Shipping & Freight Glossary

Moving goods by ocean, air, or truck involves a chain of documentation, service providers, and container logistics that all run on specialized terminology. A missed cutoff, wrong freight class, or mishandled bill of lading can stall your shipment for days. Knowing these terms keeps your supply chain moving.

This glossary covers the shipping and freight terms used by carriers, freight forwarders, NVOCCs, and logistics teams every day. It spans ocean freight, air cargo, trucking, and drayage, with definitions pulled from real operational workflows rather than textbook theory.

MeisterPrep receives inbound freight at our warehouses in Long Beach, Des Plaines, Houston, and Charleston. We coordinate with drayage providers, freight forwarders, and LTL carriers to get your inventory from port or origin to our prep floor. These are the terms we use in that process.

Shipping and Freight Terms

Bills of Lading and Documentation

• Bill of Lading (BOL or B/L)
• Ocean Bill of Lading (OBL)
• Original Bill of Lading (OBL)
• Through Bill of Lading
• Express Bill of Lading
• Air Waybill (AWB)
• Shipping Order (SO)

Containers and Load Types

• Container
• HC (High Cube) Container
• Reefer Container
• TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit)
• FEU (Forty-foot Equivalent Unit)
• FCL (Full Container Load)
• LCL (Less than Container Load)

Trucking and Ground Freight

• FTL (Full Truckload)
• LTL (Less-Than-Truckload)
• Dry Van Shipping
• Drayage
• Freight Class

Carriers and Intermediaries

• Carrier
• Common Carrier
• Freight Forwarder
• Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC)
• OTI (Ocean Transportation Intermediary)

Freight Charges and Terms

• Freight Prepaid
• Freight Collect
• C&F (Cost and Freight)
• FCA (Free Carrier)
• Airline Terminal Fee

Ports, Yards, and Facilities

• Port of Entry
• Container Yard (CY)
• CY (Container Yard) Cutoff
• CFS (Container Freight Station)

Security, Compliance, and Filing

• ISF (Importer Security Filing)
• ISPS Code (International Ship and Port Facility Security Code)
• Importer of Record (IOR)
• Importer of Record
• Export License
• Export Control Classification Number (ECCN)
• CAIN (Customs Assigned Importer Number)
• Automated Export System (AES)

Transportation Management

• TMS (Transportation Management System)

MeisterPrep’s warehouse locations are positioned near major ports and freight corridors. Our Long Beach facility sits minutes from the Port of Long Beach, and our Charleston warehouse serves East Coast importers moving containers through the Port of Charleston. We receive your freight, handle transloading and deconsolidation, and prep your products for any channel you sell on: FBA, retail distribution, B2B wholesale, marketplace platforms, or direct-to-consumer fulfillment.