T – Shipping Terms

T.&E.
Abbreviation for “Transportation and Exportation.” Customs form used to control cargo movement from port of entry to port of exit, meaning that the cargo is moving from one country, through the United States, to another country.

Tail
Rear of a container or trailer–opposite the front or nose.

Tare Weight
In railcar or container shipments, the weight of the empty railcar or empty container.

Tariff (Trf.)
A publication setting forth the charges, rates and rules of transportation companies.

Telex
Used for sending messages to outside companies. Messages are transmitted via Western Union, ITT and RCA. Being replaced by fax and internet.

Temperature Recorder
A device to record temperature in a container while cargo is en route.

Tender
The offer of goods for transportation or the offer to place cars or containers for loading or unload­ing.

Tenor
Time and date for payment of a draft.

Terminal
An assigned area in which containers are prepared for loading into a vessel, train, truck, or airplane or are stacked immediately after discharge from the vessel, train, truck, or airplane.

Terminal Charge
A charge made for a service performed in a carrier’s terminal area.

TBN
To Be Nominated (when the name of a ship is still unknown.)

TEU
Abbreviation for “Twenty foot Equivalent Unit.”

Third Party Logistics (3PL)
A company that provides logistics services to other companies for some or all of their logistics needs. It typically includes warehousing and transportation services. Most 3PL’s also have freight forwarding licenses.

Tonnage
100 cubic feet.

Through Rate
The total rate from the point of origin to final destination.

Throughput Charge
The charge for moving a container through a container yard off or onto a ship.

Time Charter
A contract for leasing between the ship owners and the lessee. It would state, e.g., the duration of the lease in years or voyages.

Time Draft
A draft that matures either a certain number of days after acceptance or a certain number of days after the date of the draft.

TIR
Transport International par la Route. Road transport operating agreement among European governments and the United States for the international movement of cargo by road. Display of the TIR carnet allows sealed container loads to cross national frontiers without inspection.

TL
Abbreviation for “Trailer Load.”

TOFC
Abbreviation for “Trailer on Flat Car.” The movement of a highway trailer on a railroad flatcar. Also known as Piggyback.

Ton–Mile
–A unit used in comparing freight earnings or expenses. The amount earned from the cost of hauling a ton of freight one mile.–The movement of a ton of freight one mile.

Tonnage
Generally refers to freight handled.

Top–Air Delivery
A type of air circulation in a container. In top air units, air is drawn from the bottom of the container, filtered through the evaporator for cooling and then forced through the ducted passages along the top of the container. This type of airflow requires a special loading pattern.

Towage
The charge made for towing a vessel.

Tractor
Unit of highway motive power used to pull one or more trailers/containers.

Trade Acceptance
A time or a date draft that has been accepted by the buyer (the drawee) for payment at maturity.

Traffic
Persons and property carried by transport lines.

Trailer
The truck unit into which freight is loaded as in tractor trailer combination. See Container.

Tramp Line
An ocean carrier company operating vessels not on regular runs or schedules. They call at any port where cargo may be available.

Transport
To move cargo from one place to another.

Transportation & Exit (T&E)
Allows foreign merchandise arriving at one port to be transported in bond through the U.S. to be exported from another port, without paying duty.

Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)
Established by Congress through the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) and is adminis­tered by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Coast Guard. TWICs are tamper–resistant biometric credentials that will be issued to all credentialed merchant mariners and to workers who require unescorted access to secure areas of ports, vessels or outer continental shelf facilities.

Transship
To transfer goods from one transportation line to another, or from one ship to another.

Transshipment Port
Place where cargo is transferred to another carrier.

Trust Receipt
Release of merchandise by a bank to a buyer while the bank retains title to the merchandise. The goods are usually obtained for manufacturing or sales purposes. The buyer is obligated to maintain the goods (or the proceeds from their sales) distinct from the remainder of the assets and to hold them ready for repossession by the bank.

Turnaround
In water transportation, the time it takes between the arrival of a vessel and its departure.

Twist Locks
A set of four twistable bayonet type shear keys used as part of a spreader to pick up a container or as part of a chassis to secure the containers.

Two–Way Pallet
A pallet so designed that the forks of a fork lift truck can be inserted from two sides only.