YRC

Shipping Glossary

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Accessorial Charges (also called "Assessorial Charges")
Charges made for performing services beyond normal pickup and delivery, such as inside delivery or storage charges.

Air Freight Forwarder
An air freight forwarder provides pickup and delivery service under its own tariff, consolidates shipments into larger units, prepares shipping documentation and tenders shipments to the airlines. Air freight forwarders do not generally operate their own aircraft and may therefore be called "indirect air carriers." Because the air freight forwarder tenders the shipment, the airlines consider the forwarder to be the shipper.

Air Waybill
An air waybill is a shipping document airlines use. Similar to a bill of lading, the air waybill is a contract between the shipper and airline that states the terms and conditions of transportation. The air waybill also contains shipping instructions, product descriptions, and transportation charges.

Articles of Extraordinary Value
Carriers are not liable for "documents, coin money, or articles of extraordinary value" unless the items are specifically rated in published classifications or tariffs. Exceptions may be made by special agreement. If an agreement is made, the stipulated value of the articles must be endorsed on the bill of lading. Articles may include precious stones, jewels and currency. Many tariffs include restrictions on goods with values in excess of a specified amount.

Bill of Lading (BOL or B/L)
A bill of lading is a binding contract that serves three main purposes:

1. a receipt for the goods delivered to the transportation provider for shipment;
2. a definition or description of the goods; and
3. evidence of title to the relative goods, if "negotiable".

Complete a BOL online.

Bill of Lading Exceptions
The terms and conditions of most bills of lading release transportation providers from liability for loss or damage arising from:

• an Act of God,
• a public enemy,
• the authority of law or
• the act or default of the shipper.

In addition, except in the case of negligence, a transportation provider will not be liable for loss, damage, or delay caused by:

• the property being stopped and held in transit at the request of the shipper, owner or party entitled to make such request;
• lack of capacity of a highway, bridge or ferry;
• a defect or vice in the property; or
• riots or strikes.

Bonded Carrier
A transportation provider by U.S. Customs to carry Customs-controlled merchandise between Customs points. YRC is a bonded carrier.

Break bulk
To separate parts of a load into individual shipments for routing to different destinations.

Breakbulk Service Center
Consolidation and distribution center. A service center in the YRC system that unloads and consolidates shipments received from its smaller service centers and from other breakbulks. This service center may have its own city operation.
Example: Freight destined for Texas from several New England states will be consolidated at our Stroudsurgh, Pa., breakbulk service center for forwarding to Texas.

Broker
A broker is an independent contractor paid to arrange motor carrier transportation. A broker may work on the carrier or shipper's behalf.

Carmack
An industry term regarding loss or damage of goods. Carmack is governed by 49 U.S.C 14706, which states that a motor carrier must

• issue the Bill of Lading and
• pay the actual loss or injury to the property.

However, carriers limit their liability for release value products, and can limit their damages to $25 per pound or $100,000 per shipment.

Cartage Agent
A carrier who performs pickup or delivery in areas that YRC does not serve.

• Cartage agents use their own paperwork while transporting the shipment.
• YRC does not track the shipment while it is in the cartage agent's possession.
• When YRC gives a shipment to a cartage agent for delivery, the shipment is considered to be "delivered" in YRC's tracking tool.

Claim
Cargo: A "Cargo Claim" is a demand made on a transportation company for payment for goods allegedly lost or damaged while the shipment was in the transportation provider's possession. Pursuant to the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) Uniform Bill of Lading, all cargo claims must be filed within 9 months.

Overcharge/Undercharge: Overcharge or undercharge claims are demands on a transportation company for a refund of an overcharge from the erroneous application of rates, weights and/or assessment of freight charges.
Help with claims

COD
A shipment for which the transportation provider is responsible for collecting the sale price of the goods shipped before delivery.

Commodity
Any article of commerce. Goods shipped.

Common Carrier
Company that provides transportation services to the public in return for compensation.

Concealed Loss
Shortage or damage not evident at delivery.
Help with concealed loss.

Consignee
The person or place where a shipment will be transferred for the last time (destination); the individual or organization to whom the goods are addressed.

Deck Trailers
Trailers with rows of tracking on each sidewall and deck load bars. The load bars fit into the tracks to form temporary "decks" on which goods can be loaded. Decks allow more goods to be loaded in the trailer, reduce damage, and speed loading and unloading.

Delivery Receipt
Document a consignee or its agent dates and signs at delivery, stating the condition of the goods at delivery. The driver takes the signed delivery receipt to the service center for retention. The customer retains the remaining copy.

Dispatch
The act of sending a driver on his/her assigned route with instructions and required shipping papers. YRC maintains contact with drivers throughout the day by phone, pager, radio, satellite communication or cellular phone.

Dock
A platform, generally the same height as the trailer floor, where trucks are loaded and unloaded.

Dolly (Jifflox)
Converter that provides an extra axle and fifth wheel and is used to connect multiple trailers.

Doubles
Vehicle configuration in which a tractor pulls two trailers connected by a dolly or jifflox.
See trailer dimensions

Drayage
Also known as connecting road haulage.

1. The hauling of a load by a cart with detachable sides (dray).
2. Road transportation between the nearest railway terminal and the stuffing place.

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
The electronic transmission of routine business documents, such as purchase orders, invoices and bills of lading, between computers in a standard format. The data formats, or transaction sets, are usually sent between mainframe computers. Learn more in the EDI Resource Center.

Exceptions
An exception is any delivery in which the receiver or driver notes a problem on the delivery receipt before signing it. Typically, exceptions concern shortage and/or damage.

Exclusive Use
A shipper pays a premium rate for the sole use of the trailer. The trailer will be sealed at loading, and the seal number is recorded on the manifest. The seal number is verified before the trailer is unloaded at destination. When a shipper requests an exclusive use trailer, no other freight may be added to the unit even if space permits.

Exempt Product
Products that are exempt from federal regulation, such as agricultural and forestry products.

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 paying all the cost of shipping beyond that location.

Free On Board (FOB)
An acronym for "free on board" when used in a sales contract. The seller agrees to deliver merchandise, free of all transportation expense, to the place specified by the contract. After delivery is complete, the title to all the goods and the risk of damage become the buyer's.

FOB Origin
Title and risk pass to the buyer at the moment the seller delivers the goods to the carrier. The parties may agree to have title and risk pass at a different time or to allocate shipping charges by a written agreement.

FOB Destination
Under this arrangement, title and risk remain with the seller until it has delivered the goods to the location specified in the contract.

Freight
Any product being transported.

Freight Bill
Shipping document YRC prepares to confirm shipment delivery and indicate payment terms (prepaid or collect). The document describes the shipment, its weight, the amount of charges and taxes and whether the bill is collect or prepaid. If the bill is prepaid, the shipper pays the shipping charges. If the bill is collect, the consignee pays the shipping charges.

Freight Broker
Any person who sells transportation without actually providing it. The term usually refers to an agent for truckload shipments, matching small shippers with carriers. Freight brokers often do not accept any responsibility for their shipments. (Also see Freight Forwarder and Shipper's Agent.)

Freight Forwarder
A freight forwarder combines less-than-truckload (LTL) or less-than-carload (LCL) shipments into carload or truckload lots. Freight forwarders are designated as common carriers. They also issue bills of lading and accept responsibility for goods. The term may also refer to the company that fills railroad trains with trailers. (Also see Freight Broker and Shipper's Agent.)

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