|
B
BAF
See Bunker Adjustment Factor
BB
See Ballast Bonus Charter
BB
See Bareboat
Backfreight
The owners of a ship are entitled to payment as freight for merchandise returned through the fault of either the consignees or the consignors. Such payment, which is over and above the normal freight, is called backfreight.
Bagged Cargo
Various kinds of commodities usually packed in sacks or in bags, such as sugar, cement, milk powder, onion, grain, flour, etc.
B/L
See Bill of Lading
BC Code
Safe working practice code for solid bulk cargo.
BSI Container Specification
British Standards Institution Specification for freight containers.
Back Haul
The return movement of a means of transport which has provided a transport service in one
direction.
Back Letter
Back letters are drawn up in addition to a contract in order to lay down rights and/or obligations between both contracting parties, which, for some reason cannot be included in the original contract.
This expression is sometimes used for letters of indemnity, which are drawn up if the condition of the goods loaded gives rise to remarks and, nevertheless, the shipper insists upon receiving clean Bills of Lading. Letters of indemnity are only allowed in very exceptional circumstances.
Back Order
A customer order or commitment, which is unfilled due to insufficient stock.
Back Scheduling
A method of obtaining a production schedule by working backwards from the required due date in order to predict the latest start date consistent with meeting that due date.
Backlog
1). The quantity of goods still to be delivered, received, produced, issued, etc., for which the planned or agreed date has expired.
2). The total number of customer orders which have been received but not yet been shipped.
Beaufort Scale:
A windscale and sea disturbance table by which mariners grade the force of wind and height of waves, thus communicating the general condition of the sea to others by the use of a wind force number.
Balespace
The balespace of a vessel is the capacity of cargo spaces under deck (including hatchways but excluding void spaces behind cargo battens and beams) expressed in cubic meters or cubic feet.
Ballast
Heavy substances loaded by a vessel to improve stability, trimming, sea-keeping and to increase the immersion at the propeller. Sea water ballast is commonly' loaded in most vessels in ballast tanks, positioned in compartments right at the bottom and in some cases on the sides, called wing tanks. On a tanker, ballast is seawater that is taken into the cargo tanks to submerge the vessel to a proper trim.
Ballast Bonus
Abbreviation : BB
Special payment above the Chartering price when the ship has to sail a long way on ballast to reach the loading port.
Ballast Movement
A voyage or voyage leg made without any paying cargo in a vessel's tanks. To maintain proper stability, trim, or draft, sea water is usually carried during such movements.
Ballast Tank
Compartments at the bottom of a ship or on the sides which are filled with liquids for stability and to make the ship seaworthy. Any shipboard tank or compartment on a tanker normally used for carrying salt water ballast. When these compartments or tanks are not connected with the cargo system they are called segregated ballast tanks or systems.
Balloon Freight
Light, bulky articles.
Bank Guarantee
An undertaking by a bank to be answerable for payment of a sum of money in the event of non performance by the party on whose behalf the guarantee is issued.
Banking System
For marine purposes the practice of always keeping more than one piece of cargo on the quay or in he vessel ready for loading or discharging in order to avoid delays and to obtain optimal use of the oading gear.
Baplie
An EDI message to convey the Bayplan on occupied and empty slots in a certain vessel at a particular time.
Bar Coding
A method of encoding data for fast and accurate electronic readability. Bar codes are a series of alternating bars and spaces printed or stamped on products, labels, or other media, representing encoded information which can be read by electronic readers, used to facilitate timely and accurate input of data to a computer system. Bar codes represent letters and/or numbers and special characters like +, /, -, etc.
Bare Boat Charter
A charter in which the bare ship is chartered without crew; the charterer, for a stipulated sum taking over the vessel for a stated period of time, with a minimum of restrictions; the charterer appoints the master and the crew and pays all running expenses. See Demise Charter.
Barge
Flat-bottomed boat designed to carry cargo on inland waterways, usually without engines or crew accommodations. Barges can be lashed together and either pushed or pulled by tugs, carrying cargo of 60,000 tons or more. Small barges for carrying cargo between ship and shore are known as lighters.
Barge Aboard Catamaran
A way of loading cargo into large barges and then in turn loading the barges into a ship.
Barge Carriers
Ships designed to carry either barges or containers exclusively, or some variable number of barges and containers simultaneously. Currently this class includes two types of vessels, the LASH and the SEABEE.
Barratry
An act committed by the master or mariners of a vessel, for some unlawful or fraudulent purpose, contrary to their duty to the owners, whereby the latter sustain injury. It may include negligence, if so gross as to evidence fraud.
Barrel
A term of measure referring to 42 gallons of liquid at 60o F.
Bars
Special devices mounted on container doors to provide a watertight locking.
Base
Home depot of container or trailer.
Base Rate
A tariff term referring to ocean rate less accessorial charges, or simply the base tariff rate.
Basic Stock
Items of an inventory intended for issue against demand during the re-supply lead time.
Batch
A collection of products or data which is treated as one entity with respect to certain operations e.g. processing and production.
Batch Lot
A definite quantity of some product manufactured or produced under conditions which are presumed uniform and for production control purposes passing as a unit through the same series of operations.
Batch Production
The production process where products/components are produced in batches and where each separate batch consists of a number of the same products/components.
Battens
Members protruding from the inside walls of a vessel's hold or a (thermal) container to keep away the cargo from the walls to provide an air passage. They may be integral with the walls, fastened to the walls or added during cargo handling.
Bay
A vertical division of a vessel from stem to stern, used as a part of the indication of a stowage place for containers. The numbers run from stem to stern; odd numbers indicate a 20 foot position, even numbers indicate a 40 foot position.
Bay Plan
A stowage plan which shows the locations of all the containers on the vessel.
Beam
The width of a ship. Also called breadth.
Behältertragwagen
Abbreviation: B.T. Wagen
A container wagon of the German Railways.
Belt Line
A switching railroad operating within a commercial area.
Benchmarking
The measurement and comparison with a standard or others of efforts and results in the business process for e.g. input, output, reliability, quality and customer satisfaction. For example in P&O Nedlloyd, it is the comparative search for the best practices (processes) that will lead to superior performance of the company. It must be seen as a positive and pro-active process to make the company's operations lean and improve quality and productivity.
Bending-moment
Is the result of vertical forces acting on a ship as a result of local differences between weight and buoyancy. The total of these forces should be zero, otherwise change of draft will occur. At sea the bending moment will change as a result of wave impact which than periodically changes the buoyancy distribution.
Note: The maximum allowed bending moment of a vessel is restricted by the class bureau to certain limits, which are different under port and sea conditions.
Beneficial Ownership
Designates the owner who receives the benefits or profits from the operation. Also call Beneficial Cargo Owner
Beneficiary
1). Entity to whom money is payable.
2) The entity for whom a letter of credit is issued.
3). The seller and the drawer of a draft (Bill of Exchange).
Berne Gauge
The most restrictive loading gauge (standard measure) or the lowest common denominator of loading gauges on the railways of continental Europe.
Berth
A location in a port where a vessel can be moored often indicated by a code or name.
Berth Cargo
When a liner cargo vessel accepts extra cargo to fill up the empty space remaining.
Berth Terms
Shipped under rate that includes cost from end of ship's tackle at load port to end of ship's tackle at discharge port.
Best Practice
The provision to a client of examples and constructive consultation for improved logistics processes in the delivery of goods and services.
Beyond
Used with reference to charges assessed for cargo movement past a line-haul terminating point.
Bilateral
A contract term meaning both parties agree to provide something for the other.
Bilateral Transport Agreement
Agreement between two nations concerning their transport relations.
Bill of Exchange
An unconditional order in writing to pay a certain sum of money to a named person. In the United States, commonly known as a "Draft." However, bill of exchange is the correct term.
Bill of Health
The Bill of Health is the certificate issued by local medical authorities indicating the general health conditions in the port of departure or in the ports of call. The Bill of Health must have been visaed before departure by the Consul of the country of destination. When a vessel has free pratique, this means that the vessel has a clean Bill of Health certifying that there is no question of contagious disease and that all quarantine regulations have been complied with, so that people may embark and disembark.
Bill of Lading
Abbreviation: B/L, plural Bs/L
A document which evidences a contract of carriage by sea.
1). A document that establishes the terms of a contract between a shipper and a transportation company. It serves as a document of title, a contract of carriage and a receipt for goods.
2) Amended B/L: B/L requiring updates that do not change financial status; this is slightly different from corrected B/L.
3). B/L Terms & Conditions: the fine print on B/L; defines what the carrier can and cannot do, including the carrier's liabilities and contractual agreements.
4). B/L's Status: represents whether the bill of lading has been input, rated, reconciled, printed, or released to the customer.
5). B/L's Type: refers to the type of B/L being issued. Some examples are: a Memo (ME), Original (OBL), Non negotiable, Corrected (CBL) or Amended (AM) B/L.
6). Canceled B/L: B/L status; used to cancel a processed B/L; usually per shipper's request; different from voided B/L.
7). Clean B/L: A B/L which bears no superimposed clause or notation which declares a defective condition of the goods and/or the packaging.
8). Combined B/L: B/L that covers cargo moving over various transports.
9). Consolidated B/L: B/L combined or consolidated from two or more B/L's.
10). Corrected B/L: B/L requiring any update which results in money or other financially related changes.
11). Domestic B/L: Non-negotiable B/L primarily containing routing details; usually used by truckers and freight forwarders.
12). Duplicate B/L: Another original Bill of Lading set if first set is lost. also known as reissued B/L.
13). Express B/L: Non-negotiable B/L where there are no hard copies of originals printed.
14). Freight B/L: A contract of carriage between a shipper and forwarder (who is usually a NVOCC); a non-negotiable document.
15). Government B/L (GBL): A bill of lading issued by the U.S. government.
16). Hitchment B/L: B/L covering parts of a shipment which are loaded at more than one location. Hitchment B/L usually consists of two parts, hitchment and hitchment memo. The hitchment portion usually covers the majority of a divided shipment and carries the entire revenue.
17). House B/L: B/L issued by a freight forwarder or consolidator covering a single shipment containing the names, addresses and specific description of the goods shipped.
18). Intermodal B/L: B/L covering cargo moving via multimodal means. Also known as Combined Transport B/L, or Multimodal B/L.
19). Long Form B/L: B/L form with all Terms & Conditions written on it. Most B/L's are short form which incorporate the long form clauses by reference.
20). Memo B/L: Unfreighted B/L with no charges listed.
21). Military B/L: B/L issued by the U.S. military; also known as GBL, or Form DD1252.
22). B/L Numbers: U.S. Customs' standardized B/L numbering format to facilitate electronic communications and to make each B/L number unique.
23). Negotiable B/L: The B/L is a title document to the goods, issued "to the order of" a party, usually the shipper, whose endorsement is required to effect is negotiation. Thus, a shipper's order (negotiable) B/L can be bought, sold, or traded while goods are in transit and is commonly used for letter-of-credit transactions. The buyer must submit the original B/L to the carrier in order to take possession of the goods.
24). Non-Negotiable B/L: See Straight B/L. Sometimes means a file copy of a B/L.
25). "Onboard" B/L: B/L validated at the time of loading to transport. Onboard Air, Boxcar, Container, Rail, Truck and Vessel are the most common types.
26) Optional Discharge B/L: B/L covering cargo with more than one discharge point option possibility.
27). "Order" B/L: See Negotiable B/L.
28). Original B/L: The part of the B/L set that has value, especially when negotiable; rest of set are only informational file copies. Abbreviated as OBL.
29). Received for Shipment B/L: Validated at time cargo is received by ocean carrier to commence movement but before being validated as "Onboard".
30) Reconciled B/L: B/L set which has completed a prescribed number of edits between the shippers instructions and the actual shipment received. This produces a very accurate B/L.
31). Short Term B/L: Opposite of Long Form B/L, a B/L without the Terms & Conditions written on it. Also known as a Short Form B/L. The terms are incorporated by reference to the long form B/L.
32). Split B/L: One of two or more B/L's which have been split from a single B/L.
33). Stale B/L: A late B/L; in banking, a B/L which has passed the time deadline of the L/C and is void.
34). Straight (Consignment) B/L: Indicates the shipper will deliver the goods to the consignee. It does not convey title (non-negotiable). Most often used when the goods have been pre-paid.
35). "To Order" B/L: See Negotiable B/L.
36). Unique B/L Identifier: U.S. Customs' standardization: four-alpha code unique to each carrier placed in front of nine digit B/L number; APL's unique B/L Identifier is "APLU". Sea-land uses "SEAU". These prefixes are also used as the container identification.
37). Voided B/L: Related to Consolidated B/L; those B/L's absorbed in the combining process. Different from Canceled B/L.
below is from other
The document has the following functions:
1). A receipt for goods, signed by a duly authorised person on behalf of the carriers.
2). A document of title to the goods described therein.
3). Evidence of the terms and conditions of carriage agreed upon between the two parties.
At the moment 3 different models are used:
1). A document for either Combined Transport or Port to Port shipments depending whether the relevant spaces for place of receipt and/or place of delivery are indicated on the face of the document.
2). A classic marine Bill of Lading in which the carrier is also responsible for the part of the transport actually performed by himself.
3). Sea Waybill: A non-negotiable document, which can only be made out to a named consignee. No surrender of the document by the consignee is required. See also: Service Bill
Bill of Lading Clause
A particular article, stipulation or single proviso in a Bill of Lading. A clause can be standard and can be pre-printed on the B/L.
Bill of Lading Port of Discharge
Port where cargo is discharged from means of transport.
Bill of Material
A list of all parts, sub-assemblies and raw materials that constitute a particular assembly, showing the quantity of each required item.
Bill of Sale
Confirms the transfer of ownership of certain goods to another person in return for money paid or loaned.
Bill to Party
Customer designated as party paying for services.
Billed Weight
The weight shown in a waybill and freight bill, i.e, the invoiced weight.
Bimodal Trailer
1). A road semi-trailer with retractable running gear to allow mounting on a pair of rail boogies.
2). A trailer which is able to carry different types of standardised unit loads, (e.g. a chassis which is appropriate for the carriage of one FEU or two TEU's).
Binnacle
Support mounted on the bridge deck to hold the compass.
Black Cargo
Cargo banned by general cargo workers for some reason. This ban could be because the cargo is dangerous or hazardous to health.
Black Gang
A slang expression referring to the personnel in the engine department aboard ship.
Blanket Bond
A bond covering a group of persons, articles or properties.
Blanket Rate
1). A rate applicable to or from a group of points.
2). A special rate applicable to several different articles in a single shipment.
Blanket Waybill
A waybill covering two or more consignments of freight.
Blind Shipment
A B/L wherein the paying customer has contracted with the carrier that shipper or consignee information is not given.
Block Stowage
Stowing cargo destined for a specific location close together to avoid unnecessary cargo movement.
Block Train
A number of railway wagons (loaded with containers), departing from a certain place and running straight to a place of destination, without marshalling, transhipping or any coupling or de-coupling of wagons.
Blocking or Bracing
Wood or metal supports (Dunnage) to keep shipments in place to prevent cargo shifting.
Bls.
See "Bales."
Board
To gain access to a vessel.
Board Feet
The basic unit of measurement for lumber. One board foot is equal to a one inch board, 12 inches wide and one foot long. Thus, a board ten feet long, 12 inches wide, and one inch thick contains ten board feet.
Boat
A small open decked craft carried on board ships for a specific purpose e.g. lifeboat, workboat.
Boatman
Person who attends to the mooring and unmooring of vessels.
Boatswain (BOSUN)
The highest unlicensed rating in the deck department who has immediate charge of all deck hands and who in turn comes under the direct orders of the master or chief mate or mate.
Bobtail
Movement of a tractor, without trailer, over the highway.
Bogie
A set of wheels built specifically as rear wheels under the container.
Boilers
Steam generating units used aboard ship to provide steam for propulsion (and) for heating and other auxiliary purposes.
Bollard
Post, fixed to a quay or a vessel, for securing mooring ropes.
Bolster
A device fitted on a chassis or railcar to hold and secure the container.
See Container Bolster
Bona Fide
In good faith; without dishonesty, fraud or deceit.
Bond Port
Port of initial Customs entry of a vessel to any country. Also known as First Port of Call.
Bonded
The storage of certain goods under charge of customs viz. customs seal until the import duties are paid or until the goods are taken out of the country.
1). Bonded warehouse (A warehouse authorized by Customs authorities for storage of goods on which payment of duties is deferred until the goods are removed. )
2). Bonded store (place on a vessel where goods are placed behind seal until the time that the vessel leaves the port or country again).
3). Bonded goods (dutiable goods upon which duties have not been paid i.e. goods in transit or warehoused pending customs clearance).
Bonding Company:
An organisation that is prepared to undertake an agreement to make good a financial guarantee on behalf of another responsible for such guarantee. Owners of "arrested" vessels may obtain such a bond to satisfy a court and to obtain release of the vessel.
Booking
The offering by a shipper of cargo for transport and the acceptance of the offering by the carrier or his agent.
Booking Reference Number
The number assigned to a certain booking by the carrier or his agent.
BOP or B/p
Balance of payments.
Bordereau
Document used in road transport, listing the cargo carried on a road vehicle, often referring to appended copies of the road consignment note.
Bottleneck
A stage in a process which limits performance.
Note: Generally this is interpreted as a facility, function, department etc. that impedes performance, for example a warehouse or distribution centre where goods arrive at a faster rate than they can be transported or stored, thus causing stock-piling at improper moments or in unwanted areas.
Bottom Fittings
Special conical shaped devices inserted between a container and the permanent floor on the deck of a vessel in order to avoid shifting of the container during the voyage of this vessel.
Bottom Lift
Handling of containers with equipment attached to the four bottom corner fittings (castings).
Bottom Side Rails
Structural members on the longitudinal sides of the base of the container.
Bottomry
Money borrowed against a ship, or its equipment, repaid with interest upon the ship's arrival at port, and forfeited should the ship sink
Bottom-Air Delivery
A type of air circulation in a temperature control container. Air is pulled by a fan from the top of the container, passed through the evaporator coil for cooling, and then forced through the space under the load and up through the cargo. This type of airflow provides even temperatures.
Bow
The front of a vessel.
Bow-thrusters
A propeller at the lower sea-covered part of the bow of the ship which turns at right angles to the fore-and-aft line and thus provides transverse thrust as a maneuvering aid.
Box
Colloquial name for container (e.g. Box-club)
Boxcar
A closed rail freight car.
Box Pallet
Pallet with at least three fixed, removable or collapsible, vertical sides.
Branch Warehouse
See Distribution Center
Breadth
See Beam
Break Bulk
1). To unload and distribute a portion or all of the contents of a rail car, container, or trailer.
2). Loose, non-containerized cargo.
3). To strip unitized cargo.
Break Bulk Cargo
General cargo conventionally stowed as opposed to unitized, containerized and Roll On-Roll Off cargo.
Break Bulk Vessel
A general, multipurpose, cargo ship that carriers cargoes of non-uniform sizes, often on pallets, resulting in labor-intensive loading and unloading; calls at various ports to pick up different kinds of cargoes.
Break-even Weight
The weight at which it is cheaper to charge the lower rate for the next higher weight-break multiplied by the minimum weight indicated, than to charge the higher rate for the actual weight of the shipment.
Breakwater
A structure on board a ship, fixed to an open deck forward intended to deflect and disperse head seas shipped over the bow.
Bridge
Used loosely to refer to the navigating section of the vessel where the wheel house and chart room are located; erected structure amidships or aft or very rarely fore over the main deck of a ship to accommodate the wheelhouse.
Bridge Point
An inland location where cargo is received by the ocean carrier and then moved to a coastal port for loading.
Bridge Port
A port where cargo is received by the ocean carrier and stuffed into containers but then moved to another coastal port to be waded on a vessel.
Broken Stowage
1). The loss of space caused by irregularity in the shape of packages.
2). Any void or empty space in a vessel or container not occupied by cargo.
Broker:
An agent employed (at a customary or an agreed rate of commission or remuneration) to buy or sell goods, merchandise or marketable securities, or to negotiate insurances, freight rates or other matters, for a principal the sales of transactions being negotiated not in his own name but in that of the principal.
Brokerage
Freight forwarder/broker compensation as specified by ocean tariff or contract.
Brussels Tariff Nomenclature
The old Customs Co-operation Council Nomenclature for the classification of goods. Now replaced by the Harmonised System.
Buffer Stock
A quantity of goods or articles kept in store to safeguard against unforeseen shortages or demands.
Bulk Cargo
Cargo shipped in loose condition and of a homogeneous nature. Cargoes that are shipped unpackaged either dry, such as grain and ore, or liquid, such as petroleum products. Bulk service generally is not provided on a regularly scheduled basis, but rather as needed, on specialized ships, transporting a specific commodity.
Bulk Carrier
Ship specifically designed to transport vast amounts of cargoes such as sugar, grain, wine, ore, chemicals, liquefied natural gas; coal and oil. See also LNG Carrier, Tanker, OBO Ship.
Bulk Container
A container designed for the carriage of free-flowing dry cargoes, which are loaded through hatchways in the roof of the container and discharged through hatchways at one end of the container.
Bulk-Freight Container
A container with a discharge hatch in the front wall; allows bulk commodities to be carried.
Bunker Surcharge:
A charge levied by the 'Ocean Carrier' over and above the ocean freight rate to offset adjustments of oil bunkering costs.
Bulkhead
1). Upright partition dividing compartments on board a vessel. The functions of bulkheads are: :
- To increase the safety of a vessel by dividing it into compartments.
- To separate the engine room from the cargo holds.
-To increase the transverse strength of a vessel.
To reduce the risk of spreading fire to other compartments.
2). A vertically mounted board to provide front wall protection against shifting cargo and commonly seen on platform trailers (road cargo).
3). A partition in a container, providing a plenum chamber and/or air passage for either return or supply air. It may be an integral part of the appliance or a separate construction.
4). A vertically mounted wall separating the fore respectively aft compartment from the rest of the aircraft (air cargo).
Bull Rings
Cargo-securing devices mounted in the floor of containers; allow lashing and securing of cargo.
Bulletin
Specialised reports for specific activity related events.
Bunker
(Tank) spaces on board a vessel to store fuel.
Bunker Adjustment Factor
Abbreviation: BAF
Applied by P&O Nedlloyd or liner conferences to offset the effect of fluctuations in the cost of bunkers. Used to compensate steamship lines for fluctuating fuel costs. Sometimes called "Fuel Adjustment Factor" or FAF.
Bunker Charge
An extra charge sometimes added to steamship freight rates; justified by higher fuel costs. (Also known as Fuel Adjustment Factor or FAF.)
Bunkers
A Maritime term referring to Fuel used aboard the ship. Coal stowage areas aboard a vessel in the past were in bins or bunkers.
Buoy
A floating object employed as an aid to mariners to mark the navigable limits of channels, their fairways, sunken dangers, isolated rocks, telegraph cables, and the like; floating devices fixed in place at sea, lake or river as reference points for navigation or for other purposes.
Buoyancy
The upward force extended by the vertical component of integrated pressure acting on the hull below the waterline; usually calculated as being equal to the weight of the water displaced by the hull.
Bureau Veritas
French classification society.
next page |