Routing the load…
Glossary · Freight terms · Plain definitions
The freight vocabulary.
Named for what it means.
RGN, BOL, USMCA, FCL, RoRo, BMC-84, OD/OW. The terms heavy-haul and ocean shippers run into — defined plainly, with the context that makes them decision-useful.
A
- Accessorial
- An add-on charge beyond the line-haul rate — detention, layover, tarping, permits, escorts. Real cost line items, not hidden fees, when quoted to the line.
- Agente Aduanal
- A licensed Mexican customs broker. Required to clear freight into Mexico. A real cross-border desk works with a named agente aduanal on the MX side, paired with a US CHB.
- Axle weight
- The load carried by a single axle or axle group. State and federal limits cap per-axle weight, which is why heavy loads spread across multi-axle trailers to stay legal.
B
- BMC-84
- The $75K freight-broker surety bond required by FMCSA — guarantees a broker's financial responsibility to carriers and shippers. LASLINT carries the full BMC-84, verifiable on FMCSA SAFER.
- BOL (Bill of Lading)
- The legal contract between shipper and carrier for the freight on a load. Lists cargo, origin, destination, and terms.
- Break-bulk
- Ocean cargo loaded directly onto the vessel deck or in the hold — not in containers. Required for oversize cargo.
C
- C-TPAT
- Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism — voluntary US Customs program for trusted importers and carriers crossing US borders.
- Cabotage
- Restriction on foreign carriers doing domestic freight inside a country. Affects cross-border MX and CA returns.
- Carta Porte
- The Mexican electronic freight document required by SAT (Mexican tax authority). Travels with cross-border freight into Mexico.
- Chassis
- The wheeled frame that carries an ocean container on a truck. Drayage runs on chassis pools — limited equipment, scheduled access.
- CFDI
- Comprobante Fiscal Digital por Internet — Mexico's electronic invoice. The Complemento Carta Porte attaches to the CFDI for goods moving inside Mexico.
- CHB (Customs Broker)
- A US Customs House Broker, licensed to clear imports/exports through US Customs. Paired with a Mexican agente aduanal on cross-border loads.
- COI (Certificate of Insurance)
- Proof a carrier carries valid auto-liability and cargo insurance, with the broker named as additional insured. Verified before a carrier is assigned to a load.
D
- Demurrage
- Penalty fee charged when a container sits at a port or terminal longer than the allowed free time. Compounds daily.
- Detention
- Fee paid by shipper/broker to carrier when the driver is held at a pickup or delivery beyond the agreed window. Priced per hour.
- Door-to-port / Door-to-door
- International freight terms. Door-to-port: we handle pickup → ocean → arrival port. Door-to-door: also handles destination-side inland delivery.
- D-U-N-S Registered
- Dun & Bradstreet business identifier — required for many enterprise procurement onboarding processes. LASLINT is D-U-N-S Registered.
- Drayage
- Short-haul trucking of containers between a port/rail terminal and a nearby facility. The first or last leg of an intermodal or ocean move.
E
- ELD (Electronic Logging Device)
- Required FMCSA-mandated logging system in trucks. Records driver Hours of Service automatically.
- Escort / Pilot car
- A vehicle that accompanies an oversize load to warn traffic and guide the driver. Triggered by width, height, or length thresholds that vary by state.
F
- FCL
- Full Container Load — a single shipper's freight in a sealed 20-ft or 40-ft container. Cheaper per cubic foot than LCL when the cargo fills the box.
- FMCSA
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration — US regulator for trucking. Issues MC and DOT authority, sets safety standards.
- FOB / Incoterms
- International trade terms defining where title and risk pass between buyer and seller. FOB, CIF, EXW, DDP, etc.
G
- Gooseneck
- The front portion of an RGN trailer that detaches so tracked equipment can drive onto the deck without crane work.
- GVW / GCW
- Gross Vehicle Weight / Gross Combined Weight. US heavy-haul threshold sits at 80,000 lb GCW — above that, the move is overweight and requires permits.
H
- Hot-shot
- Time-critical freight on smaller trucks (1-ton, 3-ton + gooseneck, or expedited straight trucks). Faster pickup; lower capacity (up to ~20K lb).
- HOS (Hours of Service)
- FMCSA-mandated driver rest cycles. Limits daily driving and on-duty hours. Drives transit time for single-driver loads.
I
- Intermodal
- Container freight moving via rail in the middle of the move, with truck drayage on both ends. Cheaper than OTR for long lanes.
L
- Last mile
- The final segment of a freight move — from the destination terminal or warehouse to the actual delivery point.
- LCL
- Less-than-Container Load — shared container freight for smaller shipments. No minimums but slower at origin and destination because of consolidation.
- Lowboy
- Heavy-haul trailer with the lowest deck height available. For tall and heavy combined cargo — turbines, compressors, transformers.
M
- MC Number
- Motor Carrier authority number issued by FMCSA. Required to operate as a freight broker or carrier. LASLINT MC# is 1462874.
- Multi-axle trailer
- Trailer with extra axles to distribute weight on superload moves. 8-, 9-, 11-, or 13-axle configurations push capacity to 200K+ lb.
N
- NOA (Notice of Assignment)
- Document used in factoring — instructs payer to remit to the factor instead of directly to the carrier. Standard in freight settlement.
O
- Overweight / Oversize
- Overweight: above 80K lb GCW. Oversize: dimensions exceed 8'6" wide, 13'6" tall (varies by state), or 53' long. Each requires permits.
P
- POD (Proof of Delivery)
- Signed document confirming the freight was delivered. Required for invoice processing and carrier payment.
- Pre-shipment inspection (PVoC, SONCAP)
- Required certifications for cargo bound for some African countries. SONCAP (Nigeria), PVoC (Kenya, Tanzania). Filed before vessel sails.
- Pedimento
- Mexico's official customs declaration document for imports and exports. Filed by the agente aduanal — the MX-side counterpart to the US entry filing.
Q
- Quick-pay
- Accelerated carrier payment term — typically Net 7 with a 1–2% fee. Alternative to standard Net 30. LASLINT offers Net 7 at 2%.
R
- Reefer
- Temperature-controlled trailer. –20°F to +70°F range. For food, beverage, pharma, and other cold-chain cargo.
- RGN (Removable Gooseneck)
- Heavy-haul trailer where the front detaches so tracked equipment can drive onto the deck. Capacities run 80,000–150,000 lb.
- RoRo (Roll-on / Roll-off)
- Ocean vessel type where wheeled cargo drives onto the ship under its own power or on a trailer. Faster than break-bulk for qualifying cargo.
- Route survey
- An engineered review of a candidate route for a heavy/oversize load — checking bridges, clearances, and turns. Required for superloads; can take 1–4 weeks.
S
- Step-deck
- Open-deck trailer with a lowered section in the middle for tall freight that can't clear flatbed height (13'6"). 11' well clearance.
- Superload
- Upper tier of oversize/overweight freight. Working thresholds: >16' wide, >16' tall, >110' long, or >200,000 lb. Requires engineered routing.
- SAT
- Servicio de Administración Tributaria — Mexico's tax authority. Sets the Carta Porte and CFDI requirements that govern freight moving inside Mexico.
- Stretch trailer
- An extendable trailer (RGN, step-deck, or flatbed) that lengthens to carry over-length loads like wind blades, beams, and bridge sections.
T
- TIA
- Transportation Intermediaries Association — the broker industry trade group. Members commit to a code of ethics and best practices.
- TONU (Truck Order Not Used)
- Fee paid to a carrier when a load is canceled after the truck has been dispatched. Industry standard.
- Transload
- Moving cargo from one trailer or container to another mid-route. Common at borders when the cargo can't cross on the same carrier.
- TWIC
- Transportation Worker Identification Credential — required for port access in the US. Drivers serving major ports need TWIC clearance.
U
- USDOT Number
- Federal identifier for commercial vehicles operating in interstate commerce. LASLINT USDOT is 03939837.
- USMCA
- United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (replaced NAFTA). Trade rules for North American freight. Certificate of Origin documents qualifying goods.
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