Logistic Terms - C

A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-XYZ

• C.N. - > Cover Note
• C.O.G.S.A. - > Carriage of Goods by Sea Act
• C.P. - > Charter Party
• C.R.O. - Canceling (of policy) Returns Only
• C.T.L. - > Constructive Total Loss
• C/D - > Country Damage
• C&F - Additional abbreviation for CFR, "Cost and Freight". > Incoterms
• Cabotage - 1. Transport of goods between two ports or places located in the same country. 2. Transport of cargo in a country other than the country where the vehicle is registered (road cargo). 3. The carriage of a container from a surplus area to an area in which equipment is needed.
• CAD - > Cash Against Documents
• CAF - > Currency Adjustment Factor
• Call - Visit of a vessel to a port.
• Capacity Control - Process of registering and steering of capacity.
• Capacity Optimization - Activities to maximize the amount of freight that is carried in the hold space of an aircraft.
• Cargo - Goods to be transported.
• Cargo Accounts Settlement System - Abbreviation: CASS. System for automated account settlement between participating IATA airlines, billing participants and part participants, on the one hand and their appointed IATA cargo agents on the other hand (air cargo).
• Cargo Aircraft - Any aircraft other than a passenger aircraft or a combi.
• Cargo Assembly - Separate reception of parcels or packages and the holding of them for later dispatch as one consignment. > Consolidation
• Cargo Disassembly - > Break Bulk
• Cargo Handling - Physical handling of goods.
• Cargo IMP - > Cargo Interchange Message Procedures
• Cargo Interchange Message Procedures - Abbreviation: Cargo IMP. Procedures developed by the member airlines of the Air Transport Association of America (ATA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
• Cargo Manifest - List including all particulars of consignments.
• Cargo Restriction Code - Code indicating that the use of a certain container is restricted to particular cargo.
• Cargo Tracer - Information sent by the agent or airline to all relevant parties, stating that certain cargo is either missing or arrived in excess.
• Carnet ATA - Customs document permitting the holder to carry or send merchandise temporarily into certain foreign countries (for display, demonstration or similar purposes) without completing normal customs formalities. With a carnet, the holder avoids paying duties or posting bonds.
• Carriage - Process of transporting (conveying) cargo, from one point to another. Synonym: Transport
• Carriage and Insurance Paid to (... Named Place of Destination) - Abbreviation: CIP. Incoterm > Incoterms
• Carriage of Goods by Sea Act - Abbreviation: C.O.G.S.A. 1936 U.S. Statute that governs the acts that a carrier is responsible for and defines the terms used in shipping. The act provides that the shipowner's liability will be limited to $500 per shipping package, and it stipulates a one-year time limit for filing suit against the carrier. This act automatically applies to international ocean movements but not to domestic ocean transits unless the carrier agrees to be bound by it.
• Carriage Paid to (... Named Place of Destination) - Abbreviation: CPT. Incoterm > Incoterms
• Carrier - Company that carries the cargo, e.g. shipping line, airline, trucking company, etc. Responsibilities include carrying the goods safely, in good condition and in a timely manner.
• Carrier Haulage - Inland transport service performed by the sea-carrier under the terms and conditions of the relevant transport document. > Merchant Inspired Carrier Haulage
• Carriers' Lien - Right to retain the property as security for the payment of services, material, or money expended on that property. E.g.: When the shipper ships goods "collect", the carrier has a possessory claim on these goods, which means that the carrier can retain possession of the goods as security for the charges due.
• Carrying Temperature - Required cargo temperature during transport and storage. > Setting/Air Delivery Temperature
• Cartage - > Haulage
• Cash Against Documents - Abbreviation: CAD. Payment condition which implies transfer of title at time of payment.
• Cash in Advance - Abbreviation: CIA. Payment condition which implies up-front payment before transfer of title of goods.
• Cash on Delivery - Abbreviation: COD. Payment condition which implies payment of goods at the time of physical transfer.
• Cash with Order - Abbreviation: CWO. Payment condition which implies payment when order is placed.
• CASS - > Cargo Accounts Settlement System > Part-Participant > Settlement Office
• CASS Airline - Airline, fully participating in the CASS.
• CCTV - Closed Circuit Television.
• Cell - Location on board of a container vessel where one container can be stowed.
• Cell Position - Location of a cell on board of a container vessel identified by a code for, respectively, the bay, the row and the tier, indicating the exact position of a container on that vessel. > Bay
• Cell-Guide - Steel bars and rails used to steer containers during loading and discharging whilst sliding in the ship. > Fully Cellular Containership
• Cellular Vessel - Vessel, specially designed and equipped for the carriage of containers.
• CENSA - > Council of European and Japanese National Shipowners' Associations
• Center of Gravity - Point at which the entire weight of a body may be considered as concentrated so that if supported at this point the body would remain in equilibrium in any position. > Meta-Centric Height
• Certificate - Document by which a fact is formally or officially attested and in which special requirements and conditions can be stated.
• Certificate of Analysis - Document, often required by an importer or government authorities, attesting to the quality or purity of commodities.
• Certificate of Classification - Certificate, issued by the classification society, stating the class under which a vessel or an aircraft is registered.
• Certificate of Free Sale - Certificate, required by some countries as evidence that the goods are normally sold on the open market and approved by the regulatory authorities in the country of origin.
• Certificate of Free Sale - Certificate, required by some countries as evidence that the goods are normally sold on the open market and approved by the regulatory authorities in the country of origin.
• Certificate of Inspection - Document confirming that cargo has been inspected by a competent authority (SGS, Bureau Veritas or any national authority) before dispatch.
• Certificate of Insurance - Document presented by the insurance company or insured as evidence that insurance is in effect. The insured may assign their rights under this negotiable document to a third party, usually the consignee, by endorsing the reverse of the certificate.
• Certificate of Manufacture - Statement (often notarized) in which a producer of goods certifies that manufacture has been completed and that the goods are now at the disposal of the buyer.
• Certificate of Origin - Statement signed by the exporter, or its agent, and attested to by a local Chamber of Commerce, indicating that the goods being shipped, or a major percentage of them, originated and were produced in the exporter's country.
• CFR - Incoterm for "Cost and Freight (... named port of destination)" Synonym: C&F. > Incoterms
• CFS - > Container Freight Station
• Charge Type - Separate, identifiable element of charges to be used in the pricing/rating of common services rendered to customers.
• Charter Contract - > Charter Party
• Charter Party - Written contract, usually on a special form, between the owner of a vessel and a "charterer" who rents use of the vessel or a part of its freight space. The contract generally includes the freight rates and the ports involved in the transportation. Synonym for Airfreight: Charter Contract; > Bareboat Charter > Demise Charter > Lump-Sum Charter > Slot Charter > Space Charter > Time Charter
• Charterer - Person who has signed a charter party with the owner of a vessel or an aircraft and thus hires or leases the same vessel or aircraft or a part of the capacity thereof on a legal basis.
• Chock - To use a wood or metal wedge to block the wheels of a truck while it is being loaded or unloaded.
• CIA - > Cash in Advance
• CIF - Incoterm for "Cost, Insurance and Freight (... named port of destination)"
• CIF and C - Cost, Insurance, Freight and Commission.
• CIM - > Convention Internationale Concernant le Transport des Marchandises par Chemin de Fer
• CIP - Incoterm for "Carriage and Insurance Paid to (... named place of destination)" > Incoterms
• City Terminal Service - Shuttle service between city and airport.
• Class Rate - Rate applicable to a specifically designated class of goods (air cargo). > General Cargo Rate
• Classification - Arrangement according to a systematic division of a number of objects into groups, based on some likeness or some common traits.
• Classification Society - Organization, whose main function is to carry out surveys of vessels, its purpose being to set and maintain standards of construction and upkeep for vessels, their engines and their safety equipment. A classification society also inspects and approves the construction of shipping containers. > Bureau veritas > Det Norske Veritas > Germanischer Lloyd > Lloyd's Register of Shipping
• Clean Bill of Lading - Receipt for goods issued by a shipping line that indicates that the goods were received in "apparent good order and condition", without damage or other irregularities. > Foul Bill of Lading > Letter of Indemnity
• Clean Draft (Bill of Exchange) - Draft with no accompanying documents.
• Clean on Board - When goods are loaded on board and the document issued in respect to these goods is clean. Note: Through the usage of the UCP 500 rules the term has now become superfluous.
• Clear Height - The height pallets can be stacked while leaving clearance for product movement or for lights, sprinklers, etc., hanging from a ceiling.
• Cleared without Examination - Abbreviation: CWE. Cleared by customs without inspection.
• Clearance Terminal - Terminal where customs facilities for the clearance of goods are available.
• Clip on Unit - Abbreviation: COU. Detachable aggregate for a temperature controlled container (Conair).
• Closed Ventilated Container - Container of a closed type, similar to a general-purpose container, but specially designed for carriage of cargo where ventilation, either natural or mechanical (forced), is necessary.
• CLP - > Container Load Plan
• CMR - > Convention Relative au Contrat de Transport International de Marchandise par Route
• Co-Insurance - Where two or more parties share the same risk. A co-insurer is not obliged to follow the decision of another co-insurer, except where they have given authority for the other party to act on their behalf. Each co-insurance is a separate contract with the insured.
• Co-Loading - Combination of cargo from another shipper or carrier, having the same final destination as the cargo base load.
• COD - > Cash on Delivery
• Cofferdam - Empty space on board of a vessel between two bulkheads or two decks separating oil tanks from each other and/or the engine room or other compartments.
• Collapsible Container - Container which can be easily folded, disassembled and reassembled.
• Collect Freight - Freight which is payable to the carrier when the merchandise arrives at the port of discharge named in the Bill of Lading.
• Collecting Bank - Bank to which a remitting bank sends draft for collection. > Advice of Fate
• Collection Papers - All documents (Commercial invoices, Bills of Lading, etc.) submitted to a buyer for the purpose of receiving payment for a shipment.
• Collision - Physical impact between two or more vehicles. In collision liability insurance, the term does not include contact of the insured vessel with anything other than a ship or vessel. → Perils of the Sea. > Perils of the Sea
• Combi Aircraft - Aircraft, carrying passengers and cargo upper deck.
• Combination Chassis - Chassis which can carry either one 40-foot or two 20-foot containers.
• Combination Joint Rate - Joint rate which is obtained by combining two or more published rates (air cargo).
• Combined Transport - Intermodal transport where the major part of the journey is by one mode and any initial and/or final leg carried out by another mode. > Combined Transport Document > Multimodal Transport
• Combined Transport Document - Abbreviation: CTD. Negotiable or non-negotiable document evidencing a contract for the performance of combined transport of goods. > Multimodal Transport Document
• Combined Transport Operator - Abbreviation: CTO. Party that undertakes to carry goods with different modes of transport. > Multimodal Transport Operator/Carrier
• Commercial Invoice - Document issued by the seller to the buyer, which gives detail of merchandise sold, number of units being shipped, per unit cost and the terms of sale. > Declaration of Origin
• Commercial Set - Set of four "negotiable" documents that represents and takes the place of the goods themselves in the financing of the cargo sales transaction.
• Commodity - Indication of the type of goods. Commodities are coded according to the harmonized system. > Harmonized System
• Commodity Box Rate - Rate classified by commodity and quoted per container. > Harmonized System
• Commodity Code - Code used in the Harmonized System for the classification of goods which are most commonly produced and traded.
• Commodity Item Number - Specific description number required in air transport to indicate that a specific freight rate applies.
• Common Carrier - Transporter that provides its services to the general public for the transportation of goods over a definite route and according to a regular schedule.
• Compromised Total Loss - Arranged settlement on a hull policy where there is no claim for actual or constructive total loss, but where it is impractical to repair the vessel.
• Conair Container - Thermal container served by an external cooling system (e.g. a vessel's cooling system or a Clip on Unit), which regulates the temperature of the cargo. Note: Conair is a brand name. > Clip on Unit
• Concealed Damage - Damage to product that is not obvious until the product is examined or the condition becomes apparent during storage or transfer.
• Conditions of Carriage - General terms and conditions established by a carrier in respect of the carriage.
• Conditions of Contract - Terms and conditions of a transportation contract.
• Cones - Devices for facilitating the loading, positioning and lashing of containers. The cones insert into the bottom castings of the container. > Locating Pin
• Conference - > Liner Conference
• Confirmed Letter of Credit - Letter of Credit, issued by a foreign bank, with validity confirmed by a bank of origin. A seller that requires a confirmed Letter of Credit from the buyer is assured of payment by the origin bank even if the foreign buyer or the foreign bank defaults.
• Connecting Carrier - Carrier to whose services the cargo is to be transferred for onward connecting transport.
• Connecting Road Haulage - > Drayage
• Consignee - Party, mentioned in the transport document, by whom the goods, cargo or containers are to be received.
• Consignment - Separate identifiable number of goods to be transported from one shipper to one consignee. > Shipment
• Consignment Instructions - > Shipping Instructions
• Consignment Note - Document prepared by the shipper and comprising a transport contract. It contains details of the consignment to be carried to the port of loading and it is signed by the inland carrier as proof of receipt.
• Consignment Stock - Stock of goods with an external party (customer) which is still the property of the supplier. Payment for these goods is made to the supplier at the moment when they are sold.
• Consignor - > Shipper
• Consolidated Container - Container filled with several shipments from different shippers for delivery to one or more consignees.
• Consolidation - Grouping together of smaller consignments of goods into a large consignment for carriage as a larger unit in order to obtain a reduced rate. > Consolidation Point > Cargo Assembly
• Consolidation Point - Location where consolidation of consignments takes place.
• Consolidator - Firm or company which consolidates cargo.
• Constructive Total Loss - Position which exists when the cost of repairing or recovering lost or damaged property plus the value of the salvage would exceed the property's value when repaired or recovered. > Abandonment > Compromised Total Loss > Notice of Abandonment
• Consular Declaration - Formal statement, made by the consulate of a foreign country.
• Consular Documents - Bills of Lading, certificates of origin or special invoice forms that are officially legalized by the consul of the country of destination.
• Consular Invoice - Document, required by some foreign countries, describing a shipment of goods and showing information such as the shipper, consignee, and value of the shipment. Certified by a consular official of the foreign country, it is used by the country's customs officials to verify the value, quantity, and nature of the shipment.
• Container - Item of equipment as defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for transport purposes. It must be of: a) a permanent character and accordingly strong enough to be suitable for repeated use; b) specially designed to facilitate the carriage of goods, by one or more modes of transport without intermediate reloading; c) fitted with devices permitting its ready handling, particularly from one mode of transport to another; d) so designed as to be easy to fill and empty; e) having an internal volume of 1 m3 or more. The term container includes neither vehicles nor conventional packing. Synonym: Freight Container
• Container Bolster - Container floor without sides or end walls which does not have the ISO corner fittings and is generally used for Ro/Ro operations. Note: A bolster cannot be handled either full or empty by a container spreader without special fittings. > Bolster
• Container Chassis - Vehicle specially built for the purpose of transporting containers.
• Container Check Digit - 7th digit of the serial number of a container used to check whether prefix and serial number are correct.
• Container Depot - Storage area for empty containers.
• Container Freight Station - Abbreviation: CFS. Term CFS at loading ports refers to the location designated by carriers for the receiving of cargo to be packed into containers by the carrier. At discharge ports, the term CFS refers to the location designated by carriers in the port area for unpacking and delivery of cargo.
• Container Lease - Contract by which the owner of containers (leasing company, lessor) gives the use of containers to a shipping line or other lessee for a specified period of time.
• Container Load Plan - List of items loaded in a specific container and where appropriate, their sequence of loading. > Container Manifest
• Container Logistics - Controlling and positioning of containers.
• Container Manifest - Document specifying the contents of particular freight containers or other transport units, prepared by the party responsible for their loading into the container or unit. Synonym: Unit Packing List. > Container Load Plan
• Container Number - Identification number of a container consisting of prefix and serial number and check digit (e.g. KNLU 123456-7). > Container Serial Number > Container Prefix
• Container Platform - Container floor without sides or end walls which can be loaded by spreader directly and is generally used for off-size cargo.
• Container Pool - Certain stock of containers which is jointly used by several container carriers and/or leasing companies.
• Container Prefix - Four-letter code that forms the first part of a container identification number indicating the owner of a container. > Owner's Container Code
• Container Safety Convention - Abbreviation: CSC. International convention for safe containers.
• Container Serial Number - Seven digit serial number (6 plus 1 Check Digit) that forms the second part of a container identification number.
• Container Service Charges - Charges to be paid by cargo interests as per local port tariffs.
• Container Size / Type - Description of the size and type of a freight container or similar unit load device as specified in ISO 6346.
• Container Size Code - Two digit indication of the nominal length and nominal height of a container.
• Container Stack - Two or more containers, one placed above the other forming a vertical column. > Stack
• Container Sublease - Contract by which a carrier gives the use of containers to another carrier for a specified period of time and for a fixed payment.
• Container Terminal - Place where loaded and/or empty containers are stored awaiting dispatch or pick up.
• Container Type Code - Two digits, the first of which indicates the category and the second of which indicates certain physical characteristics or other attributes of a container.
• Container Yard - Abbreviation: CY. Facility at which containers are received from or delivered to the merchant by or on behalf of the carrier. Synonym: Marshalling Yard
• Containerized - Indication that goods have been stowed in a container.
• Contingency Insurance - Secondary insurance coverage which will protect the insured's financial interest if the primary insurance cover effected by others does not respond for a covered loss (Seller's Insurance).
• Contraband - Goods forbidden by national law to be imported or exported.
• Contract - Agreement enforceable by law, between two or more parties stipulating their rights and obligations.
• Contract Logistics - Contracting out of all the warehousing, transport and distribution activities or a part thereof by manufacturing companies.
• Contract of Affreightment - > Affreightment
• Contractual Carrier - The contractual carrier (called NVO, Non Vessel Operator or NVOC, Non Vessel Operating Carrier) is a party which contracts carriage of goods for the account of the Merchants and fulfills its commitment by using the services of a carrier (sometimes referred to as the "actual" carrier).
• Contractual Port of Loading - Port at which an ocean vessel does not call, but which is equalized with the actual port of call and upon which inland haulage services and inland tariffs are based. Note: Generally speaking it is seen as the port mentioned on the B/L from which cargo is accepted (e.g. delivered by the consignee for sea transport). Synonym: Commercial POL/POD
• Contribution - This relates to situations where more than one party covers the risk. Each party is deemed to be liable for its portion of the loss. If the insured has recovered in full from one insurer, that insurer is entitled to recover from the other insurer that part of the loss which should have been paid by the latter. The term, as used in marine insurance, also applies to contributions paid by the insured in connection with salvage and/or General Average. > Contributory Value > General Average Bond > General Average Statement > Protection and Indemnity Club > Valuation Clause
• Contributory Value - Value of property saved as a result of a General Average Act which forms the basis for determining each party's contribution in General Average.
• Convention Internationale Concernant le Transport des Marchandises par Chemin de Fer - Abbreviation: CIM. International agreement, applied by 19 European railway companies, setting out conditions for international railway transport of goods and the liabilities of the carrier.
• Convention Relative au Contrat de Transport International de Marchandise par Route - Abbreviation: CMR. Convention for the international carriage of goods by road, setting out the conditions of carriage and the liabilities of the carrier. Note: Adherence to this set of regulations reflects a desire to standardize items such as documentation and rules on the carriers liability.
• Conventional Cargo - > Break Bulk Cargo
• Convertible Currency - Currency that can be bought and sold for other currencies at free-trade.
• Convertor Dolly - Auxiliary undercarriage assembly consisting of a chassis, fifth wheel and tow-bar used to convert a semi-trailer or a container chassis to a full trailer.
• Conveyance - Transport of goods from one place to another.
• Conveyor - Mechanical device in the form of a continuous belt used for transporting cargo.
• Core Competence - Combination of individual skills and use of technologies that underlay the various products and/or services of a business.
• Corner Fittings - Fittings located at the corners of containers providing means of supporting, stacking, handling and securing the container. Synonym: Corner Casting
• Corner Post - Vertical structural member at either side of an "end frame" of a container joining a top and a bottom corner fitting (and thereby forming a "corner structure").
• Correspondent Bank - Bank that, in its own country, handles the business of a foreign bank.
• Cost and Freight (... Named Port of Destination) - Abbreviation: CFR. Incoterm > Incoterms
• Cost, Insurance and Freight (... Named Port of Destination) - Abbreviation: CIF. Incoterm > Incoterms
• COU - > Clip on Unit
• Council of European and Japanese National Shipowners' Associations - Abbreviation: CENSA. Main objectives of this organization are to promote and protect sound shipping policies in all sectors of shipping, to coordinate and present the views of its members and to exchange views with other shipowner groups.
• Count Bill of Lading - Bill of Lading which shows the actual number of units being shipped.
• Countertrade - Sale of goods or services that are paid for in whole or in part by the transfer of goods or services from a foreign country. > Barter
• Country Damage - Damage caused by dirt, mud, etc., to commodities before they are shipped.
• Country of Departure - Country from which a certain means of transport is scheduled to depart or has departed.
• Country of Dispatch - Country from which the goods are shipped. > Country of Origin
• Country of Origin - Country where the merchandise was grown, mined, or manufactured. In instances where the country of origin cannot be determined, transactions are credited to the country of dispatch. > Country of Dispatch
• Country of Provenance - Country of origin of goods or cargo being sent to the importing country.
• Cover Note - Non-negotiable document evidencing insurance which may or may not indicate the terms of cover.
• CPT - Incoterm for "Carriage Paid to (... named place of destination)". > Incoterms
• Crane - Machine designed for moving and lifting weight by means of a movable projecting arm or a horizontal beam which is able to travel over a certain distance.
• Credit Risk Insurance - Insurance designed to cover risks of nonpayment for delivered goods.
• Crew Member - Any person actually employed for duties on board during a voyage in the working or service of a ship and included in the crew list (IMO).
• Crosstrade - 1. Used in shipping for the services of a vessel between nations other than the nation in which the vessel is registered. 2. Term used in the freight forwarding industry for the transportation services between nations other than the nation in which the cargo's principle is domiciled (UNCTAD).
• CSC - > Container Safety Convention
• CTD - > Combined Transport Document
• CTO - > Combined Transport Operator
• Currency - Medium of exchange of value, defined by reference to the geographic location of the authorities responsible for it (ISO 4217). In general, the monetary unit is represented by a name or a symbol.
• Currency Adjustment Factor - Abbreviation: CAF. Adjustment applied by shipping lines or liner conferences on freight rates to offset losses or gains for carriers resulting from fluctuations in exchange rates of tariff currencies.
• Customer Pick Up - Cargo picked up by a customer at a warehouse.
• Customer Service Level - Performance measure of customer service. Note: Generally this is seen as the degree with which customer orders can be executed, in accordance with the terms which are generally accepted in the market.
• Customhouse Broker - Individual or firm licensed to enter and clear goods through customs.
• Customs - Authorities designated to collect duties levied by a country on imports and exports. The term also applies to the procedures involved in such collection.
• Customs Broker - Authorized agent specialized in customs clearance procedures on account of importers/exporters. > Customs Clearance Agent
• Customs Clearance Agent - Customs broker or other agent of the consignee designated to perform customs clearance services for the consignee. > Customs Broker
• Customs Entry Form - Form required by customs authorities for merchandise entering the country. It indicates the country of origin, description of merchandise and the amount of estimated duty to be paid before merchandise is released.
• Customs Invoice - Document required by customs in an importing country in which the seller states the price (e.g. selling price, price of identical goods), and specifies costs for freight, insurance and packing, etc., terms of delivery and payment. This is for the purpose of determining the customs value in the importing country of goods consigned to that country.
• Customs Value - Worth of an item or group of items expressed in a monetary amount, within a consignment declared to customs for duty and statistical reasons. > Customs Invoice
• Cut-Off Time - Last point before a flight departs at which freight will be accepted to travel on that flight.
• CWE - > Cleared without Examination
• CWO - > Cash with Order
• CY - > Container Yard
• Cycle Stock - That portion of stock available or planned to be available in a given period for normal demand, excluding excess stock and safety stock