Glossary
Overview
The words used across this manual that are not obvious from everyday speech. Read it once before you
start; it will save you asking.
Every page here links to this glossary the first time it uses a term. If a word is unfamiliar,
it is probably in this list.
Access
Reference → Glossary
Screen
No screen — this is a word list.
Main Features
Containers and Freight
| Term |
Meaning |
| FCL |
Full Container Load — one shipper's goods fill the container |
| LCL |
Less than Container Load — shared with other shippers |
| TEU / FEU |
Twenty-foot / forty-foot equivalent unit — how containers are counted |
| Container number |
The ID printed on the container, e.g. MSCU1234567. Always read it off the box |
| Seal |
A numbered lock that proves the container has not been opened |
| Seal number |
The number on that lock. If it is broken or differs, stop and report |
| Booking |
The agreement to carry a shipment: shipper, carrier, when, which vessel |
| Cut-off |
The latest time a booking or container can be accepted for a sailing. After it, it misses the vessel |
| ETD / ETA |
Estimated Time of Departure / Arrival |
| Demurrage |
Charge for a container that stays too long at the terminal |
| Detention |
Charge for a container held too long outside the terminal |
Weight and Quantity
| Term |
Meaning |
| Gross |
The vehicle loaded |
| Tare |
The vehicle empty |
| Net |
The difference — the goods' weight. Not always auto-calculated; check it |
| VGM |
Verified Gross Mass — the declared total container weight, verified before loading |
| MT / LT / ST |
Metric ton / Long ton / Short ton — different units, different conversions |
| Bale |
A compressed bundle of material, the unit stock is tracked in |
Stock and Records
| Term |
Meaning |
| Lot |
A tracked batch of stock. Every lot has a balance and a location |
| Allocation |
Stock committed to an order so it cannot be used twice |
| Inbound |
Goods arriving |
| Outbound |
Goods leaving |
| Transload |
Goods moved between loads, often without returning to a terminal |
| Chassis |
The wheeled frame a container sits on |
| Pickup / Drop-off |
Where a container is collected, and where it is delivered |
Documents
| Term |
Meaning |
| BOL |
Bill of Lading — the shipping document listing what is on the load |
| POD |
Proof of Delivery — signed when the load arrives |
| ASN |
Advance Shipping Notice — sent ahead so the terminal expects a container |
| EDI |
The electronic messages terminals use to receive and release containers |
| Detention free days |
Days a container may sit free before charges start |
System Terms
| Term |
Meaning |
| DIP |
Dock In Plan — the morning plan of what arrives early and goes to which dock |
| Complete Without Scale |
Receiving a load that is not physically weighed |
| Finalize |
The step that turns a weighed load into stock. Weighing is not finalizing |
| QBO |
QuickBooks Online — the accounts system invoices go to |
| A/R, A/P |
Money owed to us / money we owe |
| Margin |
What is billed minus what it cost |
Fields
| Field |
Why it matters |
| Unit |
Decides the conversion and the formula |
| Cut-off date |
Missing it loses the vessel |
| Seal number |
Proves the container was not opened |
Status
Terms here are not statuses. For what each screen's states mean, open that screen's page.
Notes
- Demurrage and detention are different charges and both cost real money. Know which one you are
looking at.
- Gross and tare are not guaranteed to subtract to net. Always confirm the net figure.
- If a term is not here, ask — a missing word in the manual is a gap we should fix.