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GlossaryFreight terms, without the sales gloss
The words that decide who pays for what: rate confirmation, tender, class, accessorial, detention, free time, demurrage, drayage. Short definitions written for shippers and carriers, not for a search engine.
Accessorial
A charge for a service beyond dock-to-dock linehaul — liftgate, inside delivery, appointment window, residential/limited access, hazmat handling. We quote the published accessorial table up front so it appears on the rate confirmation instead of the invoice.
Bill of lading (BOL)
The document the shipper gives the carrier at pickup. It describes the freight, the piece count and the delivery instructions, and it is the receipt the carrier signs. The BOL is not the rate confirmation.
Broker
An intermediary that arranges transportation with a licensed motor carrier. A broker is not the carrier; the carrier's authority and insurance cover the movement.
Cargo insurance
The carrier's policy covering loss or damage to freight in transit. We collect a certificate before dispatch and require a $100,000 minimum for general freight on our onboarding checklist.
Certificate of insurance (COI)
The one-page evidence of a carrier's auto liability and cargo coverage, with limits, expiry and certificate holder. Expiry is tracked; a lapsed COI pauses new tenders.
Class (freight class / NMFC)
The National Motor Freight Classification class that sets an LTL rate basis from density, handling and liability. A shipment reclassified at the terminal is a cost dispute waiting to happen, so we verify class before booking.
Cross-dock
Transferring freight from one trailer to another at an intermediate facility without storage. We coordinate cross-dock with contracted partners where a lane needs it; we do not own the facility.
Demurrage
Charges a terminal or port applies when a container sits beyond free time. Distinct from detention, which is carrier equipment time.
Detention
Charges for keeping a carrier's trailer or driver beyond the agreed free time at pickup or delivery. Documented with in/out times rather than estimated after the fact.
Drayage
A short truck move, usually a container between a port or rail ramp and a nearby destination. Priced per container and governed by terminal appointments and free time.
Drop trailer
Leaving a trailer at the shipper or receiver for loading/unloading over a window, instead of live loading. Quoted per lane and subject to trailer availability and detention terms.
EDI
Electronic Data Interchange — structured load tenders and status messages (204, 990, 214, 210 in US freight). We do not run EDI with shippers today; see /integrations for the honest availability statement.
FAK (freight all kinds)
An LTL pricing arrangement that applies one class to a mixed shipment instead of classing each item. Only usable when the carrier agrees to it in writing.
Free time
The period a container, trailer or driver can be used or held before per-diem, demurrage or detention starts. Named on the quote where it applies.
FTL (full truckload)
A dedicated trailer for one shipment from origin to destination, without terminal consolidation. Priced as a whole move, not per hundredweight.
Fuel surcharge
A linehaul-linked charge that tracks fuel cost. Our estimate model applies 18% of linehaul for over-the-road modes and shows it in the basis.
Heavy haul
Freight beyond normal legal weight or dimensions, requiring permits, escorts or specialized trailers. Quoted case by case with the permit and escort cost named.
Intermodal
Rail linehaul for the long segment with truck drayage at each end. Competitive on long lanes; the first and last mile are where most failures happen.
LTL (less-than-truckload)
Freight that shares a trailer with other shipments and is priced by class, weight and handling. Typical for 1–6 pallets.
Liftgate
A hydraulic platform on the trailer that lowers freight to ground level where there is no dock. Priced per stop when selected.
MC number
The operating authority number issued by the FMCSA to a for-hire motor carrier. Verified for every carrier before dispatch.
NVOCC
A non-vessel-operating common carrier that issues its own ocean bills of lading. We are not an NVOCC and do not book ocean freight under our own bill.
POD (proof of delivery)
The signed delivery receipt. It is the document that supports the invoice and any claim, and it is kept with the load record.
Per-diem
Daily charge for a container or chassis held beyond free time. Distinct from demurrage, which is the terminal's charge.
Rate confirmation
The document that authorizes the carrier to move the freight and states the rate, lane, pickup window, equipment, accessorials and carrier. It is the binding scope, and it never prints bank details.
Reroute / re-cover
Replacing a carrier or changing routing after tender. Disclosed in writing with the cost impact before the change is executed.
Spot rate
A one-off market rate for a lane, as opposed to a contracted lane rate. Our instant quote is a planning estimate; dispatch confirms the firm rate per load.
Tender
The formal offer of a load to a carrier (or acceptance of a shipper request). A tender should name the same scope as the rate confirmation.
Third-party logistics (3PL)
A provider that arranges and manages transportation on behalf of a shipper. Scope varies widely; ask what is operated versus arranged.
TMS
Transportation Management System — software that tenders loads, tracks status and audits freight invoices. We do not require a shipper to run one, and we do not sell one.
Transload
Moving freight between modes or containers at an intermediate point, for example devanning an import container for LTL delivery. Coordinated with a partner facility; not our own warehouse.
USDOT number
The US Department of Transportation identifier for a commercial motor carrier. Ours is printed in the site footer and on every rate confirmation.
Two documents, two jobs
The rate confirmation is the commercial scope: rate, lane, carrier, pickup window, accessorials. The bill of lading is the receipt and description of the freight. Confusing them is how accessorial disputes start.
Never printed on a document
Bank routing and account numbers. Remit instructions are issued by the billing desk after a verified request and callback, never printed on a rate confirmation or an invoice.
Ask a term
If a term on a rate confirmation is unclear, ask before signing it.
Email the desk (502) 385-3399Definitions are cheaper than disputes
Price the lane with the handling named, and get the scope in writing on the rate confirmation.