Glossary

A note on a bill of lading indicating that the goods are on board the ship.

A statement included on bills of lading, letters of credit, and insurance certificates to designate the recipient.

Port handling contractor.

Tax document accompanying the movement of certain goods that have not yet paid the consumption taxes.

Based on the value of the goods or declared value: Insurance, customs.

European Agreement concerning the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road.

An operation by which a charterer, at the request of a shipper, entrusts a consignment to a charterer, without prior consolidation. Or a contract for the provision of a means of transport (ship, aircraft, road vehicle, etc.) by a shipowner or manager of that means of transport, to a company which then acts as its charterer.

Freight forwarder operating by chartering.

Freight forwarder or commission agent who takes charge of the goods and issues the air waybill on behalf of the airline.

Company responsible for handling and/or transport operations at airports on behalf of freight forwarders, customs brokers and airlines.

Company that performs customs declarations on behalf of a principal.

Representative of a shipping company in a port of call. He recruits freight, delivers the goods and assists the captain during port calls.

Verification of the quality and quantity of goods by an expert or a monitoring company.

Owner who outfits and operates a ship.

Actions of securing goods on board a means of transport.

Supplementary insurance covering against the risks of war and riots is strongly advised for international contracts because all-risk insurance does not cover war risks.

Coverage against the risk of loss.

A company that provides insurance against risks.

A statement on a bill of lading or documentary credit indicating that the beneficiary is the bearer of the document.

Document drawn up by a carrier before the transport ticket is issued.

Motorized barge.

An intermediary service provider between the client and the company handling the transport or transit. It can be an agent or a freight forwarder.

Damage to a package or means of transport.

Visible at the time of delivery.

Discovered after the packages were opened or the machines were put into operation.

Damage caused accidentally to the goods or means of transport.

Loss or expense incurred by a captain to save the ship and its cargo.

Document sent by the carrier to announce the arrival of goods at a port or airport and requesting instructions for delivery.

Air waybill.

Left side when looking towards the front of the boat.

Good to remove, act by which the customs administration authorizes the removal of goods.

Fuel surcharge, a tax used to compensate for fluctuations in fuel prices.

Packaging unit for certain products (cotton, fabrics, etc.).

The process of putting up a thin tax banner that represents tax payment.

Physical concept of center of gravity. The barycenter corresponds to the idea of ​​a weighted average, that is to say, an average of several points of unequal importance.

A part or set of parts conforming to the shape of the product to ensure its stability on the ground and during transport.

B/L, maritime transport letter called bill of lading.

Document drawn up on the instructions of a client to take possession of goods from a shipper.

This document formalizes the release of a number of items from the company. It results in the invoicing process.

Document that confirms the entry into the company of a certain number of items from a supplier.

Freight transport carried out between two ports of the same country by a ship (not to be confused with maritime cabotage: freight transport over a very short distance) or between two destinations of the same country by a foreign carrier.

Monetary surcharge, a tax used to compensate for fluctuations in currency exchange rates.

A set of obligations to be respected in a contract. It constitutes a contractual document between the client and the supplier.

In wood.

Wooden packaging.

Vehicle intended for the transport of goods.

Maximum weight allowed for a means of transport.

Aircraft configured to transport various palletized goods.
A deep-sea vessel carrying various goods in holds, can be equipped with cranes to ensure loading or unloading operations in ports under-equipped with handling equipment.

Said following an incident or accident caused by a sudden change in transport conditions.

Main location where goods are transported for their subsequent dispatch by one or more modes of transport.

A written document that attests to a fact.

Document which serves to certify the origin of the product, to determine the amount of customs duties and to apply certain specific controls.
Certifies the results of an analysis,
attests to the product's conformity to specifications, a legal obligation.
attests to the condition of the product,
confirms that insurance coverage has been obtained.
certifies that the product meets the defined quality criteria.

Incoterm meaning “cost and freight”.

Expression used to signal a shipment using the entire means of transport.

To provide proof of responsibility in a disaster.

The operation of loading a means of transport.

The goods are placed on the deck of the ship (pay attention to the conditions of documentary credits and insurance).

A natural or legal person entrusting goods to a carrier for transport on behalf of another.

Sender of a shipment by sea.

Maritime transport document used during a chartering operation.

Document issued for a time charter.

Document issued for a voyage charter.

Instrument for measuring and recording speed and different times (driving, working and rest) either automatically (speed, driving) or by manipulation (working and rest).

Incoterm meaning “cost, insurance and freight”.

Incoterm meaning “carrying and insurance paid up to”.

Company with which it maintains business relations.

Designation of the consignment note in international land transport. Also refers to the Geneva Convention governing road transport by land.

As a professional body, the CNR is a technical and economic decision-making tool that provides companies and their professional organizations with an observatory of the evolution of flows, production costs and selling prices, studies and analyses by specialty and a statistical database.

Loading operations with another company.

Cash on delivery.

A cardboard or plastic cover that is placed on top of a pallet of goods.

Grouping of a defined quantity of one or more items. This is the delivery unit.

Package not delivered, lost in transit.

Aircraft equipped to carry passengers and cargo on the upper deck.

Natural or legal person engaged in an intermediary profession:
freight forwarder: holder of a professional qualification acting on behalf of a shipper.
Regulated profession and generic term which groups together distinct trades: messengers, charterers, freight forwarders (French specificity).

Air transport company.

Sea freight company.

Proposal put forward to settle the dispute over a general average.

Presentation and/or sales packaging for merchandise.

Term determining the extent of the cost of maritime transport.

Grouping of shipping companies to a destination.

Document drawn up during a maritime or river transport contract. It constitutes, in the hands of the regular carrier, the title of ownership of the goods loaded.

Bill of lading containing a reservation clause.

Bill of lading free of any clauses.

Goods received on board the ship.

Goods received by the armament or its agent and placed in warehouse.

Goods loaded after reception

Standardized metal crate, designed to transport goods by grouping them together and allowing easy storage and handling in ports, airports or combined transport yards.
– sheeted container or tilt container
– open side container: open side container
– open-top container
– bulk container; bulk container
– tank container: tank container
– refrigerated container: reefer container
– insulated container

A contract that aims to frame and define the computerized exchange of data between two business partners.

Documents developed to govern the relationship between carriers/clients and consignees, specifying the obligations and responsibilities of each party in the form of contracts approved by public authorities.

Insurance for transported goods covering all risks except war risks.

Payment upon delivery of documents to a designated bank.

Involvement of the various partners in the transport service, with a view to their commercial, technical and financial accountability. Implemented by a decree of July 23, 1992 for specific offenses in social matters (driving time and working hours) and road safety (overloading, speeding), this system was implicitly generalized from 1994 onwards by the entry into force of the new penal code which criminalizes complicity in the offenses.

Agreement signed between the parties which constitutes a binding commitment.

Or custom packaging – consists of packaging several products together to make a batch.

Shipping costs (boarding or disembarking) in maritime transport.

They represent the total expenses necessary to achieve something (operating costs, transport costs, storage costs, etc.) as opposed to prices which determine a value for a transaction (transport price).

Cost of all order tracking, inventory management and transportation activities that ensure the delivery of finished products to buyers.

Incoterm meaning “carriage paid up to”.

Secure bank transaction.

Documentary credit confirmed by a bank.

Representative Legal Capsule which represents the payment of excise duties.

Incoterm meaning “delivered at dock”.

Goods are released when the doors of a container are opened.

Carrier specializing in consolidation.

The process of separating deliveries (for different recipients) contained in a truck and distributing them into other trucks, each going to a different geographical destination. Transport companies are the primary operators of this process.

Time to initiate legal action for redress.

Operation to exit the territory.

Operation of releasing the product for consumption.

The operation of presenting goods to customs (import & export).

Monthly statistical and fiscal declaration established within the framework of intra-community trade by operators who have carried out exports or imports of goods or services.

Incoterm meaning “delivered duty not paid”.

Incoterm meaning “delivered duty paid”.

Incoterm meaning “delivered at the border”.

Electronic Administrative Document covering excise goods circulating under duty suspension.

Incoterm meaning “delivered ex ship”.

Person or company to whom the shipment is addressed.

Parcel measurements in cm given in the following order: length, width, height.

Form for completing customs declarations, set of 8 sheets.

Document addressed by the sender to the recipient and mentioning the weight, nature of the goods and the conditions of its shipment.

A fraudulent maneuver intended to deceive someone into accepting a legal act or conditions that are unfavorable to them.

Import tax.

The simplified accompanying document (DSA) should only be used to cover the movement of alcohol and alcoholic beverages under duty-free conditions between professionals within the national territory.

Pallet Rack Location

Shipping by air.

The act of storing goods.

Building intended for the storage of goods.

The act of picking up packages from a sender and transporting them to a platform.

Handling operation during the loading or unloading of a container.

Private railway line.

The operation of loading a ship or an aircraft.

A note made by carriers when the packaging is insufficient for the mode of transport or damaged.

Everything used for packaging. Makes the product handleable and transportable, unlike packaging.

Product classification according to the customs tariff.

Scheduled date and time of arrival of the ship or plane.

Scheduled departure date and time.

The act of making a package identifiable.

20-foot equivalent

Container measurement units:
6,20 m × 2,50 m × 2,50 m. This is called TEU in English.

An operation by which a company decides to entrust part of its activities to a service provider (transport, storage, logistics).

Incoterm meaning “ex-works”.

A natural or legal person practicing a profession as an insurance specialist to determine the responsibilities of the parties or the severity of the loss.

Company that ships goods.

Shipping of goods.

An event that the carrier could neither foresee nor overcome (atmospheric conditions only constitute force majeure if their intensity was exceptional).

First in/first out: Stock management rule according to which goods that are stored first are also necessarily removed from stock first.

Combined rail/road transport.

Shipping of goods from a single shipper in a sea container.

Incoterm meaning “free carrier”.

A set of products grouped together to form a loading unit.

Detailed list of products sold with their prices.

Incoterm meaning “free along the ship”.

Free from particular average, except for damage due to certain causes specified in the insurance policy. All causes not listed are not covered.

Particular average free insurance formula in which insurers cover total loss, general average with the exception of particular average.

In insurance matters, it is the name of the merchandise as opposed to "the body" which designates the ship.

Said for a given all-inclusive price (for example: pre-transport – sea freight – port handling).

Load-gripping device commonly used on handling trolleys:
– clamp fork: gripping device for grasping loads (bales, drums…).
– C-shaped or swiveling fork: load-holding device for bi- or tri-directional forklifts.

Transport or service prices, duties and fees.

Shipping costs paid by the sender.

Shipping costs are the responsibility of the recipient.

Costs associated with handling goods between the means of transport and the delivery or storage site.

Inevitable loss of volume or weight suffered by certain goods during their transport.

Refers to the sending of a product or price via transport.

Insured shipment for the return of a means of transport to its base.

Cylindrical metal container.

Project to develop a European satellite positioning system independent of the GPS and Glonass systems.

The act of stacking packages or containers on top of each other.

A forklift that picks up, transports and lifts the load inside its wheel axles; the forks being placed above the forklift arms.

A global satellite positioning system controlled by the United States.

Groupage is a mode of transport that involves combining several shipments from different senders to a single destination. Groupage shipments can be organized to or from any destination and utilize all modes of transport.

The act of grouping different goods together to load them into the same means of transport.

Company providing groupage services to one or more destinations.

Carrier specializing in the formation of consolidated air freight.

A quality analysis method aimed at limiting the risks of food contamination.

A range composed of products that meet different requirements.

All the regions located behind a port or airport and connected to it by a road, rail or river network.

All the regions located behind a port or airport and connected to it by a road, rail or river network.

Harmful and potentially dangerous substances.

A platform for the exchange of goods that converge at the sorting center, much like the spokes of a wheel converge at its hub. A central point for collection, shipping, and redistribution throughout a geographical area. This implies a transshipment (even a minor one) and/or a change of transport mode.

System in which the hub constitutes a network head from which secondary, regional, domestic lines branch off.

A range composed of products that all meet the same standard.

The set of terms defining the carrier's responsibility in the international transport contract.

Instructions given by the client for the shipment of goods.

A player in the transport and/or logistics market that seeks to take control of segments that are currently outside their control in order to control the entire logistics chain.

1- Use of several modes for the same transport of goods.
2- The ability, given by the size and configuration of networks, to substitute one mode for another.

Temporary storage facility – a place where non-Union goods can be stored for 90 days under duty and tax suspension

The set of measurements and calculations defining the tonnage of a boat and its ability to navigate on various rivers (Rhine gauge, Rhône gauge, etc.) or sea.

Free space around and above a pallet in a rack to facilitate and secure any handling operation.

Maritime term used for partial shipments that will be grouped in a container.

Letter of undertaking to avoid a categorized bill of lading or to collect the goods without presenting the bill of lading.

Transport document drawn up to confirm the conclusion of the transport contract.

Vertical movement of a load for loading and unloading a vehicle.

Lifting height that a piece of equipment can reach without moving its mast(s).

Maximum amount of compensation paid by a carrier following a loss.

Indicates all packages in the same shipment in terms of dimensions, net weight, gross weight, and package numbers.

The act of delivering the goods to the recipient.

The order has not been delivered; it has remained pending at the warehouse or is available at a carrier's premises after a delivery notice has been issued.

A contract by which the owner of equipment, or lessor, authorizes the lessee or tenant, in exchange for the payment of rent, to use that equipment for a specified period and under certain conditions contained in the lease agreement.

Logistics consists of making a quality product available, at the lowest cost, precisely where and when it is needed. It ensures that supply matches demand. Logistics therefore involves managing two flows: the flow of goods (physical flows) and the flow of related information (intangible flows due to the computerized exchange of data).

The Domestic Transport Orientation Law: No. 82-113 of December 30, 1982 aims to organize domestic transport and regulate its conditions of execution.

Term used to refer to several packages sent in one shipment.

Accompanying document for goods during air transport, drawn up after the conclusion of the transport contract by an air freight agent or an airline.

Document issued to release goods or attesting to the completion of an action (bank, customs).

Temporary storage facility or area. A location approved by the customs administration for the temporary storage of goods awaiting customs clearance.

Export warehouse area: A place approved by the customs administration where goods will be placed before their departure.

Document listing all goods loaded in a port or airport.

The act of moving, loading, unloading and transshipping packages in a warehouse, from a warehouse to a means of transport, from one means of transport to another means of transport.

Loading or unloading using a crane.

Designation of a product intended for transport.

Term used when grouping goods to refer to products of different origin and different design.

Products shipped without packaging.

Products that pose a danger to people, property and the environment are subject to strict regulations for transport.

Coastal shipping involves putting trucks on ships. This is another alternative to "all road transport".

International standard relating to the regulation of packaging materials based on raw wood.

The European Union's goods classification and coding system. The CN (Convention Number) consists of 8 characters; the first 6 are those of the harmonized system, and the last 2 correspond to subdivisions to meet statistical needs.
The NC is revised annually and serves as a reference basis for determining the applicable customs duty rate on goods.

A note that is made on a transport document to specify the names of the people to be notified upon arrival of the goods.

Authorised Economic Operator, status given to importing and exporting companies and service providers meeting the requirements of the Community regulation No. 648/2005 on safety and security.

Pallet racking, consisting of several uprights and beams delimiting storage locations.

The act of putting on a pallet, the act of loading goods onto a pallet.

Application of a higher tax weight than the weight bracket for the transported goods when the total price is favorable to the shipper.

Example: Shipping cost: 1 to 100 kg: €135 per 100 kg

Shipping cost for a 260 kg package = €120 x 2.60 = €312

Application of the payment rule for: €100 x 3.00 = €300, a price lower than the previous bracket to be applied by the carrier

The act of retrieving one or more products previously stored in the warehouse in order to prepare a package.

Used not only as facilities for transferring goods at the time of changing the mode of transport, but also for any additional service with added value: intermediate storage, consolidation, order and load preparation, etc.

Area for hosting companies whose activities are linked, directly or indirectly, to transport and logistics.

A space designed to facilitate the transshipment of goods between two or more modes of transport.

A metal or reinforced plastic piece used to secure a means of transport (shipper's seal, customs seal, etc.)

The act of affixing a seal after the doors of a means of transport have been closed to secure the shipment.

Shipping costs are the responsibility of the sender.

Shipping costs are the responsibility of the recipient.

Boat loading capacity.

Transport provided from home to home.

The right to claim is lost due to its non-exercise within the required timeframe.
The limitation period in transport law is generally 1 year for actions against land, sea and river carriers and 2 years for air carriers.

A privilege established by the Law of February 6, 1998, allows the carrier to retain goods entrusted to it to guarantee payment for previous services not yet settled. A freight forwarder also benefits from this right (French law). This right is also enshrined in several international conventions.

Area reserved for loading and/or unloading means of transport.

Equipment of various types and sizes intended for organizing the storage of load supports.

This action involves reporting a dispute concerning transported goods. Generally, the claim must be made at the time of delivery, depending on the various agreements.

Vehicle used for loading and transporting goods.

A group of agencies or carriers organized to cover all or part of a territory.

This means that between the parties to the same contract, and in the case of a claim based on the performance of that contract, only the rules of contractual liability can be applied.

May be sought under the Civil Code art. 1382 et seq., when the claimant is not a party to the contract in question (transport dispute: damaged barrel; complaining of a state service, a community or an association for pollution).

Protocol for settling a damage claim, payment of the loss.

Horizontal handling and loading vessel.

Transshipment of goods from one vehicle to another.

Paper or canvas packaging.

Used in the event of an accident during transport to refer to damage.

Contractual agreement by which a client enters into an agreement with a performing company for the transformation or manufacture of parts or for the provision of services.

Customs regime under which third-party goods can be placed under cover of a customs declaration, for the purpose of their storage.

Package number: An 18-digit code used to identify any logistics or shipping unit, homogeneous or heterogeneous, for individual tracking purposes in logistics operations.

Time allowed to the shipper for loading or unloading the boat.

Exceeding the boarding time (or starie) gives rise to compensation from the shipper to the carrier.

The 10-digit Taric code is a subset of the Combined Nomenclature. It determines the applicable customs duty rate and EU regulations when importing goods from a third country.

Transport prices: road transport: door-to-door, sea transport: port to port and air transport: airport to airport.

Time spent on transport is by definition unproductive and must therefore be reduced to the point of being considered merely "availability time" for loading and/or unloading. This represents the last remaining potential for productivity gains in the transport sector. Drivers must be compensated for this time, as it results in undue vehicle immobilization. Reducing this time requires, in particular, billing for it based on current regulations, establishing genuine partnerships with shippers and consignees, and modifying standard contracts.

Screen/keyboard or microcomputer installed at the driver's station of a forklift operator or driver and connected to the company's and/or warehouse's information system.

Generally refers to the airline store.

Domestic tax on petroleum products.

International Road Transit: Transit procedure which allows a sealed road train to transport goods along a predetermined route through several states signatory to this convention without systematic control of the goods at border crossings.

Transport management software.

Maximum height of the boat above the water. Also used to refer to the clearance under a bridge or in a tunnel.

Height of the submerged part of the boat which varies depending on the load carried.

International unit of volume (one tonneau equals one hundred British cubic feet = 2,83 m³).

A unit used to measure freight traffic, corresponding to the transport of one tonne over one kilometer, 10 tonnes over 100 meters, 1000 tonnes over one meter, etc. It is obtained by multiplying the number of tonnes transported by the distance in kilometers.

Wooden packaging used for packaging yarn.

Insurance for transported goods covering all risks except war risks.

Ability to trace the history of the movements of an entity or possibly its components, its use or its location (from its origin to its delivery through the stages of transformation and its routing) by means of recorded identifications.

Proof of routing and delivery.

Handling action to change means of transport.

Service provider mandated by a client to carry out operations relating to their goods.

Handling equipment fitted with a lifting device for gripping and manual horizontal transport of the pallet, can be motorized.

Company providing freight transport services.

A dual-mode transport system which, in the case of rail-road, combines the flexibility and agility of the truck with the massification possibilities offered by the train.
It consists of transferring semi-trailers and swap bodies onto trains via specialized handling facilities (also called transshipment terminals).
Combined transport can be applied to all transport combinations; sea/rail, road/sea, river/sea.

Independent carrier competing with the shipping companies that are members of a conference.

That which is on the right when looking towards the front of the boat.

Package prepared for shipment or storage. This can be a single shipment (cardboard box, crate, drum, bag, etc.) or several shipments arranged on a shrink-wrapped pallet, but also placed in a filled sea and/or air container; in this case, the whole, contents and container, becomes a single unit of load.
The distinction between number of packages and unit of load is important in the event of a dispute over transported goods.

Value declared to the insurance company or carrier to calculate the amount of insurance premiums and the sum that will be claimed in the event of a claim.

Deterioration of goods due to an internal cause, or due to a peculiarity or defect in the constitution of the goods.

Warehouse management system: Information system for receiving, storing, picking, shipping, tracking and executing warehouse activities.

Placement of received parcels or handling units. Operation consisting of directing products towards a specific destination.