Freight Glossary

Operational definitions of the terms shippers, carriers, and brokers use every day. The first sentence of each entry is written to stand alone — clear enough to quote directly. No invented numbers; if a term typically involves figures, the entry says so and explains what drives them without making up ranges.

This glossary is the shared reference for the Dock Optimizer freight network. flatbedeasy.com and hazmateasy.com link here rather than maintaining parallel definitions.

Full Truckload (FTL) Full truckload (FTL) is a shipping arrangement in which a single shipper occupies an entire trailer from a single origin to a single destination, with no intermediate stops.
Less Than Truckload (LTL) Less than truckload (LTL) is a shipping method in which multiple shippers share space on the same trailer, each paying only for the portion of the trailer their freight occupies.
Partial Truckload A partial truckload is a shipment that occupies more space than a standard LTL shipment but does not fill an entire trailer, typically moving with one or two other shippers' freight on a single truck.
Drayage Drayage is the short-distance trucking movement of freight — typically a shipping container — between a port, rail ramp, or intermodal terminal and a nearby warehouse or distribution center.
Deadhead Deadhead miles are miles driven by a truck without freight, typically when a driver repositions an empty trailer from a delivery point to a pickup location.
Backhaul A backhaul is a return load that a carrier picks up after delivering freight, allowing the truck to generate revenue on the return trip rather than driving empty.
Linehaul Linehaul is the long-distance transportation segment of a freight move — the main over-the-road portion between origin region and destination region, excluding local pickup and delivery.
Accessorial An accessorial is any freight charge beyond the base linehaul rate, billed for services or conditions that fall outside standard point-to-point pickup and delivery.
Detention Detention is a charge assessed when a truck driver is kept waiting at a pickup or delivery location beyond the free time allowed in the carrier's tariff, compensating the carrier for the driver's lost productivity.
Demurrage Demurrage is a charge assessed by a shipping line or railroad for holding a container beyond the contractual free time after it has been available for pickup at a port or rail terminal.
Layover A layover is a charge paid to a carrier when a driver must wait at a location for more than one business day, typically because freight isn't ready or a delivery appointment isn't available until the following day.
TONU (Truck Order Not Used) TONU is a charge assessed when a carrier dispatches a truck for a confirmed load and the load is cancelled or not tendered after the truck is in route or has arrived.
Lumper A lumper is a third-party worker hired to unload freight at a delivery destination, and the lumper fee is the charge for that labor service.
Driver Assist Driver assist is a freight service in which the driver is required to assist with loading or unloading the freight, rather than simply waiting in the cab while dock workers handle the trailer.
Reconsignment Reconsignment is the redirection of freight to a different destination after the shipment is already in transit, at the shipper's or consignee's request.
Redelivery Redelivery is an accessorial charge assessed when a carrier makes a second delivery attempt after the first attempt failed because the consignee was unavailable, the facility was closed, or the freight was refused.
Bill of Lading (BOL) A bill of lading (BOL) is the primary shipping document for a freight shipment, serving simultaneously as a receipt for goods, a contract of carriage between the shipper and carrier, and a document of title for the freight.
Proof of Delivery (POD) A proof of delivery (POD) is a document — typically the signed bill of lading or a separate delivery receipt — that confirms freight was received at the destination, providing evidence that the carrier completed their delivery obligation.
Freight Class Freight class is a standardized classification system used in less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping to categorize freight by its transportability characteristics, primarily density, stowability, handling requirements, and liability.
NMFC (National Motor Freight Classification) The National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) is the standardized reference system published by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association that assigns freight classes to thousands of commodity types used in LTL shipping.
Dimensional Weight (Dim Weight) Dimensional weight (dim weight) is a pricing method that calculates a shipment's billable weight based on its volume rather than its actual weight, used when the volume-to-weight ratio exceeds a carrier's density threshold.
Fuel Surcharge (FSC) A fuel surcharge (FSC) is an additional charge applied to a freight invoice to compensate carriers for fuel cost variability, typically calculated as a percentage of the linehaul rate or as a per-mile amount tied to a diesel fuel price index.
Tender A tender is a formal offer of a freight shipment to a carrier, and the carrier's response — accepting or declining — determines whether that load is covered by that carrier.
Spot Rate A spot rate is a one-time freight price negotiated for a single shipment, reflecting current market conditions on a lane rather than a pre-negotiated contract rate.
Contract Rate A contract rate is a pre-negotiated freight price for a specific lane, agreed between a shipper and carrier for a defined period and volume commitment, providing price stability in exchange for freight commitment.
Load Board A load board is a digital freight marketplace where shippers and brokers post available loads and carriers post available truck capacity, facilitating spot market freight matching.
Freight Broker vs. Carrier vs. 3PL A freight carrier owns and operates the trucks that move freight; a freight broker arranges transportation between shippers and carriers without owning equipment; and a third-party logistics provider (3PL) manages a broader range of supply chain services that may include transportation, warehousing, and inventory management.
Dispatch Dispatch is the operational function of assigning freight loads to drivers or trucks and coordinating their movements to execute pickups and deliveries on schedule.
ELD (Electronic Logging Device) An electronic logging device (ELD) is a hardware device mandated by FMCSA for most commercial truck drivers that automatically records driving time, engine hours, and location to track compliance with Hours of Service regulations.
Hours of Service (HOS) Hours of Service (HOS) are federal FMCSA regulations that govern how long commercial truck drivers may drive and work before mandatory rest periods, designed to reduce fatigue-related crashes.