Logistics Glossary(204)

Third-party logistics. Outsourcing warehousing, order picking, packing and distribution.

Related terms: 4PL, Fulfilment

Fourth-party logistics. A structure that designs and coordinates the entire supply chain by managing several service providers.

Related terms: 3PL

A document certifying that goods covered by the customs union between Türkiye and the European Union are in free circulation.

Related terms: EUR.1 movement certificate, Certificate of origin

Full guide — What is an A.TR certificate and what is it for?

A duty charged in Türkiye on certain product groups on top of the standard customs duty. Different rates may apply depending on the country of origin.

Related terms: Customs duty, Anti-dumping duty

The European agreement on the international carriage of dangerous goods by road. It sets the vehicle, driver, packaging and declaration requirements.

Related terms: IMDG Code, IATA DGR, UN number, Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser

Full guide — What is ADR, and what are the hazardous goods classes?

A method in which the price is collected before the goods are shipped. The risk lies entirely with the buyer.

Related terms: Open account

The transport document issued in air freight. It is a receipt and evidence of the contract; unlike an ocean bill of lading, it is not a document of title.

Also: Air consignment note

Related terms: Master AWB, House AWB, Bill of lading

Full guide — What is an AWB (air waybill)?

Broad cover for all physical loss and damage except the exclusions listed in the policy.

Also: ICC (A)

Related terms: Named perils cover, Deductible

A protective measure applied to products imported at prices below their normal value. It may be specific to certain origins and producers.

Related terms: Additional customs duty, Surveillance measure

A document that replaces the customs declaration and guarantee when samples, exhibition material and professional equipment are taken abroad temporarily.

Related terms: Temporary export, Temporary admission

Status granted to companies that meet requirements for customs compliance, record-keeping and financial solvency. It allows simplified procedures and fewer controls. Known as YYS in Türkiye.

Also: AEO

Related terms: Customs declaration, Control channel (risk lane)

Full guide — What is Authorised Economic Operator status (YYS) and what does it do?

The load borne by each axle. Even if the total weight is within the limit, an axle overload fine arises if the cargo is stowed unevenly.

Related terms: Payload capacity

A document in which the bank undertakes to pay if its customer fails to fulfil an obligation.

Related terms: Guarantee, Letter of credit

The optically readable identifier of a product or package. It enables warehouse movements to be recorded.

Related terms: SKU, RFID

A negotiable document of title in sea transport that evidences the carrier's receipt of the cargo and represents ownership of the goods.

Also: Ocean bill of lading

Related terms: Delivery order, Freight

Full guide — What is a bill of lading?

A ruling in which the customs authority determines the tariff classification of a product in advance and in a binding manner. As long as the information in the application is accurate, no later classification dispute arises.

Related terms: GTİP (Turkish tariff code)

Full guide — What is a GTİP code, and how is it found?

A facility under customs supervision where goods on which duties have not yet been paid are stored. No duty arises while the goods remain in the warehouse.

Also: Customs warehouse

Related terms: Free circulation, Usual forms of handling

Full guide — What is a bonded warehouse?

Reservation of space and equipment on the vessel. A confirmed booking number is required to pick up the container.

Related terms: Cut-off, Shipping instruction

General cargo that does not fit in a container and is stowed and carried piece by piece.

Related terms: Bulk cargo, Ro-Ro

Full guide — What is break bulk?

Unpackaged cargo such as grain, ore or coal. Loaded directly into the ship's hold.

Related terms: Break bulk, Charter

A surcharge reflecting fluctuations in fuel prices, priced separately from the freight.

Also: Bunker Adjustment Factor

Related terms: Freight, Low sulphur surcharge

Transport by a foreign carrier between two points within a single country. Restricted in most countries.

Related terms: Transit permit

The greenhouse gas emissions caused by transport. Measured per tonne-kilometre; rail and sea are below road and air.

Related terms: Intermodal transport

The carrier's legal liability. Limited by international conventions and usually calculated on the weight of the goods, not their value.

Related terms: Marine cargo insurance, CMR

A method in which documents are released to the buyer through a bank against payment or acceptance. The bank gives no payment undertaking.

Related terms: Letter of credit, Open account

A marking indicating that the product complies with EU technical legislation. It is not a quality mark but a declaration of regulatory conformity.

Related terms: Certificate of conformity

A document showing that the product complies with the relevant technical regulation. Issued by different bodies depending on the product group.

Related terms: TAREKS, CE marking

A document showing in which country the goods were produced. Used as proof of non-preferential origin and in the application of trade policy measures.

Related terms: A.TR movement certificate, EUR.1 movement certificate

Full guide — What is a certificate of origin and what is it for?

The greater of actual weight and volumetric weight. Freight is calculated on this value.

Also: Billable weight

Related terms: Volumetric weight

Full guide — How is volumetric weight (desi) calculated?

Hiring all or part of a vessel. Voyage, time and bareboat charter types exist.

Also: Chartering

Related terms: Laytime, Bulk cargo

Hiring an entire aircraft for volumes, dimensions or schedules that scheduled services cannot accommodate.

Related terms: Charter, Project cargo

The consignment note used in European rail transport.

Related terms: SMGS consignment note, CMR

A bill of lading showing that the cargo was received without any remark of apparent damage or shortage. As a rule, a letter of credit requires clean documents.

Also: Clean B/L

Related terms: Bill of lading, Remark (reservation)

The consignment note issued for international road transport. The convention of the same name sets the limits of the carrier's liability.

Full guide — What is a CMR note?

Keeping a product within a defined temperature range without interruption from production to delivery.

Related terms: Pre-cooling, Data logger, Reefer container

Full guide — What is cold chain transport?

A special case of intermodal transport: the main leg is by rail, inland waterway or sea, and the road legs are limited to short distances.

Related terms: Intermodal transport

The basic document showing the sale price, the parties and the description of the goods. As a rule, the customs value is read from it.

Related terms: Proforma invoice, Customs value

A charge reflecting waiting costs caused by port congestion.

Also: Port congestion surcharge

Related terms: Demurrage

Goods held in the buyer's warehouse while ownership remains with the seller. Payment is made as sales occur.

Related terms: Vendor managed inventory

A warehouse where groupage cargo is stuffed into containers and deconsolidated on arrival. Used for LCL shipments.

Also: Consolidation warehouse

Related terms: LCL, Deconsolidation

A pre-import permit obtained from the relevant Turkish ministry for food, feed, agricultural and certain industrial products.

Related terms: Certificate of conformity

The level of control to which a shipment is routed after declaration. Green lane means no control, yellow lane a document check, red lane a physical examination, and blue lane a post-clearance audit.

Related terms: Physical examination, Authorised Economic Operator status

Transferring inbound cargo directly to the outbound vehicle without storage. The goods never reach a shelf.

Related terms: Fulfilment

The plate showing the container's safety approval. It carries the approval data, date of manufacture, maximum gross weight and strength ratings; it does not state internal dimensions.

Related terms: Gross weight

Full guide — What are the container types and their dimensions?

Treating inputs sourced from other parties to an agreement as originating when calculating origin. Bilateral, diagonal and full cumulation exist.

Related terms: EUR-MED movement certificate, Certificate of origin

A surcharge covering fluctuations in the currency in which the freight is quoted.

Related terms: Bunker adjustment factor, Freight

The standard trailer with tarpaulin sides and roof that can be loaded from the side and from above.

Related terms: Mega trailer, Refrigerated vehicle

A licensed professional, certified by examination, authorised to handle customs formalities on behalf of the owner of the goods.

Related terms: Indirect representation

Full guide — What does a customs broker do?

The person liable to pay customs duties. Under indirect representation the declarant and the debtor may be different persons and are jointly liable for the debt.

Related terms: Declarant, Indirect representation

The document by which the declarant notifies the customs authority in writing of the customs procedure under which the goods are to be placed.

Related terms: ETGB, GTİP (Turkish tariff code)

The duty levied on imported goods according to their tariff heading and origin. The rate varies by tariff code and country of origin.

Related terms: GTİP (Turkish tariff code), Additional customs duty

The value on which duty is calculated. As a rule, it is the transaction price plus freight, insurance and certain additional items.

Related terms: Customs duty, Freight

Full guide — How is customs duty calculated on imports?

The deadline for the container to enter the port and for documents and VGM to be submitted. If missed, the cargo rolls to the next sailing.

Related terms: Booking, VGM, Shipping instruction

A certified adviser that businesses handling dangerous goods above certain thresholds are required to appoint. Known as TMGD in Türkiye.

Related terms: ADR

A device that records the temperature at set intervals throughout transport. The only evidence of where a deviation occurred.

Also: Temperature logger

Related terms: Cold chain

The person who lodges the customs declaration in their own name. Under indirect representation, the broker lodging the declaration in their own name is the declarant; the person on whose behalf it is lodged is the debtor.

Related terms: Indirect representation, Customs debtor

Sorting the groupage cargo in a container by consignee on arrival.

Related terms: Container freight station, LCL

The part of a loss borne by the insured. It works inversely to the premium.

Related terms: All risks cover

A release instruction issued by the carrier or its agent showing that the cargo may be delivered to the consignee.

Related terms: Bill of lading

Full guide — What is a delivery order, and how is it obtained?

A charge applied when a container stays at the port or terminal beyond the free time granted by the shipping line.

Related terms: Detention

Full guide — What are demurrage and detention?

A charge applied when an unpacked container is not returned to the shipping line within the free period. Often confused with demurrage; demurrage runs at the port, detention runs outside it.

Related terms: Demurrage

Full guide — What are demurrage and detention?

A sailing without transhipment. Usually more expensive but faster and lower risk.

Related terms: Transhipment

The process by which customs sells or destroys goods that were not cleared within the time limit or were abandoned.

Related terms: Temporary storage facility

The driver's maximum continuous and daily driving time together with mandatory rest breaks. Directly affects the transit time calculation.

Related terms: Tachograph

An operation built on picking, packing and distributing a large number of small orders. It requires a different shelving and picking layout from wholesale storage.

Related terms: Fulfilment, Reverse logistics, Last mile

A vehicle that accompanies the convoy in out-of-gauge transport and directs traffic.

Related terms: Out-of-gauge cargo

Estimated time of arrival. Updated throughout the voyage; it is not a commitment.

Related terms: ETD, Transit time

Estimated time of departure.

Related terms: ETA

Electronic Commerce Customs Declaration. A simplified declaration used in micro-export for shipments sent by express courier or post.

Related terms: Customs declaration

Full guide — What is ETGB?

A movement certificate issued under pan-Euro-Mediterranean cumulation of origin. Unlike EUR.1, it allows diagonal cumulation.

Related terms: EUR.1 movement certificate, Cumulation of origin

A document that certifies the origin of goods under preferential trade agreements and thereby secures a reduction in customs duty.

Related terms: A.TR movement certificate, Certificate of origin

Full guide — What is a EUR.1 movement certificate?

Export for which no payment is collected. Used for samples, gifts, warranty replacements and exhibition material.

Related terms: Temporary export

A sale by a manufacturer to an exporter without collecting VAT, under Turkish tax law. The export must take place within the prescribed period.

Related terms: Commercial invoice

Approval obtained from the relevant exporters' association in Türkiye before the export declaration. Not required in some simplified and special-procedure transactions.

Related terms: Customs declaration

Full Container Load. Transport in which a container is allocated to a single shipper.

Related terms: LCL

Full guide — What are FCL and LCL?

A feeder vessel service connecting smaller ports to the mainline hub port.

Related terms: Mainline service, Transhipment

First expired, first out. The rule for food and pharmaceuticals.

Related terms: FIFO, Cold chain

Forty-foot equivalent unit; equals two TEU.

Related terms: TEU

First in, first out. The most common method of stock rotation.

Related terms: FEFO, LIFO

A platform container without side walls. Used for machinery and equipment that exceeds standard width or height.

Related terms: Open top container, Loading gauge

A document certifying origin under the Generalised System of Preferences. On the EU side it has largely been replaced by the registered exporter statement.

Related terms: Registered Exporter System, Certificate of origin

The status of goods on which customs duties have been paid and import formalities completed, so that they can be bought and sold freely within the country.

Related terms: Bonded warehouse, Customs declaration

An area that lies within the national borders but is treated as outside the customs territory. No import duties arise on goods held there.

Related terms: Bonded warehouse, Free circulation

Full guide — What is a free zone?

The price paid to the carrier for transporting the cargo. Port charges and terminal handling are not included in the freight.

Related terms: THC, Bill of lading

Full guide — How is freight calculated?

A company that organises the transport of cargo in its own name, bringing together several carriers and modes.

Also: Forwarding agent

Related terms: NVOCC

Full truck load. The vehicle is allocated to a single shipper and no other cargo is picked up en route.

Also: Full Truck Load, Full load

Related terms: LTL, Loading metre

The entire physical process after an order is received: putaway, picking, packing, handover to the carrier and returns processing.

Related terms: Pick and pack, Reverse logistics

The total weight including cargo, packaging and container tare.

Related terms: Net weight, VGM

The 12-digit Customs Tariff Statistics Position under which goods are classified at Turkish customs. Its first six digits are identical to the international HS code; the duty rate is set according to this code.

Also: HS code, Tariff heading

Related terms: Customs declaration

Full guide — What is a GTİP code, and how is it found?

Security lodged with customs under procedures where duties are suspended. It may take the form of cash, a bank guarantee letter or a surety.

Related terms: Transit procedure, Bonded warehouse

A container about 30 cm taller than a standard container. Lowers the cost per cubic metre for light, voluminous cargo.

Related terms: Standard dry container, TEU

Full guide — What are the container types and their dimensions?

The air waybill issued by the agent in the name of the actual shipper and consignee.

Related terms: Master AWB, Air waybill

The bill of lading issued by the forwarder in the name of the actual shipper and consignee.

Related terms: Master bill of lading, Bill of lading

International Air Transport Association. The documentation, dangerous goods and agent rules in air cargo are set by this body.

Related terms: IATA DGR, Volumetric weight

The Dangerous Goods Regulations for air transport. They set the classification, packaging, labelling and declaration requirements.

Related terms: ADR, IMDG Code, UN number

The international code for the carriage of dangerous goods by sea. It contains the segregation and stowage rules.

Related terms: ADR, IATA DGR

Full guide — What is the IMDG Code?

Delivery-term rules published by the International Chamber of Commerce that define how costs, risks and obligations are shared between buyer and seller.

Also: Delivery terms

Full guide — What is Incoterms 2020?

The customs broker lodging the declaration in their own name but on behalf of another. Under direct representation, the declaration is lodged in the name of the person represented.

Related terms: Customs broker, Declarant

The value declared in the policy. Standard practice is 110% of the CIF value; under-declaration reduces the indemnity proportionally.

Related terms: Marine cargo insurance, Incoterms

Carrying cargo by more than one mode of transport while it stays in the same loading unit. The cargo itself is not handled when changing modes.

Related terms: Combined transport, Swap body

Full guide — What is intermodal transport?

How many times stock is replenished in a given period. High turnover indicates little capital tied up.

Related terms: Safety stock, Bonded warehouse

A procedure allowing inputs used in the production of goods to be exported to be imported without paying duty. Unlike a bonded warehouse, production and processing may be carried out on the goods.

Related terms: Bonded warehouse, Outward processing

Full guide — What is the inward processing regime?

The international code on ship and port facility security. The related security charge is priced separately from the freight.

Related terms: SOLAS

A combination of a tractor unit with two separate load bodies. Provides flexibility across multiple loading points.

Related terms: Mega trailer

The authorisation document required in Türkiye for domestic commercial goods transport. Its scope varies by type.

Related terms: CMR

The status of a shipper that has passed security vetting and can tender cargo to air freight without additional screening.

Also: Known shipper

Related terms: Security screening

The final link in the distribution chain: delivering the cargo to the recipient's address. The stage with the highest unit cost.

Related terms: E-commerce logistics

The time allowed for loading and discharging under a charter party. If exceeded, demurrage becomes payable.

Also: Lay days

Related terms: Demurrage, Charter

Less than Container Load. Transport in which cargo from several shippers is consolidated in the same container.

Related terms: FCL

Full guide — What are FCL and LCL?

A payment method in which the bank undertakes to pay when documents complying with the terms are presented. It is based on documents, not on the goods.

Also: Documentary credit

Related terms: UCP 600, Cash against documents, Bill of lading

Last in, first out. Used for non-perishable, homogeneous goods.

Related terms: FIFO

The maximum width, length and height a vehicle occupies together with its load. Exceeding the limits requires a special permit.

Related terms: Out-of-gauge cargo, Payload capacity

One metre of floor length across the full width of the trailer. A 13.60 m trailer is 13.6 ldm; it is the basic unit for groupage pricing.

Also: Linear metre

Related terms: LTL, Volumetric weight

Full guide — What is groupage transport?

The planned flow of goods, information and resources from the point of origin to the point of consumption.

Related terms: Supply chain

An independent specialist who determines the cause, extent and amount of a loss.

Related terms: Notice of loss, Surveyor

A charge reflecting the additional cost of using fuel that complies with sulphur limits.

Related terms: Bunker adjustment factor

A special trailer with a low loading height. Used for construction machinery and high-gauge equipment.

Related terms: Loading gauge, Project cargo

Full guide — What is a low-bed trailer?

Less than truck load road transport. Cargo from several shippers is combined in the same vehicle.

Also: Less than Truck Load, Groupage

Related terms: FTL, Loading metre

Full guide — What is groupage transport?

The main voyage operated between major hub ports with large vessels.

Related terms: Feeder service

Insurance taken out on the value of the goods carried. Unlike carrier liability, it is based on the actual value of the goods.

Related terms: Carrier liability, Insured value

The air waybill issued by the airline to the consolidating agent.

Related terms: House AWB, Air waybill

The bill of lading issued by the shipping line to the forwarder. The parties are the shipping line and the forwarder.

Related terms: House bill of lading, Bill of lading

A trailer with greater internal height than a standard trailer. Takes more pallets of voluminous, light cargo.

Related terms: Curtainsider trailer, Jumbo set

Exporting low-value shipments by express courier or post under a simplified declaration.

Related terms: ETGB

Full guide — What is ETGB?

A fixed-route model in which a single vehicle collects from or delivers to several points in sequence.

Related terms: LTL, Last mile

Cover only for the risks listed in the policy. The minimum cover under CIF is at this level.

Also: ICC (C)

Related terms: All risks cover

The weight of the goods alone, excluding packaging and tare.

Related terms: Gross weight, Tare weight

Notifying the insurer and the carrier of damage within the period set in the policy. Delay directly affects the right to compensation.

Related terms: Loss adjuster, Remark (reservation)

Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier. A transport organiser that acts as carrier without owning a vessel and issues its own bill of lading.

Related terms: Shipowner (carrier), House bill of lading

The percentage of shipments delivered on the promised date. The key indicator of service level.

Related terms: Service level agreement

A method in which payment is made after the goods are received. The riskiest option for the seller and the most comfortable for the buyer.

Related terms: Cash against documents, Advance payment

An annual policy covering regular shipments under a single contract. No separate policy needs to be issued for each shipment.

Related terms: Marine cargo insurance

A container with a tarpaulin roof that can be loaded from above by crane. Used for over-height cargo.

Related terms: Flat rack

Cargo exceeding the legal dimension or weight limits. Requires a route permit, special equipment and usually an escort vehicle.

Related terms: Loading gauge, Escort vehicle, Project cargo

Full guide — What is out-of-gauge transport?

Sending goods in free circulation abroad for processing and bringing them back. Duty is calculated only on the value added abroad.

Related terms: Inward processing

A breakdown showing what was put in which package. In practice it is combined with the weight list in a single document.

Also: Case list, Colli list

Related terms: Weight list

The transport platform on which cargo is stacked. A Euro pallet measures 120×80 cm, an industrial pallet 120×100 cm.

Related terms: Loading metre, Unit load

Full guide — How many pallets fit in a container?

The maximum cargo weight the vehicle may carry. Stated in the registration document; exceeding it is subject to a fine.

Related terms: Axle weight, Loading gauge

Full guide — What is payload capacity?

A temporary increase applied in busy periods when demand exceeds supply.

Related terms: Freight, Congestion surcharge

Cargo that must move quickly because of its short shelf life. Flowers, fresh food and some pharmaceuticals fall into this category.

Also: Perishables

Related terms: Cold chain

Physical inspection of the declared goods. Mandatory in the red lane and the main factor that extends clearance time.

Related terms: Control channel (risk lane)

Collecting order items from the shelves and preparing them for dispatch.

Also: Pick & pack

Related terms: Fulfilment, Warehouse management system

Bringing the vehicle or container down to the target temperature before loading. If skipped, the chain breaks in the very first minute.

Also: Precooling

Related terms: Cold chain, Refrigerated vehicle

A non-binding invoice in the nature of a quotation. Used by the buyer to obtain an import permit or open a letter of credit.

Related terms: Commercial invoice, Letter of credit

Full guide — What is a proforma invoice?

Cargo that does not fit standard transport because of its dimensions, weight or installation requirements. Requires a route survey and special equipment.

Related terms: Out-of-gauge cargo, Low-bed trailer, Route survey

A temperature-controlled container. It requires a power supply on board and at the terminal; its internal volume is smaller than standard because of the cooling unit.

Related terms: Cold chain, Standard dry container

A vehicle with a temperature-controlled body. The units are designed to maintain temperature, not to lower it.

Related terms: Cold chain, Pre-cooling

A scheme under which origin is proved not by an official certificate but by a statement on the invoice made by an exporter registered in the system.

Related terms: Form A

Recording the customs declaration in the system and assigning it a number. As a rule, duty rates and the exchange rate are fixed as of the registration date.

Related terms: Customs declaration

Recording damage or shortage in writing on the transport document at the time of delivery. A later claim is weakened if the cargo was accepted without a remark.

Related terms: Notice of loss, Clean bill of lading

The stock level at which a new order must be placed. Calculated from lead time and safety stock.

Related terms: Safety stock

Goods that come back in the same condition after having been exported. If they return within the statutory period and meet the conditions, they may be exempt from import duties.

Related terms: Temporary export, ETGB

The backward flow of goods from the recipient for returns, recycling and repair.

Related terms: Fulfilment, E-commerce logistics

Contactless identification by radio frequency. Allows bulk counting without a line of sight.

Related terms: Barcode

Roll-on/roll-off. A mode of transport in which wheeled vehicles drive on and off the vessel on their own wheels.

Related terms: Break bulk, Intermodal transport

Full guide — What is Ro-Ro shipping?

Physical verification that the road can carry the load in heavy and out-of-gauge transport: bridge capacity, clearance height, turning radius and gradient.

Related terms: Project cargo, Out-of-gauge cargo

A sheet showing the substance's hazard class, UN number and the precautions to take. Issued by the manufacturer; its currency is verified before transport.

Also: MSDS

Related terms: UN number, ADR

Buffer stock held against fluctuations in demand and supply.

Related terms: Reorder point, Inventory turnover

A document that serves as a receipt and evidence of the contract of carriage but is not a document of title. It is non-negotiable and need not be presented for delivery.

Also: Express release bill

Related terms: Bill of lading, Telex release

A security lock fitted to the container door after loading, whose number is recorded on the documents. The number is checked on arrival.

Also: Container seal

Related terms: Bill of lading

Checking air cargo by X-ray or other methods before it is loaded on the aircraft. It affects both time and cost.

Related terms: Known consignor

A contract annex that sets measurable performance targets between the parties and the consequences tied to them.

Related terms: On-time delivery rate

The owner and operator of the vessel. In container shipping, the party that sets the freight rate and supplies the equipment.

Also: Carrier, Shipping line

Related terms: Shipping agent, NVOCC

The party that handles port formalities on behalf of the shipping line, issues delivery orders and collects charges.

Related terms: Shipowner (carrier), Delivery order

The instruction specifying how the bill of lading is to be drawn up. Shipper, consignee, cargo description and freight terms are entered from it.

Also: B/L instructions

Related terms: Bill of lading, Cut-off

Stock keeping unit. The unique code assigned to each product variant; the foundation of stock and picking discipline.

Related terms: Warehouse management system, Barcode

The consignment note used on the rail network of the former Soviet area. The combined CIM/SMGS note removes the need to re-issue documents at the border.

Related terms: CIM consignment note

International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea. The container weight verification (VGM) requirement stems from it.

Related terms: VGM, ISPS

The closed standard container used for general cargo.

Also: General purpose container

Related terms: High cube container, Reefer container

Full guide — What are the container types and their dimensions?

A fee charged for holding goods in a bonded yard or warehouse. Unlike demurrage, it relates to the yard, not to the container.

Related terms: Demurrage, Temporary storage facility

The insurer that has paid the indemnity taking over the right of claim against the party at fault.

Related terms: Carrier liability, Loss adjuster

The advance notification lodged when goods enter or leave the customs territory. It informs customs in advance of what cargo is on board the means of transport.

Related terms: Customs declaration, Temporary storage facility

The entire network of suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and carriers extending from raw material to the end user.

Related terms: Logistics, Milk run

A Turkish import control under which, if the declared value of certain products falls below a threshold, the customs authority requires additional documents or a valuation inquiry.

Related terms: Anti-dumping duty

An independent specialist who ascertains the condition, quantity or damage of the cargo.

Related terms: Loss adjuster, Notice of loss

A load body that can be detached from the vehicle and stand on its own legs. Used in road-rail transfers.

Related terms: Intermodal transport

Declaration types used in the common transit procedure. T1 is issued for goods not in free circulation, T2 for goods in free circulation.

Related terms: Transit procedure, Free circulation

A device that records the driver's working and rest times. The records are checked at roadside inspections.

Related terms: Driving time

A container designed to carry liquid bulk cargo.

Related terms: Bulk cargo

The weight of the empty container or packaging itself. Deducted from the gross weight to obtain the net cargo weight.

Related terms: Gross weight, Net weight

Türkiye's electronic system for product safety inspections in foreign trade. Products within its scope require an application before import.

Related terms: Certificate of conformity, CE marking

Authorisation to deliver at destination without presentation of the original bill of lading, granted once the original has been surrendered at the port of loading.

Related terms: Bill of lading, Sea waybill

Importing goods with partial or total relief from duties, to be used for a set period and re-exported in the same condition. Common for exhibition material and test equipment.

Related terms: ATA carnet, Temporary export

Taking goods out of the country on the condition that they return after a set period. Used for repair, exhibitions and leasing.

Related terms: Temporary admission, Returned goods

A customs-controlled area where goods presented to customs are held until a procedure is declared. Unlike a bonded warehouse, the storage period is limited.

Related terms: Bonded warehouse, Summary declaration

Twenty-foot equivalent unit. Vessel and terminal capacity is measured in this unit.

Related terms: FEU

Terminal Handling Charge. A fee for handling the container at the terminal, priced separately from the ocean freight.

Related terms: Freight

Full guide — What is THC?

A document used in road transit under the TIR Convention that removes the need for separate declarations and guarantees in each transit country.

Related terms: Transit procedure, CMR

The distance between the rails. Türkiye and Europe use the 1435 mm standard gauge, the former Soviet area the 1520 mm broad gauge; transhipment is required at the changeover.

Also: Rail gauge

Related terms: Transhipment, CIM consignment note

Transferring cargo from one vessel to another or from one mode to another. Each transhipment adds time and risk.

Also: Transshipment

Related terms: Direct service, Feeder service

The quota-based permit required in international road transport to enter a transit or destination country.

Related terms: TIR carnet

Moving goods from one customs office to another with duties suspended. Carried out under guarantee and customs supervision.

Related terms: T1 and T2 declarations, TIR carnet

The time the cargo takes from departure to arrival. The number of transhipments and service frequency are the determining factors.

Related terms: Transhipment, ETA

Software that manages shipment planning, carrier selection and freight tracking.

Related terms: Warehouse management system

The International Chamber of Commerce's uniform rules for documentary credits. They apply to the extent the letter of credit refers to them.

Related terms: Letter of credit

A pallet or container built to fit the aircraft fuselage. It speeds up loading and regulates load distribution.

Also: Unit Load Device

Related terms: Pallet

The four-digit international number identifying dangerous goods. Together with the packing group, it determines the transport conditions.

Related terms: ADR, Safety data sheet

Cargo combined so that it can be handled as a single piece. Palletising and stretch-wrapping achieve this.

Related terms: Pallet, ULD

Operations that do not alter the identity of the goods, such as sorting, labelling, repacking or sampling. Production and processing do not count as handling.

Related terms: Bonded warehouse

A model in which the stock level is monitored and replenished by the supplier.

Also: Vendor Managed Inventory

Related terms: Consignment stock, Safety stock

Verified Gross Mass. Written verification of a container's gross weight before loading. Mandatory under SOLAS; without it the container is not loaded on board.

Full guide — What is VGM, and how is a container's weight declared?

The weight equivalent of the space the cargo occupies. The greater of actual weight and volumetric weight is invoiced.

Also: Dimensional weight, Desi

Related terms: Chargeable weight, Loading metre

Full guide — How is volumetric weight (desi) calculated?

Software that manages stock locations, picking routes and stock counting.

Related terms: Transport management system, SKU

A document showing the gross and net weight of the shipment and a breakdown of its measurements.

Also: Weight note

Related terms: Packing list