Drayage terms, A to Z.

Terms vary between lines, terminals and countries. Where a word has more than one common meaning, the entry says so. Read your tariff or contract for the exact rule that applies to you.

A

Accessorial

An extra charge on top of the base rate for work or waiting the base rate does not cover, such as chassis fees, pre-pull, storage, genset, overweight or wait time. Rate sheet guide ›

AIS (Automatic Identification System)

The transponder signal ships broadcast so their position and speed can be tracked. Vessel tracking in a dispatch system is built on AIS data from a provider. Features ›

Appointment

A time slot booked with a terminal, depot or customer for a pickup or return. Arriving outside the slot can mean a turn-away or a wait.

B

Beneficial cargo owner (BCO)

The company that owns the goods in the container, usually the importer or exporter, as opposed to a freight forwarder or broker acting for it.

Bill of lading (B/L)

The contract and receipt for cargo issued by the ocean carrier or forwarder. The bill of lading number identifies the shipment, and a container is often tracked by it.

Bobtail

A tractor driving without a trailer or chassis attached, for example from the yard to a terminal to pick up a container.

Booking number

The reference an ocean carrier gives an export shipment. A driver or dispatcher needs it to pick up an empty or deliver a loaded export container.

C

Carrier (motor carrier and ocean carrier)

A motor carrier is the trucking company that hauls the container. An ocean carrier, also called the shipping line, owns the vessels and usually the containers.

Chassis

The wheeled steel frame a container sits on for road travel. Chassis are usually owned by pools or lines, not by the trucker, and are billed by the day. Chassis invoice guide ›

Chassis pool

A shared fleet of chassis managed by a provider that carriers draw from and bill by usage. Examples include DCLI, TRAC and Flexi-Van. Chassis invoice guide ›

Chassis split

A charge or arrangement used when the chassis must be picked up from a different location than the container, often a fee for the extra move.

Container yard (CY)

A facility that stores containers, either inside a terminal or at an off-dock depot. Empties are often returned to a yard.

Customs hold

A block placed by customs authorities that stops a container from being released until it is cleared. A driver cannot pick up the load while it is on. Last free day guide ›

Cut-off

The latest date and time an export container can be received at the terminal to make a vessel. The terminal or line publishes it for each sailing.

D

Delivery order (DO)

The release document, from the line or its agent, that authorises the trucker to collect an import container. Terminals check for it at the gate.

Demurrage

A charge for a loaded import container staying inside the terminal past its free time. The name varies by region and tariff, so read the tariff for which charge applies. Demurrage vs detention vs per diem ›

Detention

Used in two ways: a line charge for equipment kept outside the terminal past free time, and a charge to a customer for a truck and driver kept waiting too long. Check which one a document means. Demurrage vs detention vs per diem ›

Dispatch

Assigning loads to drivers and trucks, timing each move and keeping everyone informed. In a drayage fleet it also means watching dates, holds and terminal hours. Features ›

Drayage

Short-distance hauling of containers between ports or rail ramps and nearby warehouses, depots or customers. Also called dray or port trucking. Port of Vancouver drayage ›

Drop and hook

Leaving a loaded or empty trailer or container at a customer and picking up another, so the driver is not waiting for loading or unloading.

Dry run

A trip made without completing the move, for example a driver arrives and the container is not ready or the gate is closed. Usually a billable accessorial under the customer agreement.

Dual transaction

One terminal visit that drops off an empty and picks up a loaded container (or the reverse), so the truck does not travel empty both ways. Street turns explained ›

Dwell time

How long a container, truck or driver sits in one place, for instance in a terminal or at a customer dock. High dwell raises cost.

E

EIR (Equipment Interchange Receipt)

A record of the condition of a container or chassis and the time it changed hands at a gate. It is key evidence when a charge or damage is disputed. Chassis invoice guide ›

Empty return

Returning an empty container to the line's designated terminal or depot after unloading. Places often have rules by line, size and date. Features ›

ETA (estimated time of arrival)

The expected arrival time of a vessel, train or truck. A vessel ETA changes often, so it is treated as a forecast until the ship berths.

Export

Cargo leaving the country. An export move delivers an empty to a shipper, then returns the loaded container to the terminal before the cut-off.

F

FCL (full container load)

A shipment that fills a whole container for one shipper, as opposed to LCL.

Free time

The days or hours a container may stay at the terminal or outside it before charges begin. It is set by the terminal, the line and the tariff. Last free day guide ›

Fuel surcharge (FSC)

An added charge that follows the diesel price, normally set by a table so the customer pays more when fuel rises and less when it falls. Rate sheet guide ›

G

Genset

A portable generator attached to a refrigerated container on a chassis to keep it cold on the road. Often billed as an accessorial.

H

Hazmat

Hazardous materials. Moves need trained drivers, correct placards and paperwork under dangerous goods rules.

I

IFTA

The International Fuel Tax Agreement, which lets carriers file one quarterly fuel tax return with their base jurisdiction for travel across member states and provinces. IFTA guide ›

Import

Cargo entering the country. An import move picks up a loaded container from a terminal or ramp and delivers it to the consignee.

Intermodal

Moving freight in the same container by more than one mode, such as ship, rail and truck.

L

Last free day (LFD)

The last day a container can be picked up or returned without demurrage or per diem starting. Always confirm which charge the date refers to. Last free day guide ›

LCL (less than container load)

A shipment that does not fill a container and is combined with others at a container freight station.

Live unload

The driver waits at the customer while the container is unloaded, then takes the empty away. Waiting time can be billed.

O

Owner-operator

A driver who owns or leases the truck and works under contract for a carrier. Their pay is settled differently from an employee driver's. Features ›

P

Per diem

The daily charge a shipping line bills for its container being outside the terminal past free days. Also called detention in some tariffs. What is per diem ›

Pre-pull

Picking up an import container ahead of the delivery date and holding it in the yard until the appointment.

R

Rail ramp

A rail terminal where containers are lifted on or off trains. Drayage carriers serve ramps in much the same way as port terminals. Features ›

Reefer

A refrigerated container that holds a set temperature and needs power, from a plug or a genset.

S

Seal

A numbered tamper-evident lock on a container door. The seal number is recorded at pickup and delivery.

Settlement

The pay statement for a driver, owner-operator or carrier after deductions, advances and other adjustments. Features ›

Street turn

Reusing an import empty container for an export load without returning it to the terminal, with the line's approval, to save time, miles and per diem. Street turns explained ›

T

Terminal

The marine or rail facility where containers are loaded and unloaded. Each has its own gate hours, appointment rules and closures.

TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit)

A standard measure of container capacity. A 20-foot container is one TEU and a 40-foot container is two.

Transload

Moving cargo from one container to another, or to a truck, at a warehouse, often to repack an ocean container into a domestic load.

TWIC

The Transportation Worker Identification Credential, a US federal card required for unescorted access to secure areas of US maritime facilities.

Twist lock

The rotating pins on a chassis that lock into a container's corner castings to hold it in place.

V

VGM (verified gross mass)

The verified weight of a packed export container, which must be provided to the carrier and terminal before loading under international safety rules.

W

Wait time

Time a driver and truck spend waiting at a terminal or customer. Track it with timestamps or GPS so it can be billed under the agreement. Features ›

Frequently asked questions

Is this glossary legal or regulatory advice?

No. Entries are plain-language explanations. Charges and rules vary by terminal, shipping line, province, state and contract, so always read the tariff or rule that applies to your move.

Why do per diem, detention and demurrage get mixed up?

Lines, terminals and customers use the words differently by region and tariff. The safe habit is to read the document and see who is billing, for what equipment and for which days.

Where can I learn more about these charges?

The guides on this site go deeper on per diem, last free day, chassis invoices and street turns, and the features pages show how Dispatch Board tracks them.

Does Dispatch Board track these terms?

It tracks last free day, per diem with a reason for each charged day, chassis bills, waiting time, street and dual transaction suggestions and IFTA reports. It does not book terminal appointments automatically.