Terminology

Accessorial Charges: a service rendered by a carrier secondary to a transportation service. Examples: storage, re-consignment, stopping in transit to complete loading or partially unloading.

Axle Weight: amount of weight transmitted to the road by one axle.

Bobtail: tractor operating without a trailer.

Carrier: an individual, partnership, or corporation engaged in the business of transporting goods or persons.

Claim: (a) a demand made upon a transportation company for payment on account of loss or damage alleged to have occurred while the shipment was in possession of the carrier; (b) a demand upon a transportation company for refund of an overcharge.

Clean Bill of Lading: a bill of lading signed by the carrier for receipt of merchandise in good condition (no damage or loss etc. apparent).

COD Shipment: a shipment where the delivering carrier collects freight charges at the time of delivery.

Commodity: any article of commerce; goods shipped.

Concealed Damage: damage to the contents of a package which is apparently in good condition externally.

Concealed Loss: loss or damage that cannot be determined until the package is open.

Consignee: the person who receives the freight/articles.

Consignment: a shipment.

Consignor: the person who ships the freight/articles.

Cubic Foot: a common measure of the capacity of a truck. 1 foot x 1 foot x 1 foot space. 1728 cubic inches.

Deadhead: traveling without a load.

Declared Value: a dollar amount that the shipper enters on the bill of lading that confirms the shippers intent to insure the shipment for that amount. It is customary for additional charges to apply.

Demurrage: detention of a vehicle beyond the time allowed for loading, unloading, etc. Also the payment mode for such a delay.

Distance Rate: charge made on basis of miles traveled, often used as one component of a freight rate.

Dolly: an auxiliary axle assembly having a fifth wheel used for purpose of hauling increased payloads on a trailer.

Dunnage: the material used to protect or support freight in trucks. The weight of dunnage is shown separately on the Bill of Lading as it is material used around cargo to prevent damage.

Escort Vehicle: a vehicle (usually a pick-up truck) used to escort trucks when they are hauling over dimensional loads.

Exclusive Use of Truck: a request made by the shipper on the Bill of Lading for the dedicated use of a vehicle.

Free Time: the time for loading and unloading included in a price quote before hourly time charges are applied.

Gross Ton: 2,240 pounds.

Gross Vehicle Weight: (a) the weight of an article together with the weight of its container and the material used in packing; (b) as applied to a truck, the weight of the truck together with the weight of its entire contents.

Heavy Specialized Carrier: a trucking company transporting articles which according to their size, weight, shape or other inherent characteristics require special equipment for loading, unloading or transporting.

High Cube: a vehicle with above average cubic carrying capacity.

Hot Load: emergency shipment of cargo needed in a hurry.

Intermodal Transportation: transportation movement involving more than one mode, e.g. rail-motor, motor-air or rail-water.

Layover Time: the non-working time that a road driver spends away from his home terminal before being dispatched to some other destination and or shut down in accordance with log book compliance.

Log Book: a book carried by truck drivers containing daily records of hours, routes, etc. Log books are required by HTA and ICC regulations.

Loaded Mile: distance traveled with a loaded trailer.

Low-bed Trailer: open truck trailer constructed to provide a low platform height. Designed for the transportation of extremely heavy or bulky property.

Manifest: a document describing a shipment or the contents of a vehicle or ship.

Maximum Gross Combination Weight: the most weight allowed by law for a tractor and loaded trailer combination.

Open Top: a truck or trailer without a permanent metal top.

PARS (Pre-Arrival Review System)
The Pre-Arrival Review System (PARS) is a system developed by Canada Customs that allows for release information to be processed before a shipment/goods arrive at the border.

How does PARS work?
The bar coded cargo control document (a Customs Invoice, manifest or bill of lading), as well as a photocopy are presented to Canada Customs by the carrier. Customs scans the barcode and provides the driver with a release status. If no inspection was required, this is noted, the shipment is released for immediate delivery and clearance is provided.

PAPS (Pre-Arrival Processing System)
U.S. Customs introduced a prototype to speed up clearances and reduce congestion at commercial border crossings. Approved participants receive bar coded pro-bill numbers for inclusion with the customs documentation.

How does PAPS work?
The carrier will process your electronic border clearance well in advance of the shipment’s arrival at the border. Any potential problems with customs’ documents are identified and corrected before they cause delay.

Payload: total weight of the commodity being carried on a truck at a given time including packaging, banding, etc.

Permits: (a) authority granted by governing bodies to allow motor carriers to operate; (b) permission granted to carriers by states, provinces or municipalities to transport freight exceeding legal weight and size limits.

Portal to Portal: refers to rates charged from our home terminal through to the return to our home terminal.

Proof of Delivery: carrier establishes proof of delivery from delivery receipt copy of freight bill signed by consignee at time of delivery. This is legal proof of delivery.

Steering Axle: an axle through which directional control of the vehicle is applied. A steering axle may be powered or non-powered. A unit may have more than one steering axle.

Straight Truck: a truck with the body and engine mounted on the same chassis, as contrasted with a combination unit such as tractor-trailer.

Surcharge: a charge above the usual or customary charge.

Tandem (axle): an assembly of two axles, either of which may be powered.

Tare Weight: (a) the weight of a container and the material used for packaging; (b) as applied to a loaded truck, the weight of the truck exclusive of its contents.