The trucking & shipping industry has its own language, so Village Transport created this glossary to help you navigate terms you might encounter. To make it easier to find the information you need, it’s organized by the services we offer, including general trucking industry terms.
General Trucking Terms
- Accessorial Charges: Additional fees beyond the base shipping rate for services like liftgate delivery, inside delivery, waiting time, or special handling.
- Advance: Payment made to a vendor, such as a trucking company, before services are rendered.
- Axle: A rod or shaft on which a wheel or set of wheels revolves. The number of axles on a truck affects its weight capacity and the permits required for travel.
- Bill of Lading (BOL): A legal document issued by a carrier to a shipper, acknowledging that specified goods have been received and are to be delivered to a specified destination.
- Bobtail: A tractor (the front part of a semi-trailer truck) without a trailer attached.
- Carrier: The company or individual responsible for transporting goods.
- Cargo: The goods or merchandise being transported.
- Cartage: The local transportation of goods, usually within a city or metropolitan area.
- Consignee: The person or company to whom goods are shipped.
- Cross-dock: A logistics procedure where products from a supplier or manufacturing plant are distributed directly to a customer or retail chain with marginal to no handling or storage time.
- Deadhead: When a truck travels without carrying any cargo.
- Drop Trailer: A trailer that is left at a location for loading or unloading while the tractor is used for other purposes.
- Dry Van: An enclosed trailer used for transporting goods that don’t require temperature control.
- Escort Vehicle: A vehicle that accompanies an oversized load to ensure safety and compliance with regulations.
- Flatbed: An open trailer with no sides or roof, used for transporting large or irregularly shaped cargo.
- Freight: Goods transported by truck, train, ship, or aircraft.
- Fuel Surcharge: An additional fee added to the base rate to account for fluctuations in fuel prices.
- Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW): The total weight of a vehicle and its load.
- Logistics: The management of the flow of goods, information, and other resources between the point of origin and the point of consumption.
- LTL (Less-Than-Truckload): The transportation of relatively small freight shipments that do not require the entire space of a truck.
- Overdimensional (OD) Load: Cargo that exceeds the standard legal dimensions for transport on public roads, requiring special permits and handling.
- Permits: Official documents granting permission for specific activities, such as transporting oversized loads.
- Proof of Delivery (POD): A document signed by the consignee acknowledging receipt of the goods.
- Reefer: A refrigerated trailer used for transporting perishable goods.
- Shipper: The person or company sending the goods.
- Step Deck: A trailer with a lowered deck at the rear, allowing for taller cargo to be transported.
- Tariff: A schedule of rates and charges for transportation services.
- Team Drivers: Two drivers who share the driving responsibilities of a truck, allowing for faster transit times and fewer stops.
- Tractor: The front part of a semi-trailer truck that provides the power and pulls the trailer.
- Trailer: The rear part of a semi-trailer truck that carries the cargo.
- Transit Time: The time it takes for goods to be transported from the origin to the destination.
- Weigh Station: A checkpoint where trucks are weighed to ensure compliance with weight restrictions.
Tour Trucking Specific Terms
- Backline: The equipment on stage that is typically provided by the venue, such as amplifiers, drum kits, and keyboards.
- Breakdown: The process of dismantling and packing up stage equipment after a show.
- Load-in: The process of unloading and setting up stage equipment at a venue before a show.
- Load-out: The process of dismantling and packing up stage equipment after a show.
- Merch: Merchandise sold by the band or artist on tour.
- Production Manager: The person responsible for overseeing all technical and logistical aspects of a tour.
- Rider: A document outlining the specific requirements of an artist or band on tour, including technical, hospitality, and security needs.
- Rigging: The system of ropes, cables, and pulleys used to suspend and support stage equipment.
- Road Case: A durable, protective case used to transport musical instruments and other equipment.
- Runner: A person responsible for various errands and tasks on tour, such as picking up food or supplies.
Trade Show Shipping Specific Terms
- Advance Shipping Notice (ASN): An electronic document sent to the trade show organizer or exhibitor detailing the shipment’s contents and estimated arrival time.
- Drayage: The short-haul transportation of freight between the trade show venue and the exhibitor’s booth or storage area.
- Exclusive Use: A shipping option where the entire truck is dedicated to a single shipment, ensuring faster transit times and minimizing handling.
- Freight Class: A classification system used to determine shipping rates based on the freight’s density, value, and susceptibility to damage.
- Inbound Shipping: The transportation of freight from the exhibitor’s location to the trade show venue before the event.
- Material Handling: The process of loading, unloading, and moving freight within the trade show venue.
- Outbound Shipping: The transportation of freight from the trade show venue back to the exhibitor’s location or another destination after the event.
- Trade Show Kit: A specialized shipping container designed for the safe and efficient transportation of trade show displays and materials.
Freight Shipping Specific Terms
- Freight Class: A classification system used to determine shipping rates based on the freight’s density, value, and susceptibility to damage.
- Inbound Shipping: The transportation of freight from the shipper’s location to another destination.
- Less-Than-Truckload (LTL): A shipping option where multiple shipments share the same truck, ideal for smaller or less time-sensitive freight.
- Outbound Shipping: The transportation of freight from one location to the consignee’s location.
- Pallet: A flat transport structure that supports goods in a stable fashion while being lifted by a forklift, pallet jack, or other jacking device.
If you have questions about our tour trucking, trade show shipping or general freight trucking services, don’t hesitate to contact Village Transport and we’ll be happy to provide more information or a free quote.