A
AA Always Afloat
AAAA Always Accessible Always Afloat
AARA Amsterdam-Antwerp-Rotterdam Area
ABOARD On or within the ship
ABOVE DECK On the deck (not over it — see ALOFT)
ABT About
ADDENDUM Additional chartering terms at the end of a charter party
AFFREIGHTMENT The hiring of a ship in whole or part
AFT At or towards the stern or rear of a ship
AGW All Going Well
A/N Arrival Notice — an import document send to the notify party and/or importer’s broker containing all necessary arrival info for Customs clearance; normally with freight charges.
ANCHORAGE A place suitable for anchorage in relation to the wind, seas and bottom
ANTHAM Antwerp-Hamburg Range
ARAG Amsterdam-Rotterdam—Antwerp-Gent Range
ARBITRATION Method of settling disputes which is usually binding on parties. A clause usually in a charter party
A/S Alongside
ASPW Any Safe Port in the World
ATA Actual time of arrival
ATD Actual time of departure
AWB Air waybill
B
BACKLETTER Where a seller/shipper issues a ‘letter of indemnity’ in favour of the carrier in exchange for a clean bill of lading
BAF Bunker Adjustment Factor. A Fuel Surcharge expressed as a percentage added or subtracted from the freight amount, reflecting the movement in the market placeprice for bunkers.
BALE CAP. Cubic capacity of a vessels holds to carry packaged dry cargo such as bales/pallets
BALLAST Heavy weight, often sea water, necessary for the stability and safety of a ship which is not carrying cargo
BALLAST BONUS Compensation for relatively long ballast voyage
BBB Before Breaking Bulk. Refers to freight payments that must be received before discharge of a vessel commences
BEAM The maximum breadth or the greatest width of a ship
BELOW Beneath the deck
BENDS Both Ends (Load & Discharge Ports)
BIMCO The Baltic and International Maritime Council
BL Bale
B/L (Bill of Lading) A document signed by the carrier which acts as a Contract of Affreightment, a receipt and evidence of title to the cargo.
BM Beam
BN Booking Note
BOFFER Best Offer
BROKERAGE Percentage of freight payable to broker (by owners in c/p’s) or applicable to sale or purchase
BSS Basis
BUNDLING This is the assembly of pieces of cargo, secured into one manageable unit. This is relevant to items such as Structural Steel, Handrails, Stairways etc.Whilst this is a very flexible description, a rule of thumb is to present cargo at a size easily handled by a large (20 tonne) fork lift.
BUNKERS Name given for vessels Fuel and Diesel Oil supplies (Originates from coal bunkers)
BUOY An anchored float used for marking a position on the water or a hazard or a shoal and for mooring
C
CAF Currency Adjustment Factor. A fee applied to the shipping costs to compensate for exchange rate fluctuations.
CBM Cubic Metres
CBFT (or CFT) Cubic Feet
CFR (or C&F) Cost and Freight
CHTRS Charterers
CIF Cost, Insurance & Freight. Seller pays all these costs to a nominated port or place of discharge.
COA Contract of Affreightment — Owners agree to accept a cost per revenue tonne for cargo carried on a specific number of voyages.
CIP Carriage and Insurance paid to…
C.O. Certificate of Origin — a signed statement from a semiofficial organization certifying the origin of an export item, required by certain nations.
COB Closing of Business
COD Cash On Delivery
COGSA Carriage of Goods by Sea Act
CONGESTION Port/berth delays
CNEE CONSIGNEE. Name of agent, company or person receiving consignment
COP Custom Of Port
CP (or C/P) Charter Party
CPD Charterers Pay Dues
CPT Carriage Paid To
CQD Customary Quick Despatch
CROB Cargo Remaining on Board
CTR Container Fitted
D
DA Disbursement Account
DAF Deliver At Frontier
DDU Delivered Duty unpaid.
DDP Delivered Duty Paid.
DECK A permanent covering over a compartment, hull or any part thereof
DEM Demurrage (Quay Rent). Money paid by the shipper for the occupying port space beyond a specified «Free Time» period.
DEQ Delivered Ex Quay
DES Delivered Ex Ship
DESP Despatch. Time saved, reward for quick turnaround- in dry cargo only
DET Detention (See DAMFORDET)
DEV Deviation. Vessel departure from specified voyage course
DFRT Deadfreight. Space booked by shipper or charterer on a vessel but not used
DISCH Discharge
DO Diesel Oil
DRAUGHT (or DRAFT) Depth to which a ship is immersed in water. The depth varies according to the design of the ship and will be greater or lesser depending not only on the weight of the ship and everything on board, but also on the density of the water in which the ship is lying.
DUNNAGE Materials of various types, often timber or matting, placed among the cargo for separation, and hence protection from damage, for ventilation and, in the case of certain cargoes, to provide space in which the tynes of a fork lift truck may be inserted.
DWAT (or DWT) Deadweight. Weight of cargo, stores and water, i.e. the difference between lightship and loaded displacement.
E
EC East Coast
ELVENT Electric Ventilation
ETA Estimated Time of Arrival — the projected date and time a shipment is scheduled to arrive at its destination.
ETC Estimated Time of Completion
ETD Estimated Time of Departure — the projected date and time a shipment is scheduled to depart from the port/airport of origin.
ETS Estimated Time of Sailing
EXW Ex Works
F
FAS Free Alongside Ship. Seller delivers goods to appropriate dock or terminal at port of embarkation and buyer covers costs and risks of loading
FCA Free to Carrier. A modern equivalent of FAS used in intermodal transport where goods are transferred at a nominated forwarders premises, depot or terminal but not actually on board vessel.
FCL Full Container Load — a container that is fully loaded by cargo, occupying all space, or loaded to the maximum permissable weight. It can contain cargo from multiple shippers, but normally is consigned to the same consignee. The shipment is expected to be delivered to the consignee with the shipper’s seal intact.
FD (FDIS) Free Discharge
FEU Standard 40’ Container, forty-foot equivalent unit, a standard size intermodal container.
FHEX Fridays/Holidays Excluded
FHINC Fridays/Holidays Included
FILO Free In/Liner Out. Seafreight with which the shipper pays load costs and the carrier pays for discharge costs.
FIO Free In/Out. Freight booked FIO includes the seafreight, but no loading/discharging costs, i.e. the charterer pays for cost of loading/discharging cargo.
FIOS Free In/Out Stowed. As per FIO, but excludes stowage costs. FIOST Free In/Out and Trimmed. Charterer pays for cost of loading/discharging cargo, including stowage and trimming.
FIOT Free In/Out and Trimmed. As per FIOS but includes trimming, e.g. the levelling of bulk cargoes. FIOS includes seafreight, but excludes loading/discharging and stowage costs.
FIT Free In Trimmed
FIW Free In Wagon
FIXING Chartering a Vessel
FIXTURE Conclusion of shipbrokers negotiations to charter a ship — an agreement
FLATPACKING Cargo to be presented stacked and secured as an integral unit.
FLT Full Liner Terms
FME Force Majeure Excepted
FO (IFO) Fuel Oil/Intermediate FO
FO Free Out
FOB Free on Board. Seller sees the goods «over the ship’s rail» on to the ship which is arranged and paid for by the buyer
FOFFER Firm Offer
FOG For Our Guidance
FOQ Free On Quay
FOR Free On Rail
FORCE MAJEURE Clause limiting responsibilities of the charterers, shippers and receivers of cargo.
FORWARD Toward the bow of the ship
FOT Free On Truck
FOW First Open Water
FP Free Pratique. Clearance by the Health Authorities
FRT Freight. Money payable on delivery of cargo in a mercantile condition
FREE DESPATCH If loading/discharging achieved sooner than agreed, there will be no freight money returned.
FREE EXINS Free of any Extra Insurance (Owners)
FREE OUT Free of discharge costs to owners. Includes seafreight only.
FYG For Your Guidance
FYI For Your Information
G
GEAR A general term for ropes, blocks, tackle and other equipment
GLS (GLESS) Gearless
GNCN Gencon (GENERAL CONDITIONS)
GN (or GR) Grain (Capacity)
GO Gas Oil
GP Grain Capacity. Cubic capacity in ‘grain’
GRD Geared
GRT Gross Registered Tonnage
GSB Good, Safe Berth
GSP Good, Safe Port
GTEE Guarantee
H
HA Hatch
HAGUE RULES Code of minimum conditions for the carriage of cargo under a Bill of Lading
HATCH An opening in a ship’s deck fitted with a watertight cover
HBF Harmless Bulk Fertilizer
HO Hold
HOLD A compartment below deck in a large vessel, used solely for carrying cargo
HULL The main body of a ship
I
IMDG International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code
IMO International Maritime Organisation
INCOTERMS (Refer to comments in covering statement on front page A-F)
IND Indication
INTERMODAL Carriage of a commodity by different modes of transport, i.e. sea, road, rail and air within a single journey
ISPS International Ships and Port Security System
ITINERARY Route.Schedule
K
KEEL The centreline of a ship running fore and aft; the backbone of a vessel
KNOT A measurement of speed equal to one nautical mile (6,076 feet) per hour
L
LANE METER A method of measuring the space capacity of Ro/Ro ships whereby each unit of space (Linear Meter) is represented by an area of deck 1.0 meter in length x 2.0 meters in width.
LASH To hold goods in position by use of Ropes, Wires, Chains or Straps etc.
LAYCAN Laycan (Layday Cancelling Date)
LAYTIME Time at Charterers disposal for purpose of loading/discharging
L/C Letter of Credit
LCL Less than Container Load — a shipment that takes up only a portion of a consolidated container. LCL shpts are to be picked up at a CFS only, whereas FCL are to be picked up at a container yard/terminal.
LCR Lowest Current Rate
LIEN Retention of property until outstanding debt is paid
LOA Length Overall of the vessel
LOI Letter of Indemnity
LS (or LUMPS) Lumpsum Freight. Money paid to Shipper for a charter of a ship (or portion) up to stated limit irrespective of quantity of cargo
LSD Lashed Secured Dunnaged
LT Liner Terms
LT Long Ton = 1,016.05 kilogram (2,240 lbs)
LTHH Liner Terms Hook/Hook
M
MANIFEST Inventory of cargo on board
MDO (DO) Marine Diesel Oil
MIDSHIP Approximately in the location equally distant from the bow and stern
MIN/MAX Minimum/Maximum (cargo quantity)
MOORING An arrangement for securing a ship to a mooring buoy or pier
MT Mertic Tonne (i.e. 1,000 kilos)
M/V Motor Vessel / Merchant Vessel
N
NM Nautical Mile. One minute of latitude; approximately 6,076 feet — about 1/8 longer than the statute mile of 5,280 feet
NON-REVERSIBLE (Detention). If loading completed sooner than expected, then saved days will not be added to discharge time allowed.
NOR Notice of Readiness
NRT Net Restricted Tonnage
O
OO Owners Option
OWS Owners
P
P&I Protection and Indemnity Insurance
PCGO Part Cargo
PCT Percent
PDPR Per Day Pro Rata
PHPD Per Hatch Per Day
PRATIQUE Licence or permission to use a port
PWWD Per Weather Working Day
R
RCVR Receiver
RECAP Recapitulation of the terms and conditions agreed
REVERSIBLE (Detention). If loading completed sooner than expected at load port, then days saved can be added to discharge operations.
ROB Remaining On Board
S
SATPM Saturday P.M.
SB Safe Berth
SD (or SID) Single Decker
SEAFREIGHT Costs charged for transporting goods over the sea. This does not cover haulage or loading/discharging costs but the sea transport only
SEMI-TRAILERS Are usually 12.0 meter flat bed road trailers
SF Stowage Factor. Cubic space (measurement tonne) occupied by one tonne (2,240 lbs/1,000 kgs) of cargo
SHINC Sundays/Holidays Included
SHEX Sundays/Holidays Excluded
SHPR Shipper — the party in whose name a contract of carriage of goods has been concluded with at carrier or any party by whom, in whose name or on whose behalf the goods are actually delivered to the carrier in relation to the contract of carriage.
SOC Shipper Owned Container
SOF Statement of Facts
SP Safe Port
SSHEX Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays Excluded
SSHINC (or SATSHINC) Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays Included
STABILITY It is paramount that a vessel is stable in all aspects at all times. When cargo is loaded/discharged, the stability is monitored by a computer, which takes into account the weight and position of cargo within the vessel.
STERN The aformost or after part of a ship
SUB Subject (to). Depending upon as a condition
T
TBN To Be Named / To Be Nominated
TEU Standard 20′ Container, twenty-foot equivalent unit, a standard size intermodal container.
T/S Transhipment — a shipping arrangement in which a shipment is discharged of the vessel at an intermediate port enroute and subsequently reloaded to another vessel for carriage to its final destinationl
TRIM Fore and aft balance of a ship
TTL Total
W
WATERLINE A line painted on a hull which shows the point to which a ship sin