Freight forwarding has its own language. This shipping and logistics glossary explains the terms you will see on quotes, bills of lading and customs documents.
Shipping terms A–Z
- AWB
- Air Waybill — the transport document for air cargo.
- B/L
- Bill of Lading — receipt, contract of carriage and title document for sea cargo.
- BAF
- Bunker Adjustment Factor — fuel surcharge added to ocean freight.
- CBM
- Cubic metre — the unit used to measure cargo volume (L × W × H in metres).
- CFS
- Container Freight Station — warehouse where LCL cargo is consolidated or de-consolidated.
- Chargeable weight
- For air freight, the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight.
- COO
- Certificate of Origin — proves the country where goods were produced.
- Cut-off
- The last time cargo or documents can be accepted for a sailing or flight.
- Demurrage
- Charge for keeping a container at the port terminal beyond the free time.
- Detention
- Charge for keeping the carrier's container outside the port beyond the free time.
- ETA / ETD
- Estimated Time of Arrival / Departure.
- FCL
- Full Container Load — one shipper uses the whole container.
- GD
- Goods Declaration — customs declaration filed in Pakistan via WeBOC/PSW.
- HBL / MBL
- House Bill of Lading (issued by a forwarder/NVOCC) / Master Bill of Lading (issued by the shipping line).
- HS code
- Harmonized System code — the international product classification used for customs duty.
- IGM
- Import General Manifest — list of cargo on a vessel or flight filed with customs.
- Incoterms
- ICC rules defining buyer and seller responsibilities — see our Incoterms 2020 guide.
- ISF
- Importer Security Filing (10+2) required for ocean cargo to the USA.
- LCL
- Less than Container Load — cargo shares a container with other shippers.
- NVOCC
- Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier — a carrier that issues its own B/L without owning ships.
- OOG
- Out of Gauge — cargo larger than a standard container's dimensions.
- PSW
- Pakistan Single Window — the national online platform for trade documentation.
- Reefer
- Refrigerated container for temperature-controlled cargo.
- Telex release
- Electronic release of cargo without presenting the original B/L at destination.
- THC
- Terminal Handling Charges — fees for handling containers at the port.
- Transshipment
- Moving cargo from one vessel to another at an intermediate port.
- VGM
- Verified Gross Mass — certified weight of a packed export container.
- WeBOC
- Web Based One Customs — Pakistan Customs' online clearance system.
