Sea or Air shipping can be used for all types of cargo. This includes commercial and industrial materials, as well as personal goods such as, furniture, house goods, and automobiles. Container size, weight, necessary documentation, and transportation to and from the port of entry determine rates. Contact our Freight Agent at www.VandS-SeAir.com to initiate your rate quote for your specific cargo.
(Above dimensions are calculated on international container and there is possibility of slight change in container to container. These dimension are only for reference purpose and should not be taken for legal matters.)
| BAF |
Bunker adjustment factor. A fuel surcharge expressed as a percentage added or subtracted from the freight rate. |
| Berth |
Place alongside a quay where a ship loads or discharges cargo. |
| Bill of entry |
A shipper's detailed statement for customs purposes |
| Bill of lading |
A contract of carriage used by ocean, inland waterway, rail, truck common carriers, and contract carriers. This is a document signed by the carrier and acts as a contract of affreightment, a receipt and evidence of title to the cargo. |
| Break Bulk |
A term for general cargo. Cargo loaded in bulk inside a vessel as compared to cargo in a container. |
| C & F (CFR) |
Cost and freight. A term of sale. |
| CAF |
Currency adjustment factor. A surcharge expressed as a percentage from the freight rate compensating the shipper. Used to compensate for fluctuations in currencies. |
| Carrier |
Any person who undertakes to perform the performance of carriage by rail, road, sea, air, inland waterway or any combination. |
| Certificate of Origin |
Document presented to customs for import freight used to certify the national origin of the goods. |
| CFS |
Container Freight Station. A warehouse or terminal licensed by Customs to receive in-bond (import) and out-bond LCL freight to be consolidated or deconsolidated. |
| CIF |
Cost, insurance and freight |
| COD |
Cash on delivery |
| Consignee |
(C/nee) Person towhom goods are to be delivered by the carrier at the place of destination. This is the receiver. |
| Container |
Wood or metal storage for the carriage of cargo. |
| Container Vessel |
Ship specially designed to carry shipping containers. |
| CRF |
Clean report of findings. Details the quality, quantity and state of goods that are shipped. |
| CRN |
Customs registered number |
| DDC |
Destination delivery charge. An accessorial charge to deliver at destination. |
| Delivery Order |
Written instructions issued by owner of freight (or authorized agent) directing that the freight be released or shipped to a specified party. |
| Demurrage |
Charges caused by containers being stored at port and using space beyond specified 'free period' of time. |
| Detention |
Charges caused by containers being kept outside port beyond specified free time. |
| Discharging |
Removing goods from a ship or warehouse. |
| Drayage |
The trucking movement of a container. |
| Dry Van |
A basic 20/40 ft container. |
| ETA |
Estimated time of arrival. |
| ETD |
Estimated time of departure. |
| ETS |
Estimated time of sailing. |
| FCL |
Full container load |
| FEU |
Forty foot equivalent unit. Two 20 -foot containers equals one FEU. |
| FMC |
Federal Maritime Commission |
| FOB |
Free on board. Usually referred to the loading/terminal costs. |
| Fortnightly |
14 days (every other week) |
| Freight Forwarder |
Company or person who organizes transportation of cargo including one or all of the following: sea, truck, air or rail transport, haulage and customs clearance. |
| Groupage |
A container with cargoes from/for different shippers/receivers containing more than one shipper's cargo. Otherwise known as LCL (less than a container load). |
| LCL |
Less than a container load. A container with cargoes from/for different shippers/receivers. One container containing more than one shipper's cargo. |
| Manifest |
A list of the cargo to be loaded including Bill of Lading number, weight, volume, shippers and receiver's names, etc. |
| Open Top Container |
Container with a removable fabric roof which enable heavy/bulk cargo to be loaded into the container by crane/elevator. |
| Overlanded |
Cargo discharged but not on the manifest, generally by accident. |
| Pallet |
A wooden frame on which pieces of general cargo are placed so they can be lifted using a forklift truck. |
| Packing list |
Document which itemizes shipment contents. |
| Phytosanitary Cert. |
Phyto means plants. Under WTO treaty, a competent government authority can issue a certificate based on inspection of goods confirming that a plant, seeds, or plant products are free of insects and disease which the destination country specifies. |
| Pro Forma |
Pro forma invoice - it is a quotation. |
| Seafreight |
Charges of transporting cargo by sea. |
| Short Shipped |
Cargo not loaded and left either by accident or design. |
| SOB |
Shipped on board |
| Stowage Order |
Before certain classes are sent to the docks for shipment, a special stowage order must be obtained from the shipowner. It is the shipowner's authority to the shipworker to accept the goods and stow them where indicated. This must accompany the goods to the docks. |
| Tank Container |
A container suitable for carrying liquids of powder |
| Tare |
The actual weight of the container only without goods. |
| Tariff |
A published listing containing actual rates, classifications, charges, and rules. A tariff is the distinguishing feature of a common carrier consisting of transportation between published points/routes of service based on a common set of rules, at specified costs. |
| TEU |
20-ft equivalent unit. A standard of measure used to indicate container vessel or terminal capacity. A 20-ft container. |
| THC |
Terminal handling charge. Another accessorial charge. |
| Transshipment |
Transfer and reloading of freight from one vessel to another or from one mode to another, i.e., truck to ship) during the course of shipment from origin to destination. |
