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Glossary

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A.
Actual Weight - The actual weight of a shipment is the total gross weight in kg (or lbs) of an airfreight shipment including special crating or spreading as received from shipper or agent. It does not include the weight of any ULD. It is the weight that is usually charged for, see chargeable weight and volume weight.
Aircraft Container - A unit load device (ULD) which interfaces directly with the aircraft's cargo handling and restraint system.
Aircraft Pallet - An item of equipment consisting of a flat platform with a flat undersurface of standard dimensions on which goods are assembled and secured before being loaded as a unit onto the aircraft.
Air Freight - Transportation of goods by air.
Air Freight Forwarder - A Service organization which serves the dual role of air carrier (usually indirect) and shipper. To the shipper the air freight forwarder is an indirect air carrier because it receives freight under its own tariff, yet does not actually operate the airplanes. The air freight forwarder provides pick-up and delivery service to and from the shippers dock, consolidates shipments into larger units, prepares shipping documentation and tenders shipments to the airlines. To the airlines, the air freight forwarder is a shipper. Ordinarily an air freight forwarder is classed as an indirect air carrier, however, some air freight forwarders operate their own aircraft.
Airport to Airport - Air cargo service from airport of origin to airport of destination, without pick-up and delivery service.
Air Waybill - Document entitled "Air Waybill/Consignment Note", official contract concerning transportation of cargo by air, made out by or on behalf of the shipper, which is the contract between the shipper and carrier for the carriage of goods over the route of the carrier. It includes carrier conditions of carriage such as limits of liability and claims procedures. The air waybill also contains shipping instructions to the airline, a description of the commodity, and applicable transportation charges. The airline industry has adopted a standard formatted air waybill that accommodates both domestic and international traffic.
ATA - Actual time of arrival of a flight or truck, expressed in a 6 cipher code, stated in UTC for Flights, in LT for trucks. ATA can be same as STA but can be earlier or later than ETA depending on meteorological or technical factors.
ATD - Actual time of departure, expressed in a 6 cipher code, stated in UTC for flights, in LT for trucks. ATD can (should) be same as STD, but can be earlier or later.
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B.
Baggage - Passenger personal property or other passenger articles transported in connection with a journey. Unless otherwise specified, it includes both checked and unchecked baggage.
Belly, Pits or Holds - Compartments located beneath the cabin of an aircraft and used for the carriage of cargo and passenger baggage.
Bill of Lading - A document by which a carrier receipts for goods and contracts to move them. In air freight, the air waybill serves as the bill of lading and is the contract for carriage.
Break Bulk - Disassembling or unpacking a consolidated shipment for delivery or for reconsignment.
Bulk Cargo - Loose cargo, not unitized, not loaded in containers or on pallets.
Bulk Loaded - Cargo loaded as loose pieces into airplane compartments.
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C.
Cabotage - Applies to cargo carried on a domestic flight and therefore not subject to international agreements that fix set rates. Cabotage rates are negotiable between the shipper and the airline and apply on flights within a country and to its overseas territories.
Cargo - Freight for carriage by sea, land or air.
Cargo Aircraft - Aircraft for the carriage of cargo only, rather than the combination of passengers and cargo. Cargo aircraft carry palletized or containerized traffic on the main deck and either unitized or bulk cargo on the lower deck. Cargo aircraft are normally equipped with special cargo loading systems on the main deck. Also referred to as freighters or all-cargo aircraft.
Cargo AgentAn agent appointed by an airline to solicit and process international air freight for shipments. Cargo agents are paid commissions by the airline.
Carrier - Organisation that undertakes transportation of goods by sea, surface or air."Contracting Carrier" means a person or company who as a principle makes an agreement for carriage governed by the Warsaw Convention with a passenger or the consignor. "Actual Carrier" means a person or company other than the contracting carrier, who, by virtue of authority from the contracting carrier, performs the whole or part of the carriage, but who is not, with respect of such part, a consecutive carrier within the meaning of the Warsaw Convention. Such authority is presumed in the absence of proof of the contrary.
CASS - Cargo Account Settlement System. Clearing house for air cargo operations.
Chargeable Weight - Is the amount of weight that is paid for, abbreviation is CHWT. Most often it is the actual weight; the chargeable weight will be the volume weight if this volume weight is higher than the actual weight. In case of Shipper Built Units (SBU) the chargeable weight must not be less than the Pivot Weight. Same Pivot Weight may be used to establish the chargeable weight for offsize pieces causing high loss of space.
Charges Collect - Transportation charges may include pickup and/or delivery and are entered on the air waybill to be collected from the consigned. Equivalent terms are "freight collect" or "charges forward."
Charter Service - The temporary hiring of an aircraft, usually on a trip basis, for the movement of cargo or passengers.
Clearance - The space between the aircraft cargo compartment linings and the ULD.
Combi Aircraft - An aircraft configured to carry both passengers and cargo on the main deck.
Collect on Delivery (COD) - A transportation service under which the purchase price of the goods in collected by the carrier from the receiver at the time of delivery. Payment Is subsequently transmitted to the shipper. Carriers charge a nominal fee for this service. Payment is due upon delivery. There are no credit provisions in COD service.
COMAT - An acronym for "company-owned material." The airlines own property (Spare parts, station supplies, ticket stock, etc.) carried on the airlines own airplanes.
Combi Airplane - An airplane configured to carry both passengers and unitized cargo on the main deck.
Combination Carriers - Scheduled air carriers who transport both, passengers and cargo in passenger configured aircraft, with cargo restricted to the lower deck compartments.
Consignee - The person or firm whose name appears on the air waybill as the party to whom the goods are to be delivered by the carrier.
Consignment - Synonym for shipment. A shipment of one or more pieces of property, accepted by the carrier from one shipper at one time, receipted for in one lot, and moving on one air waybill.
Consignor - The person or firm whose name appears on the air waybill as the party contracting with the carrier for carriage of the goods. Usually the shipper.
Consolidation - A number of separate shipments that have been assembled into one shipment for movement on one air waybill from one location to another.
Consolidator - An entity that provides consolidation services, joining multiple shipments into a single shipment for tender to an air carrier. An Air Freight Forwarder performs the function of a consolidator.
Container - A unit load device (ULD) which interfaces directly with the airplane cargo handling and restraint system. (See Unit Load Device.)
Containerization - The practice or technique of using a box like device (containers) in which a number of packages are stored, protected, and handled as a single unit in transit.
Container Rate - A rate for the transportation of an entire container or ULD at a uniform charge, regardless of the weight of its content, unless a pivot weight is specified. (See Pivot Weight)
Contoured ULD - A ULD shaped to fit the airplane envelope to utilize the maximum space available.
Contract Rate - An unpublished rate established by contractual agreement between a carrier and a regular shipper, usually linked to a minimum volume requirement over a specified time period. Contract rates are sometimes a specified percentage discount of published rates.
Convertible Airplane - An airplane which can be converted from an all-passenger configuration to an all-cargo configuration or vice-versa, or to various configurations of passengers and cargo.
Coordinated Movement - The coordination and preplanning of schedules and air transport services between two or more carriers or shippers, often involving interline agreements and joint rates. Such services may involve the use of all forms of air as well as surface transport.
Courier - Attendant who accompanies cargo shipment(s). Also, attendant such as groom or veterinarian who accompany rare horses or other live animals.
CRISTAL - Etihad Crystal Cargo's Cargo System. Short for Cargo Reservation Information Sales Tracking Accounting Logistics
Cube Rule - A tariff basis stating the minimum density on which weight-based charges are to be computer. (See Dimensional Weight)
Cubic Capacity - The carrying capacity within an aircraft or container, expressed either in cubic feet, cubic inches, cubic centimeters or cubic meters.
Customhouse Broker - A broker who is certified by the U.S. Bureau of Customs to act for importers and other businessmen in handling the sequence of Customs formalities and other details related to the legal importation of goods.
Customs - The designated government authority that regulates the flow of goods to/from a country and collects duties levied by a country on imports and exports. The term also applies to the procedures involved in such collection.
Customs Declaration - A statement, oral or written, attesting to the correctness of description, quantity, value, etc., of merchandise offered for importation into the United States.
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D.
Dangerous Goods - The United Nation's official term for Hazardous Materials. Articles or substances which are capable of posing a significant risk to the health or safety of the general public when transported by air and which are classified according to the most current editions of the ICAO Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air and the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. See Hazardous Materials.
Declared Value for Carriage - The value of goods declared to the carrier by the shipper for the purposes of determining charges of or establishing the limit of the carrier's liability for loss, damage, or delay. See Valuation Charges.
Declared Value for Customs - The selling price of the contents or the replacement cost if the contents are not for resale. The amount must be equal to or greater than the declared value.
Deferred Air Freight - Property received for air transportation at a level of service lower than standard service (e.g., space available) and transported at a lower charge than standard air freight.
Deferred Rate - A rate that is lower than the corresponding standard rates for a comparable shipment. A shipper using a deferred rate agrees to accept a lower level or service in return for the lower rate.
Demurrage - The detention of containers by shippers or receives of freight beyond a specified grace period. The airlines tender carrier owned containers to the customer for loading and unloading of the unit. In the event the container is not returned to the carrier within a specified time (usually 36-48 hours) a charge may be assessed by the carrier for each 24-hour period or fraction there of beyond the allowed time.
Density - Density is weight per unit of volume. Density is computer by dividing a shipments weight by its cubic volume. Generally expressed in pounds per cubic foot in the U.S.
Dimensional Weight (Volume Weight) - A computed weight based on a minimum density requirement. It is used to determine the freight charges for low dense shipments. It is computed by dividing the shipment volume by the minimum density requirement. The Dimensional Weight Rule was developed to insure fair compensation for low-density shipments. When a given shipment falls below the minimum density requirement, dimensional weight rather than actual weight is used to calculate the transportation charged. Minimum density requirements vary from carrier to carrier. Some carriers give discounts for shipments of high-density goods.
Direct Air Carrier - An air carrier that operates airplanes on a scheduled or contract (charter) basis, or both, and provides transportation for a charge. An airline as opposed to a freight forwarder.
Dolly - A piece of equipment used to move containers or pallets around the airport with the aid of a tractor.
Door to Door or Dock to Dock - Transportation of a shipment from the shipper's premises (factory, store, warehouse, etc.) to the consignee's premises (as opposed to airport to airport).
Dry-Lease - A leasing arrangement between two parties where the first party hires an aircraft from the second party, for the first party to operate.
Duty - The Tax imposed on imports by the Customs authority of a country. Duties are generally based on the value of the goods (ad valorem duties), but may be based on weight or quantity (specific duties) or a combination of value and other factors (compound duties).
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E.
EBIT - Earnings Before Interest and Taxes
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) - A computerized system for communicating information about a shipment, including tracking and tracing, air waybill information and customs documentation.
Embargo - Temporary refusal to accept traffic for transportation at certain points or in certain routes due to emergencies, limitation of facilities, or other abnormal circumstances.
ETA - Estimated Time of Arrival, the calculated time of arrival at destination of a flight or of a truck, generally stated in UTC for flights and in LT for trucks. It is expressed in a 6 cypher code, where the first two cyphers indicate the date the next two hour and the last two minutest, the
ETD - Estimated Time of Departure, the planned time of departure of a flight or of a truck. It is expressed as a 6 cypher code, where the first two cyphers indicate the date, the next two the hour and the last two the minutes.
Export License - A Government document which permits the "Licensee" to engage in the export of designated goods to certain destinations.
Express - Small parcel shipments for which premium (usually overnight) service is provided.
External Dimensions, ULD - The Extreme outside measurement, including any handles or other protrusions, on a ULD.
External Volume, ULD - The amount of space a ULD occupies in an airplane, calculated using the extreme external dimensions of the unit.
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F.
Free Along Side (FAS) - A basis of pricing meaning the price of goods alongside a transport vessel at a specified location. The buyer is responsible for loading the goods onto the transport vessel and pays all the cost of shipping beyond that location.
Free Domicile - A term used in international transportation where the shipper pays all transportation charges and any applicable duties and/or taxes.
Free On Board (FOB) - A pricing term indication that the quoted price includes the cost of loading the goods into transport vessels at the specified place.
Free Trade Zone - A port designated by the Government of a country for duty-free entry of any non-prohibited goods. Merchandise may be stored, displayed, used for manufacturing, etc. within the zone and re-exported without duties being paid. Duties are imposed on the merchandise (or items manufactured from the merchandise) only when the goods pass from the foreign trade zone into an area of the country subject to the Customs authority.
Freight - Generally refers to air cargo, but does include air express, mail or passenger baggage.
Freighter - An all-cargo airplane. See Cargo Aircraft Freight Forwarder. See Air Freight Forwarder
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G.
General Commodity Rate (GCR) - An air freight rate applicable to all commodities except those for which specific rates have been filed such rates are based on weight and distance and are published for each pair of cities an airline serves.
General Declaration - A form used for customs purposes, issued for any commercial flight, stating names of crew members and, if applicable, loadmaster, cabin attendant, deadhead crew and mechanics. It also contains a statement of any passenger and/or cargo on board.
General Order (GO) - Merchandise not entered within 5 working days after arrival of the carrier and subsequently stored at the risk and expense of the importer.
Gross Weight - Entire weight of a shipment including the weight of containers (tare weight) and packaging material. On an air waybill, the tare weight (when applicable) and shipment weight are listed separately.
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H.
Hazardous Materials (HazMat) - Also called dangerous goods or restricted articles. Goods that represent a danger unless properly identified, classified packed, marked and labelled as per valid Dangerous Goods Regulations.
High Capacity Airplane - Equivalent to wide-bodied airplanes. Specifically refers to B747, B767, B777, A300, A330, A340, DC10, MD-11, L-1011, IL-86 & IL-96.
House Air Waybill - The forwarding agent's air waybill, not valid for transportation for the carrier. HAWB conditions are contracted between the agent and the shipper and do not concern the carrier.
Hub - Point where several branches of a network converge. In the cargo industry, hubs are used to control the timely connection of aircraft and trucks to reduce transit time of goods.
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I.
ICH - IATA Clearing House
Import License - A document required and issued by some national governments authorizing the importation of goods into their individual counties.
In Bond - As applied to air freight coming into the United States, the term "in Bond" refers to a procedure under U.S. Customs rules where the clearance of cargo is postponed until the cargo reaches an inland Customs point rather than subjecting the cargo to clearance procedures at the first arriving U.S. gateway airport where process might be more time consuming. The procedure is so named because the cargo moves under the carrier's bond (financial liability assured by the carrier) from the gateway airport and remains "In Bond" until Customs releases the cargo at the inland Customs point (airport).
Integrated Carrier - A carrier that provides door-to-door air cargo transportation using its own or contracted airplanes and motor trucks, and performs this service under the authority of a singe air waybill (e.g. United Parcel Service and Federal Express).
Interline - The movement of a shipment via two or more carriers. See coordinated Movement and Intermodal Compatibility.
Intermodal - Movement of goods by more than one mode of Transport, i.e. railroad, truck, ship and airplane, in the same ULD, under a singe waybill.
Intermodal Compatibility - The capability to transfer a shipment from one mode of transport to another, as from airplane to highway truck, to railway freight car, to ocean vessel. Certain aircraft can accommodate large types of standard containers commonly used in surface transport.
Intermodal Container - A structural container designed for carriage on airplanes, trucks, rail cars, and ocean vessels and equipped with corner fittings for restraint on a truck chassis and/or for lifting by crane or other loading mechanism.
Internal Fittings - A means of securing cargo inside a container.
Internal Volume, ULD - Maximum available space within the container or pallet net envelope.
International Air Transport Association (IATA) - An international trade and service organization for airlines of more than 100 countries serving international routes. IATA activities on behalf of shippers in international air freight include development of containerization programs, freight handling techniques and, for some airlines, uniform rates and rules.
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) - The International Aviation Organization of Governments, ICAO is an agency of the United Nations . It was organized to insure orderly worldwide technical development of civil aviation.
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) - A worldwide federation of national standards organizations. "ISO container" denotes a container equipped with standard ISO corner fittings for lifting or for retaining on a truck chassis.
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J.
Joint Rate - A single through-rate on cargo moving via two or more air carriers or air and surface carriers.
Just in Time (JIT) - The principle of production and inventory control that calls for immediate movement of raw materials, component parts, and work-in-progress. Goods arrive when needed (just in time) for production or use rather than becoming expensive inventory that occupies costly warehouse space.
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L.
Lay Order - The period during which the imported merchandise may remain at the place or unloading without some action being taken for its disposition, i.e., beyond the 5-day General Order period.
Length & Girth - A limitation on shipment size occasionally used by an airline. The equation used to calculate length and girth: Length + (2 x width) + (2 x height). The largest measurement always used as the length in the equation.
Letter of Credit (LC) - A document issued by a bank at the request of the buyer of goods. The LC guarantees payment to the seller given receipt by the bank of certain shipping documents validating the delivery of goods, within a specified time period.
Load Factor, Cargo (L/F) - The percentage of total available cargo capacity occupied by revenue cargo. It may be computer on the basis of volume, weight, or ULD capability.
Loading Gauge - A rigid framework in the shape of an airplane interior contour for the purpose of checking a pallet load on the ground to ensure it will fit into a particular position in a specific airplane type. Also referred to as a template.
Logistics - Activities that deal with all aspects of procurement, movement, maintenance, and disposition of supplies, equipment, facilities and personnel and the provision of services.
Loose Cargo, Loose Shipments - Air cargo delivered to an airline as separate packages and loaded and unloaded onto airplanes (or ULDs) by airline employees, and then delivered as separate pieces to the consigned. See Bulk Cargo.
Lot Labels - Labels attached to each piece of a multiple lot shipment for identification purposes.
Lower Deck - The compartment below the main deck (also called "lower love,' 'Lower hold,' 'pit' or 'belly').
Lower Deck Container/Pallet - A ULD shaped to fit the lower deck cargo compartment. These units come in half sizes and full sizes, related to the width across the airplane.
LT - Local time
LTL - Less Than Truckload. A term used by motor carriers to designate small shipments that are handled as loose pieces as opposed to full truckloads.
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M.
Main Deck - The deck on which the major portion of the payload is carried.
Main Deck Container/Pallet - A ULD carried on the main deck. These units come in half sizes and full sizes, related to the width across the airplane.
Marks - Information placed on outer surface of shipping containers or packages such as address labels, box specifications, caution, or directional warnings.
Man Hours - Unit of time for maintenance work. Number of workers multiplied by hours worked.
Maximum Gross Payload - On a cargo airplane, the maximum weight allowed and available for cargo. It includes the weight of the cargo, containers, pallets, straps and nets
Maximum Gross Weight, ULD - The maximum allowable combined weight of the ULD and its contents (payload).
Memorandum Tariff - Publications which contain rules and rate information extracted from official tariffs. Memorandum tariffs are published by many carriers and are available from these carriers upon request.
Minimum Charge - The lowest rate applicable on each type of air cargo service no matter how small the shipment.
Minimum Weight - The lowest weight at which a freight rate is applicable (See Weight Break).
MLW (Maximum Landing Weight) - Maximum weight for a landing as limited by aircraft capability and airworthiness requirements.
MTOW (Maximum Take-Off Weight) - Maximum weight for take-off as limited by aircraft capability and airworthiness requirements. This is the maximum weight at the start of the take-off run.
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N.
Negotiated Rate - In the U.S., an agreed rate between an airline and a shipper which is not otherwise provided in the current air freight rate tariff. These rates became legal when airfreight was deregulated in November in 1977.
Net Weight - The weight of an object without packing material - for weight and balance it is the weight of all the shipments including the packing but excluding ULDs and tie-down material (nets, straps, etc.) Also known as Net Payload.
Neutral Air Waybill - A standard air waybill without identification of issuing carrier.
Notify Party - A third party, involved in the destination of a shipment due to commercial or handling reasons, to be informed about the arrival of the goods, besides the consignee mentioned on the AWB.
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O.
Oversize (Offsize) Cargo - Unusually large or heavy cargo that will not fit in the cargo areas of standard-body freighters or passenger airplanes. Cargo the exceeds the standard dimensions of common ULDs.
Operating Income - Turnover. Revenues from operations including scheduled flight revenues, charter revenues, maintenance to third parties revenues and all other operating revenues.
Overpack -A repackaging system used by a shipper to contain one or more packages so to form one handling unit for convenience of handling. Such overpack can be a simple wooden skid, a crate or a fully closed large box.
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P.
Pallet - A platform of standard dimensions on which goods are assembled and secured by nets and straps before being loaded as a unit onto an airplane. It has a flat undersurface to interface with ball, roller, or caster surfaces.
Pallet Net - A webbing or rope that can be secured to the pallet edges for restraining a pallet load. It may be used with a nonstructural container. Pickup and Delivery (PU&D)- An optional service for the surface transport of shipments from shipper's dock to origination air terminal and from the air terminal of destination to receiver's dock. For airfreight, an additional charge is usually assessed. It may be provide by an air freight forwarder, an integrated carrier, or by an independent truck operator either separately or under contract to an airline.
Payload - The load capacity of an aircraft including fuel, crew, passengers, freight, cargo equipment, (maximum takeoff weight minus basic empty weight)
- gross payload: the weight of the cargo including cargo equipment (ULDs)
- net payload: the weight of the cargo itself
Pivot Weight - For shipments moving at container rates, it is the weight at which an additional charge is incurred for each pound over the picot weight. For shipments moving at bulk rates, the pivot weight is the weight at which it becomes less costly to pay the minimum charge at the higher weight break, than to pay for the actual weight at the lower weight break.
Port of Entry - An officially designated place at which a U.S. Customs officer is assigned with authority to accept entries of merchandise, to collect duties, and to enforce the various provisions of the U.S. Customs laws.
Prepaid Charges - The transportation trade practice under which the shipper pays transportation charges.
Priority Air Freight - Those shipments that have first claim on available air transport capacity, transported at a premium charge.
Proof of Deliver (P.O.D.) - Information provided to payer containing the name of person who signed for the package with the date and time of delivery.
Protective Service - - A protective service provided by airlines where shippers arrange to have a shipment under carrier surveillance tat each stage of transit from origin to destination. The service may extend to pickup and delivery and may include armed guard protection. See Signature Service.
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R.
Restraint System - The system installed in the floor of an airplane compartment that secures the ULD onto the floor to prevent its movement during flight. Also, a net in front of the cargo load to protect the flight crew and/or passengers.
Restricted Articles - An outdated term used to denote Dangerous Goods. These term is no longer used in regulations. See Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Material.
Road Feeder Service (RFS) - Freight service provided by the airlines using motor trucks, generally in conjunction with an air movement.
Roller Ball Transfer - A conveyor system in an airplane or in terminal facilities consisting of various sizes of balls or rollers over which ULD's con be moved.
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S.
Sales Areas - The commercial world of Cargolux is divided into 4 Sales Areas, similar to the IATA Conference Areas, which comprise the various stations as follows:
- AREA I North America and Mexico
- AREA II Europe, Africa, Middle East
- AREA III Far East, Australia, Pacific
- AREA VI Central and South America
Seat Track - A standardized track on the main-deck of an airplane, designed to accept tie-down fittings. It is typically a continuous track capable of accepting tie-down fittings at any of the regularly spaced intervals provided. May also be referred as a cargo track.
Shell - The superstructure of any container or igloo.
Shipment - One or more pieces of freight being transported under the contracted authority of one air waybill.
Shipper - The contracting party (person or company) entitled to give orders and instructions about his shipment to the accepting (issuing) carrier, simultaneously assuming full responsibility for any charges arising, until the moment the consignee has signed for receipt.
Shipper Build Unit - ULD completely built by an agent or a shipper and delivered to the carrier at departure station ready for carriage.
Shipper's Letter of Instruction - A form used by a shipper to authorize an airline to issue an air waybill on the shipper's behalf. The for contains all details of shipment and authorizes the airline to sign the air waybill in the name of the shipper.
Small Package Service - A specialized service guaranteeing the delivery of small parcels within specified express time limits, e.g. same day or next day. This traffic is subject to size and weight limitations. Most passenger air carriers also provide this service at airport ticket counters with delivery at destination baggage claim area. Often referred to as counter to counter.
Special Rates - Rates that apply to traffic under special conditions in selected makers. Examples of such rates are container rates, exception ratings, and surface-air rates.
Specific Commodity Rates (SCR) - Rates applicable to certain classes of commodities. Usually these rates are applied to commodities that move in large volume shipments in a given market. Hence, specific commodity rates re usually lower than the general commodity rate between the same pair of cities.
STA - Scheduled time of arrival, the time of arrival according to the published schedule expressed in a 6 cipher code, stated in LT or UTC for flights, in LT for trucks.
Standby Cargo - a) Cargo with special low rate which is loaded on board a flight only when remaining space is available
b) Cargo booked for a flight but already available for and/or requested to leave on a earlier flight which was already fully booked upon booking. The cargo is standby for this earlier flight.
STD - Scheduled time of departure, the time of departure according to the published schedule expressed in a 6 cipher code, stated in LT or UTC for flights, in LT for trucks.
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T.
Tare Weight - The actual weight of a container or pallet when empty, including all liners and/or fittings.
Tare Weight Allowance - A free weight allowance given to shippers as part of a unitization incentive program for ULDs.
Tariff - A document setting forth applicable rules, rates, and charges for the movement of goods. A tariff sets forth a contract of carriage for the shipper, the consignee, and the carrier. Tariffs are sometimes published by the carriers themselves and by a variety of publishing agencies, such as the Airline Tariff Publishing Company (ATPCO), The Air Cargo Tariff (TACT) and Cargo Rates Services, Inc.
Technical stop - Landing for aircraft fuelling and/or crew change, but without cargo offloading or reloading
Thermal ULD - A ULD built with insulating walls, doors, floor and roof which retard the rate of heat transmission between the inside and the outside of the ULD.
Tie-down Strap - A strap which secures a load to the ULD or the airplane restraint system.
Time Definite Delivery - Service standards offered by air freight carriers which permit the customer to select a specific time frame for delivery. These service standards provide schedule patterns based on same day, next day, second or third day delivery needs and may include door-to-door, dock-to-dock or airport to airport service.
Ton - Commonly a short ton (2,000 lbs.) as compared to a long or gross ton of 2,240 lbs.
Ton-kilometres flown - Tons carried multiplied by the distance flown. Measure of the company's cargo production.
Tons carried - Number of tons of cargo transported in all aircraft over a given period
Tracking/Tracing - A carriers system of following and recording movement intervals of shipments from origin to destination.
Trailer - A towed vehicle with a roller platform for hauling ULDs between the cargo terminal and the airplane. Trailers range from 10-ft dollies to 40-ft ISO-fitted chassis. The roller platform may be powered or unpowered.
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U.
Unitization - The practice or technique of consolidation many small pieces of freight into a single unit, usually through the use of aniline ULDs.
Unit Load - A number of pieces of freight or cargo in a single box or container, or on a pallet held in place by a net, strapping, or similar device to make them suitable for transporting, stacking, or storage as a unit. It is also a single large item packaged for transporting, stacking, or storage.
Unit Load Device (ULD) - Term commonly used when referring to containers, pallets and pallet nets. The purpose of the ULD is to enable individual pieces of cargo to be assembled into standardized units to ease the rapid loading and unloading of airplanes and to facilitate the transfer of cargo between airplanes have compatible handling and restraint systems.
UTC -Universal Time Co-ordinated, the international time standard, also known as Greenwich Meridian Time (GMT)
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V.
Valuation Charges - Transportation charges assessed shippers who declare a value of goods higher than the value of the carriers limits of liability. See Declared Value for Carriage.
Volume Ratio - Calculation factor to determine the maximum permitted volume towards the actual weight. Presently the standard volume ratio is established at 1:6 (1 kg weight max. 6 litres of volume)
Volume Weight - The space occupied by an object expressed in weight unit (kg) obtained by dividing the volume by the volume ratio, needed to establish the chargeable weight.
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W.
Warehouse - A place where goods are stored for a certain period of time. Normally carrier warehouses are Customs Bond, which means that any package must be registered under a Customs document.
Warsaw Convention - An international multilateral treaty which regulates, in a uniform manner, the conditions of international transportation by air. Among other things, it establishes the international liability of air carriers and establishers the monetary limits for loss, damage, and delay.
Weight and Balance Manual - Specific document for each airplane that controls the type and number of ULDs that can be loaded, their allowable weight and information on alternating loading arrangements.
Weight Break - Weight levels at which the air cargo rate unit decreases as the shipment width increases. Weight breaks normally occur at standard intervals, such as in international shipments 100, 220, 440, 660, 1100, 2200 pounds. Or 45, 100, 200, 300, 500, 1000 kilograms.
Abbreviations and Acronyms.
Wet-Lease - A leasing arrangement between two parties where the first party hires an aircraft and crew from the second party which operates services on behalf of the first party; the second party is the operator.
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Y.
Yield - The amount of interest paid on a bond divided by the price, a measure of the income generated by a bond.
In the airline industry, the yield is the price per weight unit of cargo transported (usually price per kilogram).