK CARGO
Uniformly packaged goods, such as wood pulp bales, which store as solidly as bulk, but that
are handled as general cargo.

NON-RECOURSE FINANCING
Project financing for which no loan guarantees or financial support is provided by the
sponsors or governments to lenders for the project.

OBO SHIP
A multipurpose ship that can carry ore, heavy dry bulk goods and oil. Although more
expensive to build, they ultimately are more economical because they can make return
journeys with cargo rather than empty as single-purpose ships often must.

OCEAN WAYBILL
A document, issued by a shipping line to a shipper which serves as a receipt for the goods
and evidence of the contract carriage.

OCMI
Officer in Charge of Marine Inspection.

ODS
Operating-Differential Subsidy: Established by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, it was a
direct subsidy paid to U.S.-flag operators to offset the high operating cost of U.S.-flag ships
when compared to foreign-flag counterparts. Contracts between U.S.-flag vessel operators
and the Maritime Administration have expired. The ODS program has been replaced by the
Maritime Security Program.

OECD
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The Maritime Transport
Committee is part of this organization.

OFF-HIRE CLAUSE
In a time charter, the owner is entitled to a limited time for his vessel to be off hire until
such time as the vessel may be repaired or dry-docked.
OFF-LOAD
Discharge of cargo from a ship.

OILER
An unlicensed member of the engine room staff who oils and greases bearings and moving
parts of the main engine and auxiliaries. Most of this work is now done automatically and
the oiler merely insures it operates correctly.

OIL RECORD BOOK

A book or log kept by the master of an oil tanker wherein every discharge or escape of oil is
recorded.

OIL TANKER
A ship designed for the carriage of oil in bulk, her cargo space consisting of several or many
tanks. Tankers load their cargo by gravity from the shore or by shore pumps and discharge
using their own pumps.

OMB
Office of Management and Budget.

OPA
Oil Pollution Act of 1990.

OPEN RATES
Pricing systems that are flexible and not subject to conference approval. Usually applied to
products in which tramps are substituted for liners.

OPEN REGISTRY
A term used in place of "flag of convenience" or "flag of necessity" to denote registry in a
country which offers favorable tax, regulatory, and other incentives to ship owners from
other nations.

OPEN TOP CONTAINER

A container fitted with a solid removable roof, or with a tarpaulin roof so the container can
be loaded or unloaded from the top.

ORDINARY SEAMAN
A deck crewmember who is subordinate to the Able Bodied Seaman.

ORE CARRIER
A large ship designed to be used for the carnage of ore. Because of the high density of ore,
ore carriers have a relatively high center of gravity to prevent them being still when at sea,
that is, rolling heavily with possible stress to the hull.

ORE-BULK-OIL CARRIER
A large multi-purpose ship designed to carry cargoes wither of ore or other bulk
commodities or oil so as to reduce the time the ship would be in ballast if restricted to one
type of commodity. This type of ship is sometimes called bulk-oil carrier.

ORE-OIL CARRIER
A ship designed to carry either ore or oil in bulk.

OVERTONNAGING
A situation where there are too many ships generally or in a particular trade for the level of
available cargoes.

ON-CARRIER
Person or company who contracts to transport cargo from the port or place of discharge of
a sea-going or ocean-going ship to another destination by a different means of transport,
such as truck, train or barge.

OPTIONAL CARGO
Cargo that is destined for one of the ship’s discharge ports, the exact one not being know
when the goods are loaded.

OVERCARRIAGE
The carriage of cargo beyond the port for which it was intended.

PALLET
A flat tray, generally made of wood but occasionally steel or other materials, on which
goods can be stacked. There are two principal sizes: the ISO pallet, which measures 1 x 1.2
meters and the europallet at 0.8 x 1.2 meters.

PANAMAX
Maximum-size bulk carriers whose dimensions enable the ship to transit the Panama Canal
when lock width is the limiting factor.

PARTIAL CONTAINERSHIPS
Multipurpose containerships where one or more but not all compartments are fitted with
permanent container cells. Remaining compartments are used for other types of cargo.

PASSENGER SHIP
A passenger ship that its authorized to carry over twelve passengers.

PER CONTAINER RATE

Rates and/or changes on shipments transported in containers or trailers and rated on the
basis of the category of the container or trailer.

PERSONAL FLOATATION DEVICE

Approved floats meant as life preservers and carried on board American ships.
PERMANENT DUNNAGE
Strips of timber fixed to the frames of a ship to keep cargo away from the sides of the ship in
order to avoid damage and condensation.

PIER
The structure perpendicular to the shoreline to which a vessel is secured for the purpose of
loading and unloading cargo.

POOLING
Sharing of cargo or the profit or loss from freight by member lines of a liner conference.

PORT DUES
Charges levied against a ship owner or ship operator by a port authority for the use of a
port.

PIGGY PACKER
A mobile container-handling crane used to load/unload containers to/from railcars.

PORT OF REFUGE
Port, not on a ship’s itinerary, which she calls at due to some unforeseen hazard at sea and
where she may undergo repairs, refuel or rescue cargo.

PILFERAGE
Petty theft.

PILOTAGE PORT OF REGISTRY

The act of assisting the master of a ship in navigation when entering or leaving a port or in
confined water. Place where a ship is registered with the authorities, thereby establishing its
nationality.

PILOTAGE DUES
Fee payable by the owner or operator of a ship for the services of a pilot; the fee is normally
based on the ship’s registered tonnage.

PORTABLE UNLOADER
Type of ship unloader that is wheeled and capable of being moved around a port wherever
needed. It is typically used in ports where there is no dedicated terminal with its own fixed
equipment.

PLATFORM FLAT
A shipping container without sides, ends or a roof. Normally 20 x 40 feet long, it is used for
awkwardly shaped cargo that cannot fit on or in any other type of container.

PRE-ENTRY
Presentation to the customs authorities of export or import declarations prior to the
clearance of goods.
PLIMSOLL MARK/LOAD LINES
A series of horizontal lines painted on the outside of a ship marking the level that must
remain above the surface of the water for the vessel’s stability.

PROJECT FINANCING
Financing wherein the lender looks to a project’s cash flows to repay the principal and
interest on debt, and to a project’s assets for security; also known as "structured financing"
because it requires structuring the debt and equity such that a project’s cash flows are
adequate to service the debt.

PONTOON
Flat-bottomed vessel with a shallow draught.

QUARTERMASTER/HELMSMAN
An able-bodied seamen entrusted with the steering of a vessel.

QUARTERS
Accommodations.

QUAY
A structure attached to land to which a vessel is moored.

REACH STACKER
Motorized and mobile crane equipped with a frontal lifting device allowing it to lift and to
stack maritime containers.

REEFER
Refrigerated container.

REEFER
Refrigerator ship: A vessel designed to carry goods requiring refrigeration, such as meat and
fruit. A reefer ship has insulated holds into which cold air is passed at the temperature
appropriate to the goods being carried.

RELAY
To transfer containers from one ship to another.

RMG
Rail Mounted Gantry

RTG
Rubber Tired Gantry
RO/RO
A shortening of the term "Roll on/Roll off." A method of ocean cargo service using a vessel
with ramps that allow wheeled vehicles to be loaded and discharged without cranes.

RO/RO SHIP
Freight ship or ferry with facilities for vehicles to drive on and off (roll-on roll-off); a system
of loading and discharging a ship whereby the cargo is driven on and off on ramps. Equipped
with large openings at bow and stern and sometimes also in the side, the ship permits rapid
loading and discharge with hydraulically operated ramps providing easy access. Fully loaded
trucks or trailers carrying containers are accommodated on the deck.

SALVAGE
The property which has been recovered from a wrecked vessel, or the recovery of the vessel
herself.

SEABEE
Sea-barge, a barge carrier design similar to "LASH" but which uses rollers to move the
barges aboard the ship; the self-propelled loaded barges are themselves loaded on board as
cargo and are considerably larger than those loaded on LASH ships.

SEA TRIALS
A series of trials conducted by the builders during which the owner's representatives on
board act in a consulting and checking capacity to determine if the vessel has met the
specifications.

SEAWORTHINESS
The sufficiency of a vessel in materials construction, equipment, crew and outfit for the
trade in which it is employed. Any sort of disrepair to the vessel by which the cargo may
suffer -- overloading, untrained officers, etc., may constitute a vessel unseaworthy.

SEAWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE
A certificate issued by a classification society surveyor to allow a vessel to proceed after she
has met with a mishap that may have affected its seaworthiness. It is frequently issued to
enable a vessel to proceed, after temporary repairs have been effected, to another port
where permanent repairs are then carried out.

SELF-PROPELLED BARGE
A barge which has its own engine.

SELF-SUSTAINING SHIP
A containership which has her own crane for loading and discharging shipping containers
enabling the ship to serve ports which do not have suitable lifting equipment.
SELF-TRIMMING SHIP
A ship whose holds are shaped in such a way that the cargo levels itself.

SELF-UNLOADER
A bulk carrier which is equipped with gear for unloading cargo.

STEVEDORE
Individual or firm that employs longshoremen to load and unload vessels.

STEVEDORING CHARGES
Fees for loading and stowing or unloading a ship.

STO-RO
A vessel with capacity for break-bulk cargo as well as vehicles or trailer borne cargo.

STS
Ship to shore crane

SHIP CHANDLER
An individual or company selling equipment and supplies for ships.

STOWAGE FACTOR
The average cubic space occupied by one tonne weight of cargo as stowed aboard a ship.

SHORT TON
2,000 pounds.

SIP
Streamlined Inspection Program.

SISTER SHIPS
Ships built on the same design.

SIU
Seafarers International Union.

SLIP
A vessel's berth between two piers.

SLOP TANK
A tank in a tanker into which slops are pumped. These represent a residue of the ship's
cargo of oil together with the water used to clean the cargo tanks. They are left to separate
out in the slop tank.

SHIP’S TACKLE
All rigging, etc., used on a ship to load or unload cargo.
STRADDLE CARRIER
Mobile truck equipment with the capacity for lifting a container within its own framework.

SIDE LOADER
A lift truck fitted with lifting attachments operating to one side for handling containers.

STURDONS
Port workers engaged in the stowage of cargo in the holds of a ship.

SPOTTING
Placing a container where required to be loaded or unloaded.

SUPPLY CHAIN SPREADER

A piece of equipment designed to lift containers by their corner castings. A logistics
management system that integrates the sequence of activities from delivery of raw
materials to the manufacturer through to delivery of the finished product to the customer
into measurable components.

STACK CAR
An articulated multiple platform rail car that allows containers to be double stacked.

STACKTRAIN
A rail service whereby rail cars carry containers

TARE WEIGHT
The weight of wrapping or packing; added to the net weight of cargo to determine its gross
weight.

TAIL SHAFT
The extreme section at the aft end of a ship's propeller shaft.

TANK BARGE
A river barge designed for the carriage of liquid bulk cargoes.

TANK CLEANING
Removal of all traces of a cargo from the tanks of a tanker normally by means of high
pressure water jets.

TANKER
A tanker is a bulk carrier designed to transport liquid cargo, most often petroleum products.
Oil tankers vary in size from small coastal vessels of 1,500 tons deadweight, through
medium-sized ship of 60,000 tons, to the giant VLCCs (very large crude carriers).

TENDER
The offer of goods for transportation.
TERRITORIAL WATERS
That portion of the sea up to a limited instance which is immediately adjacent to the shores
of any country and over which the sovereignty and exclusive jurisdiction of that country
extend.

TERMINAL
An assigned area in which containers are prepared for loading into a vessel, train, truck, or
airplane, or are stacked immediately after discharge from the vessel, train, truck, or
airplane.

T.E.U.
Twenty Foot Equivalent Unit (containers): A measurement of cargo-carrying capacity on a
containership, referring to a common container size of 20 ft in length.

TRANSSHIPMENT
A distribution method whereby containers are moved between large mother ships and small
feeder vessels, or between equally large ships plying north-south (Europe-Africa) and
eastwest (Asia-Europe) routes.

TERMINAL CHARGE
A charge made for a service performed in a carrier’s terminal area.

TRANSSHIPMENT PORT
A port where cargo is transferred from one carrier to another or from one vessel of a carrier
to another vessel of the same carrier without the cargo leaving the port.

THROUGHPUT CHARGE
The charge for moving a container through a container yard off or onto a ship.

TURNAROUND
The time it takes between the arrival of a vessel and its departure from port; frequently
used as a measure of port efficiency.

TOP OFF
To fill a ship that is already partly loaded with cargo. Typically occurs where there is a
draught restriction at the first load port – the ship loads a quantity of cargo corresponding
to the permissive draught, then fills up at the second port where there is no restriction.

TWENTY-FOOT EQUIVALENT UNITS (TEUS)

Container size standard of twenty feet. Two twenty-foot containers (TEUs) equal one FEU.
Container vessel capacity and port throughput capacity are frequently referred to in FEUs or
TEUs.

TOP STOW CARGO

Goods that are stowed on top of all others in a ship’s hold because of their relatively low
density and the probability that they would be damaged if overstowed.
TOPLIFT
Attachment to a fork-lift truck that is designed to lift a shipping container.

TOW
When one or more vessels are being towed; when a tug is towing one or more floating
objects; to pull an object in the water by means of a rope.

TOWAGE
Charges for the services of tugs assisting a ship or other vessels in ports.

TRAMP LINE
An ocean carrier company operating vessels on other than regular routes and schedules.

ULCC
Ultra Large Crude Carriers. Tankers larger than 300,000 dwt.

UNCTAD
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

UNMANNED MACHINERY SPACES

A space where alarm bells are installed on the bridge of a ship to trace or rectify any
machinery faults. The computerized devices will report any fault immediately when it
appears and the engineers on board can attend to the necessary ramifications.

UNSEAWORTHINESS
The state or condition of a vessel when it is not in a proper state of maintenance, or if the
loading equipment or crew, or in any other respect is not ready to encounter the ordinary
perils of sea.

USCG
United States Coast Guard.

UNITIZATION
The consolidation of a quantity of individual items into one large shipping unit for easier
handling.

UNLOADER
Port apparatus employed to unload ships carrying dry bulk cargo.

UNMOOR
To remove the ropes that attach a ship to the shore.

UNSTUFF
To unload a shipping container.
V

VARIABLE COST
Costs that vary directly with the level of activity within a short time. Examples include costs
of moving cargo inland on trains or trucks, stevedoring in some ports, and short-term
equipment leases.

VESSEL MANIFEST
The international carrier is obligated to make declarations of the ship's crew and contents at
both the port of departure and arrival. The vessel manifest lists various details about each
shipment by B/L number. Obviously, the B/L serves as the core source from which the
manifest is created.

VISA - Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement.

VLCC - Very Large Crude Carriers: Tankers between 200,000 and 300,000 dwt.

WATCH
The day at sea is divided into six four hour periods. Three groups of watchstanders are on
duty for four hours and then off for eight, then back to duty. Seamen often work overtime
during their off time.

WAREHOUSE
A place for the reception, delivery, consolidation, distribution, and storage of goods and
cargo.

WAYBILL
Document, issued by a shipping line to a shipper, which serves as a receipt for the goods
and evidence of the contract of carriage.

WHARF
Structure built alongside the water or perpendicular to the shore where ships berth for
loading or discharging goods.

WHARFAGE
Charge assessed by a pier or dock owner against freight handled over the pier or dock or
against a steamship company using the pier or dock.

WORLDSCALE
An index representing the cost of time chartering a tanker for a specific voyage at a given
time. The index is given at Worldscale 100, which represents the price in dollars per ton for
carrying the oil at that rate. The negotiated rate will be some percentage of the index value.