S

Safety of Life a Sea Convention
Abbreviation : SOLAS

Safe Working Load
Abbreviation: SWL
The maximum load any lifting appliance may handle.

Safety Stock
1. In general, a quantity of stock planned to be in inventory to protect against fluctuations in demand and/or supply.
2. In the context of master production scheduling, safety stock can refer to additional inventory and/or capacity planned as protection against forecast errors and/or short terms changes in the backlog. Also referred to as 'overplanning' or a 'market hedge'.

Said to Contain
Abbreviation: STC
Term in a Bill of Lading signifying that the master and the carrier are unaware of the nature or quantity of the contents of e.g. a carton, crate, container or bundle and are relying on the description furnished by the shipper.

Salvage
The saving or rescue of a vessel and/or the cargo from loss and/or damage at sea or from a wrecked vessel, or the recovery of the vessel herself.

Sanction
An embargo imposed by a Government against another country.

Scale Ton
Freighting measurement used in certain trades for various commodities.

Scenario
A formal specification of a group of business activities that may take place between parties to achieve a particular objective.

Schedule
A timetable including arrival/departure times of ocean- and feeder vessels and also inland transportation. It refers to named ports in a specific voyage (journey) within a certain trade indicating the voyage number(s). In general: The plan of times for starting and/or finishing activities.

Seabee
Sea-barge, a barge carrier design similar to "LASH" but which uses rollers to move the barges aboard the ship; the self-propelled loaded barges are themselves loaded on board as cargo and are considerably larger than those loaded on LASH ships.

Sea-Bee Vessels
Ocean vessels constructed with heavy-duty submersible hydraulic lift or elevator system at the stern of the vessel. The Sea-Bee system facilitates forward transfer and positioning of barges. Sea-Bee barges are larger than LASH barges. The Sea-Bee system is no longer used.

Seafarers International Union.
Abbreviation : SIU

Seal
A device used for containers, lockers, trucks or lorries to proof relevant parties that they have remained closed during transport.

Seal Log
A document used to record seal numbers.

Seasonal Inventory
Inventory built up in anticipation of a seasonal peak of demand in order to smooth production.

Sea Trials
A series of trials conducted by the builders during which the owner's representatives on board act in a consulting and checking capacity to determine if the vessel has met the specifications.

Sea Waybill
Document indicating the goods were loaded onboard when a document of title (b/L) is not needed. Typically used when a company is shipping goods to itself.

Seaworthiness
Fitness of a vessel to travel in open sea mostly related to a particular voyage with a particular cargo.

Seaworthiness Certificate
A certificate issued by a classification society surveyor to allow a vessel to proceed after she has met with a mishap that may have affected its seaworthiness. It is frequently issued to enable a vessel to proceed, after temporary repairs have been effected, to another port where permanent repairs are then carried out.

Sectional Rate
The rate established by scheduled air carrier(s) for a section of a through route (air cargo).

Segregation
Distance required by the rules of IMDG or BC codes between the various commodities of dangerous and or bulk cargoes.

Self-Sustaining Ship
A containership which has her own crane for loading and discharging shipping containers enabling the ship to serve ports which do not have suitable lifting equipment.

Self-Trimming Ship
A ship whose holds re shaped in such a way that the cargo levels itself.

Self-Unloader
A bulk carrier which is equipped with gear for unloading cargo.

Seller
Party selling merchandise to a buyer.

Seller's Market
A 'seller's market' is considered to exist when goods cannot easily be secured and when the economic forces of business tend to be priced at the vendor's estimate of value. In other words, a state of trade favourable to the seller, with relatively great demand and high prices of something for sale.

Semi Trailer
A vehicle without motive power and with one or more axles designed to be drawn by a truck tractor and constructed in such way that a portion of its weight and that of its load rest upon e.g. the fifth wheel of the towing vehicle.

Sender
See Shipper

Sequenced Delivery
The synchronised delivery of trucks to co-ordinate with production schedules or local delivery vehicles.

Service
A string of vessels which makes a particular voyage and serves a particular market.

Service Based Pricing
Pricing structured to service packages provided, related to activity based costing including bought in costs.

Service Bill
A service Bill (of Lading) is a contract of carriage issued by one carrier to another for documentary and internal control purposes (e.g. in case P&O Nedlloyd cargo is carried on a non P&O Nedlloyd vessel.) For internal documentary and control purposes a so-called participating agent in a consortium uses some kind of document which, depending on the trade, is referred to as 'Memo Bill' which will among others state: Name of Carrier on whose behalf the original document (Way Bill, Bill of Lading, etc.) was issued.

The original document number.
The agent who issued the original document and his opponent at the discharging side. The number of packages, weight and measurement, marks and numbers and goods description. Further mandatory details in case of special cargo. No freight details will be mentioned and the Memo Bill is not a contract of carriage.
See Bill of Lading

Service Level
A measure for the extent to which the customer orders can be executed at delivery conditions normally accepted in the market.

Service Level Agreement
Abbreviation: SLA
An arrangement between a service provider and an organisation specifying details about the services to be provided.

Setting/Air Delivery Temperature
An indication in the documents (B/L) stating the air supply temperature to the container.
Note: No other details than this temperature shall be included in the Bill of Lading.

Settlement Office
The institution to issue billing to and receive remittances from agents and to distribute the monies to CASS airlines, Billing Participants and Part Participants (air cargo).

Shed
See Warehouse

Shelf Life
The specified length of time prior to use for which items which are inherently subject to deterioration are deemed to remain fit for use under prescribed conditions.

Shift
Part of the work-program of a stevedoring company (a working day can have up to 3 shifts (24 hours)).

Shifting
This refers to movements or changing positions of cargo from one place to another. This can easily endanger the seaworthiness or cargoworthiness of the ship.

Ship
See Vessel

Ship Broker
Acts as intermediary between shipowners or carriers by sea on the one hand and cargo interests on the other. The functions are to act as forwarding agent or custom broker, fixing of charters, and acting as chartering agent.

Ship Chandler
An individual or company selling equipment and supplies for ships.

Ship Demurrage
A charge for delaying a steamer beyond a stipulated period.

Ship Operator
A ship operator is either the shipowner or the (legal) person responsible for the actual management of the vessel and its crew.

Ship's Bells
Measure time onboard ship. One bell sounds for each half hour. One bell means 12:30, two bells mean 1:00, three bells mean 1:30, and so on until 4:00 (eight bells). At 4:30 the cycle begins again with one bell.

Ship's Manifest
A statement listing the particulars of all shipments loaded for a specified voyage.

Ship's Protest
Statement of the master of a vessel before (in the presence of) competent authorities, concerning exceptional events which occurred during a voyage.

Ship's Tackle
All rigging, cranes, etc., utilized on a ship to load or unload cargo.

Shipment
The tender of one lot of cargo at one time from one shipper to one consignee on one bill of lading.

Shipment
A separately identifiable collection of goods to be carried.
Note: In the United States of America the word shipment is used instead of the word consignment.
See Consignment

Shipowner
The (legal) person officially registered as such in the certificate of registry where the following particulars are contained:

Shipper
The merchant (person) by whom, in whose name or on whose behalf a contract of carriage of goods has been concluded with a carrier or any party by whom, in whose name or on whose behalf the goods are actually delivered to the carrier in relation to the contract of carriage. Also called Consignor.

Shippers Council
An organization of shippers formed to collectively and services with the conferences of ship operators.

Shipper's Export Declaration
Abbreviation: SED
A United States customs form to be completed for all exports to assist the government in compiling export statistics.

Shipper's Instructions
Shipper's communication(s) to its agent and/or directly to the international water-carrier. Instructions may be varied, e.g., specific details/clauses to be printed on the B/L, directions for cargo pickup and delivery.

Shipper's Letter of Instructions for issuing an Air Waybill
The document required by the carrier or freight forwarders to obtain (besides the data needed) authorization to issue and sign the air waybill in the name of the shipper.

Shipper's Letter of Instruction
Abbreviation: SLI
A document containing instructions given by the shipper or the shipper's agent for preparing documents and forwarding (air cargo).

Shipper's Load & Count (SL&C)
Shipments loaded and sealed by shippers and not checked or verified by the carriers.

Shipping Note
Document provided by the shipper or his agent to the carrier, multimodal transport operator, terminal or other receiving authority, giving information about export consignments offered for transport, and providing for the necessary receipts and declarations of liability.

Shipping Documents
Documents required for the carriage of goods.

Shipping Instruction
Document advising details of cargo and exporter's requirements of its physical movement.

Shipping Label
A label attached to a P&O Nedlloyd unit, containing certain data.

Shipping Marks
The identification shown on individual packages in order to help in moving it without delay or confusion to its final destination and to enable the checking of cargo against documents.

Shipping Order
Shipper's instructions to carrier for forwarding goods; usually the triplicate copy of the bill of lading.

Ships

Ships Agent
A person or firm who transacts all business in a port on behalf of shipowners or charterers. Also called shipping agent; agent.

Ships Articles
A written agreement between the master of a ship and the crew concerning their employment. It includes rates of pay and capacity of each crewman, the date of commencement of the voyage and its duration.

Ships Stability
The seaworthiness of a ship regarding the centrifugal force which enables her to remain upright.

Shore
A prop or support placed against or beneath anything to prevent sinking or sagging.

Short Ton (ST)
2,000 pounds.

Shortage
The negative difference between actual available or delivered quantity and the required quantity.

Short Ton
2,000 pounds.

Shrink Wrapping
Heat treatment that shrinks an envelope of polyethylene or similar substance around several units, thus forming one unit. It is used e.g. to secure packages on a pallet.

Shuttle Service
The carriage back and forth over an often short route between two points.

Side Loader
A lift truck fitted with lifting attachments operating to one side for handling containers.

Side-Door Container
A container fitted with a rear door and a minimum of one side door.

Siding
A short railroad track connected with a main track by a switch to serve a warehouse or an industrial area.

Sight Draft
A draft payable upon presentation to the drawee.

Simplification
The limiting of formalities, procedures, documents, information, and operations to the minimum essential requirements, steps, data and tasks acceptable by all parties concerned.

Simplification Toolkit
Collection of tools to enable simplified implementations of structured electronic commerce techniques such as, electronic data interchange, electronic funds transfer, automatic data capture, bar-code technology and unique goods/product/service/party identification schemes.

Simulation
The imitation of the reality for studying the effect of changing parameters in a model as a means of preparing a decision.

Single Administrative Document
Abbreviation: SAD
A set of documents, replacing the various (national) forms for customs declaration within European Community, implemented on January 1st, 1988. The introduction of the SAD constitutes an intermediate stage in the abolition of all administrative documentation in intra European Community trade in goods between member states.

SITPRO
National organisation for the Simplification of International Trade Procedures in the United Kingdom (e.g. in The Netherlands SITPRO is called 'Sitproneth', in France 'Simprofrance' and in Japan 'Jastpro').

Sister Ships
Ships built on the same design.

Skeleton Trailer
Road trailer consisting of a frame and wheels specially designed to carry containers. See Chassis

Skids
Battens fitted underneath frames, boxes or packages to raise them off the floor and allow easy access for fork lift trucks, slings or other handling equipment.

Sleepers
Loaded containers moving within the railroad system that are not clearly identified on any internally generated reports.

Sliding Tandem
An undercarriage with a subframe having provision for convenient fore and aft adjustment of its position on the chassis/semi-trailer. The purpose being to be able to shift part of the load to either the king pin or the suspension to maximise legally permitted axle loads (road cargo).

Sling
Special chain, wire rope, synthetic fibre strap or ropes used for cargo handling purposes.

Slip
A vessel's berth between two piers.

Slip Sheeting
Hard plastic sheeting used to stack cartons, optimising container space.

Slip Way
Find out

Slop Tank
A tank in a tanker into which slops are pumped. These represent a residue of the ship's cargo of oil together with the water used to clean the cargo tanks. They are left to separate out in the slop tank.

Slot
The space on board a vessel, required by one TEU, mainly used for administrative purposes.

Slot Charter
A voyage charter whereby the shipowner agrees to place a certain number of container slots (TEU and/or FEU) at the charterer's disposal.

Snake Loading
Loading products into a container in the sequence with which the goods will be unloaded and stored in at destination.

Soft Currency
Currency which is not fully convertible to all currencies but only to some other soft currencies.

Sourcing
The management on purpose of the various origins of products materials on behalf of the recipient of these products or materials. In some industries sourcing is seen as the change from push to pull delivery for a number of fast moving items. Also in some industries, sourcing is specially dedicated to the retail industry acting as an intermediary between suppliers and the market with an integrated service for e.g.supermarkets or large department stores.

SPA
See Subject to Particular Average.
See also Particular Average.

Space Charter
A voyage charter whereby the shipowner agrees to place part of the vessels capacity at the charterers disposal.

Special Drawing Rights
Abbreviation: SDR
Unit of account from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), i.a. used to express the amount of the limitations of a carrier's liability.

Special Rate
A rate other than a normal rate.

Specific Commodity Rate
Abbreviation: SCR
A rate applicable to carriage of specifically designated commodities.

Spine Car
An articulated five-platform railcar. Used where height and weight restrictions limit the use of stack cars. It holds five 40-foot containers or combinations of 40- and 20-foot containers.

Split Shipment
In case of indirect delivery through consolidation and if split shipment conditions occur then each split part of the shipment will be delivered in a different consignment but all consignments identified by the same unique original shipment id.

Spoke
The stretch between a hub and one of the group of consignees and/or consignors being served by the hub.

Spontaneous Ignition Temperature
The lowest temperature at which a substance will start burning spontaneously without an external source of ignition. A charter for a particular vessel to move a single cargo between specified loading port(s) and discharge port(s) in the immediate future. Contract rate ("spot" rate) covers total operating expenses, i.e., bunkers, port charges, canal tolls, crew's wages and food, insurance and repairs. Cargo owner absorbs, in addition, any expenses specifically levied against the cargo.

Spotting
Placing a container where required to be loaded or unloaded.

Spreader
1. Device used for lifting containers and unitised cargo.
2. Beam or frame that holds the slings vertical when hoisting a load, to prevent damage to cargo.

Spring
Mooring rope rigged from the forward or aft to a quayside bollard amidships to prevent the ship from surging forward or aft when alongside.

Stability
The capacity of a vessel to return to its original position after having been displaced by external forces. The stability of a vessel depends on the meta-centric height.

Stack
An identifiable amount of containers stowed in a orderly way in one specified place on an (ocean) terminal, container freight station, container yard or depot.
See also: Container Stack

Stack Car
An articulated five-platform rail car that allows containers to be double stacked. A typical stack car holds ten 40-foot equivalent units (FEU's).

Stack Train
A rail service whereby rail cars carry containers stacked two high on specially operated unit trains. Each train includes up to 35 articulated multi-platform cars. Each car is comprised of 5 well-type platforms upon which containers can be stacked. No chassis accompany containers.

Stacking
To pile boxes, bags, containers etc. on top of each other.

Stackweight
The total weight of the containers and cargo in a certain row.

Standard Costs
A carefully prepared estimate of the cost of performing a given operation under specified conditions.

Standard Industrial Classification
Abbreviation: SIC
A method, used in the United States, to categorise companies into different industrial groupings.

Standard International Trade Classification
Abbreviation : SITC
A standard numeric code developed by the United Nations to classify commodities used in international trade, based on a hierarchy.

Standard Product Module
Abbreviation: SPM

The building blocks used by business management to define services (shipment products) which can be offered to customers. They describe a more or less isolated set of activities with a standard cost attached to it. For operations management each module defines a combination of standard operations that needs to be carried out for a customer.
Note: SPM's can be regarded as the interface between business and operations management.

Standardisation
The development of agreements whose purpose is to align formalities, procedures, documents, information, and operations. At a national level, this would be alignment with acceptable commercial norms and practices, at an international level it would alignment with identified "best" and/or most accepted practices.

Starboard
The right-hand side of a ship when facing the front or forward end. The starboard side of a ship during darkness is indicated by a green light.

State of Origin
The state in the territory in which the cargo was first loaded.

Station Bill
A list which shows the vessel's complement and details their various duties in connection with fire and boat drills. Statute Of Limitation A law limiting the time in which claims or suits may be instituted.

STCC
See Standard Transportation Commodity Code

Steamship.
Abbreviation : SS

Steamship Conference
A group of vessel operators joined together for the purpose of establishing freight rates.

Steamship Guarantee
An indemnity issued to the carrier by a bank; protects the carrier against any possible losses or damages arising from release of the merchandise to the receiving party. This instrument is usually issued when the bill of lading is lost or is not available.

Steering of Containers
The function, with the aid of specific software for tracking and forecasting, to direct empty containers to demanding areas at minimum costs.

Stem
The foremost part of a vessel.

Stern
The upright post or bar of the bow of a vessel.

Sternway
The reverse movement of a vessel.

Stevedore
A party running a business of which the functions are loading, stowing and discharging vessels.

Stock
The materials in a supply chain or in a segment of a supply chain, expressed in quantities, locations and or values. UK.

Stock Control
The systematic administration of stock levels with respect to quantity at all times.

Stock Keeping Unit
The description of the unit of measurement by which the stock items are recorded on the stock record.

Stock Locator System
A system in which all places within a warehouse are named or numbered.

Stock Point
A point in the supply chain meant to keep materials available.

Stock Record
A record of the quantity of stock of a single item, often containing a history of recent transactions and information for controlling the replenishment of stock.

Storage
The activity of placing goods into a store or the state of being in store (e.g. a warehouse).

Storage Charge
The fee for keeping goods in a warehouse.

Store
A general term for provisions, materials and supplies used aboard ship for the maintenance of the crew, and for the navigation, propulsion and upkeep of the vessel and its equipment.

Store-Door Pick-up Delivery
A complete package of pick up or delivery services performed by a carrier from origin to final consumption point.

Stowage
The placing and securing of cargo or container in a ship in such a way as to ensure the safety and stability of the ship not only on a sea or ocean passage but also in between ports when parts of the cargo have been loaded or discharged.

Stowage Factor
Ratio of a cargo's cubic measurement to its weight, expressed in cubic feet to the ton or cubic metres to the tonne, used in order to determine the total quantity of cargo which can be loaded in a certain space.

Stowage Instructions
Imperative details about the way certain cargo is to be stowed, given by the shipper or his agent.

Stowage Plan
A plan indicating the locations on the vessel of all the consignments for the benefit of stevedores and vessel's officers.

Stowaway
An unwanted person who hides on board of a vessel or an aircraft to get free passage, to evade port officials. IMO definition: A person who is secreted on a ship or in cargo which is subsequently loaded on the ship, without the consent of the shipowner or the master or any other responsible person who is detected on board after the ship has departed from a port and reported as a stowaway by the master.

Straddle Carrier
Mobile truck equipment with the capacity for lifting a container within its own framework. It is used for moving, and sometimes stacking containers at a container terminal.

Straddle Crane
A crane usually running on rails and spanning an open area such as rail-tracks or roadways.

Straight Bill of Lading
A non-negotiable bill of lading which states a specific identity to whom the goods should be delivered.
See Bill of Lading.

Stranding
The running of a ship on shore on a beach.

Strap
A band of metal, plastic or other flexible material used to hold cargo or cases together.

Stretch
1. Part of the total transport chain (trade route) including overland transport identified by place of receipt, ports of call and place of delivery i.e. it has one location or an address as a starting and or ending point.
2. The leg between two points.

Stripping
The unloading of cargo out of a container.(devanning).

Stuffing
The loading of cargo into a container.

Submanifest:
A submanifest is the documentation compiled and communicated to Customs by forwarders, consolidators, slot charterers and carriers representing a party responsible for part of the outward cargo on a vessel or aircraft.

Subrogate
To put in place of another; i.e., when an insurance company pays a claim it is placed in the same position as the payee with regard to any rights against others.

Suboptimizing
Striving for optimum performance in one element of an organisation disregarding the effects this may cause to the performance of the other elements. In other words, a solution for a problem that is best from a narrow point of view but not from a higher or overall company point of view.

Substretch
Part of a stretch. This term is used if it is necessary to distinguish between a stretch and a part thereof.

Sufferance Wharf
A wharf licensed and attended by Customs authorities.

Supercargo
Experienced person (officer) assigned by the charterer of a vessel to advise the management of the vessel and protect the interests of the charterer.

Supply Chain
A logistical management system which integrates the sequence of activities from delivery of raw materials to the manufacturer through to delivery of the finish product to the customer into measurable components. "Just in Time" is a typical value-added example of supply chain management.

Supply Chain Definition
A sequence of events, which may include conversion, movement or placement, which adds value to goods, products, or services.

Supply Vessel
Vessel which carries stock and stores to offshore drilling rigs, platforms.

Surcharge
An additional charge added to the usual or customary freight.

Surtax
An additional extra tax.