E

Econometric Models
A system of simultaneous equations for forecasting, based on mutual dependency among the variables used.

Economic Speed
That speed of a means of transport which produces the best possible financial result for the owner. Such speed should not be in excess of the maximum or minimum output allowed for the engine(s).

Economy of Scale
A phenomenon which encourages the production of larger volumes of a commodity to reduce its unit cost by distributing fixed costs over a greater quantity.
 

ECSI - Export Cargo Shipping Instruction/Preadvice
Instructions from shipper with details of all parties involved and description of goods.
 

EDI
See Electronic Data Interchange.

EDI For Administration, Commerce and Transport
United Nations rules for Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport. They comprise a set of internationally agreed upon standards, directories and guidelines for the electronic interchange of structured data related to trade in goods and services between independent computerized information systems.

EDIFACT
See Electronic Data Interchange For Administration, Commerce and Transport.

EDP
See Electronic Data Processing.

EDR
See Equipment Damage Report.

EFTA - European Free Trade Association
Comprising Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.

EHA (Equipment Handover Agreement), Interchange (Fr)
An agreement acknowledging the condition of the carrier's equipment when handed over and returned, which includes the terms of contract under which the equipment was taken over.

EIR
See Equipment Interchange Receipt.

Electronic Commerce
The end-to-end digital exchange of all information needed to conduct business. Examples include EDI transactions, electronic mail, archives, audit trails, and all forms of records, including graphical images.

Electronic Data Interchange
Abbreviation: EDI
The transfer of structured data, by agreed standards from applications on the computer of one party to the applications on the computer of another party by electronic means.

Electronic Data Interchange For Administration, Commerce and Transport
Abbreviation: EDIFACT
The ISO application level syntax rules for the structuring of user data and of the associated service data in the interchange of messages in an open environment.

Electronic Data Processing
Abbreviation: EDP
The computerized handling of information (e.g. business data).

Elevator
Equipment used to discharge some bulk cargoes such as grain which is removed from the hold by a continuous line of buckets or by suction and carried on a conveyor belt to store.

Embargo
A government order prohibiting the entry or departure of commercial vessels or goods at its ports.
The refusal by a carrier, for a limited period, to accept for transport over any route or segment thereof, and to or from any area or point, of a connecting carrier, any commodity, type of class of cargo duly tendered.

Emergency Medical Service
Abbreviation: EMS
Medical procedures in case of emergencies on board of vessels.

EMS
See Emergency Medical Service.

Endorsement
The transfer of the right to obtain delivery of the goods of the carrier by means of the consignee's signature on the reverse side of a bill of lading. If the name of the new consignee (transferee) is not stated, the endorsement is an open one which means that every holder of the document is entitled to obtain delivery of the goods.

Enquiry
Document issued by a party interested in the purchase of goods specified therein and indicating particular, desirable conditions regarding delivery terms, etc., addressed to a prospective supplier with a view to obtaining an offer.

Enterprise
An organization created to provide products and/or services to customers.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
Complex applications used by large enterprises to manage inventory and integrate business processes across multiple divisions and organizational boundaries, frequently the application backbone in many large enterprises.

Equipment
Material resources necessary to facilitate the transport and handling of cargo. Transport equipment does under the given circumstances not have the ability to move by its own propulsion (e.g. sea container, trailer, unit load device, pallet).

Equipment Damage Report
Abbreviation: EDR
Written statement concerning damage to equipment, based on a physical inspection.

Equipment Interchange Receipt
Abbreviation: EIR
Physical inspection and transfer receipt.

Estimated Delivery Date
The date and time a package or shipment is expected to be delivered to a given destination.
Acronym: EDD

Estimated Time of Arrival
Abbreviation: ETA
The expected date and time of arrival in a certain port.
Synonym: Expected time of arrival.

Estimated Time of Departure
Abbreviation: ETD
The expected date and time when a certain port is left.
Synonym: Expected time of departure.

European Pallet Pool
Pool for the exchange of standard size pallets (the so-called Europallets) in European cargo traffic, formed in 1961 by a number of European rail administrators.

European Article Numbering Association
Abbreviation: EAN
An international body responsible for administering the European Article Numbering system. It has affiliates in many countries such as: CCG in West Germany, DCC in Japan, ANA in the United Kingdom.
Note: The North American body responsible for the Uniform Product Code (UPC) coding is the Uniform Code Council. (UPC is considered a subset of EAN).

European Zone Charge
Abbreviation: EZC
A charge for inland haulage transport in case of carrier haulage in Europe.

Even Keel
Said of a vessel which is balanced in such a way that the draft forward and aft is the same as the draft in the midship of the vessel on both sides.

Event
An occurrence.

Ex Works (...named place)
"Ex works" means that the seller fulfils his obligation to deliver when he has made the goods available at his premises (i.e. works, factory, warehouse, etc.) to the buyer. In particular, he is not responsible for loading the goods on the vehicle provided by the buyer or for clearing the goods for export, unless otherwise agreed. The buyer bears all costs and risks involved in taking the goods from the seller's premises to the desired destination. This term thus represents the minimum obligation for the seller. This term should not be used when the buyer cannot carry out directly or indirectly the export formalities. In such circumstances, the FCA term should be used.

Excess
Going over the prescribed amount or degree e.g. excess luggage is luggage of which the weight is over the weight for free carriage.

Excess Stock
That portion of stock on hand which is over and above the desired stock level.

Exchanges
Two-sided marketplaces where buyers and suppliers negotiate prices, usually with a bid and ask system, and where prices move both up and down. Work best with easily definable products without complicated attributes--commodities, perishable items such as food, or intangibles such as electric power. Produce fluctuating, sometimes volatile prices. Particularly appropriate if a true market price is difficult to discover. Also work where brokers make high margins by buying low and selling high to purchasers who don't know the original sellers. Examples: Altra (energy), Paper Exchange (paper products), GoFish.com (frozen fish), Arbinet (telecommunications bandwidth). Synonyms: digital exchange, online exchange, dynamic exchange, dynamic trading exchange.

Exchange Rate
The rate at which one currency can be exchanged for another, usually expressed as the value of the one in terms of the other.

Execution
The actual act of carrying out a task.

Exemption Clause
A clause in a contract, which relieves the carrier's responsibility for certain events.
Synonym: Exceptions Clause.

Exempt Carrier
Company which transports commodities exempted from Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) economic regulation.

Expected
Likely to occur or appear.

Expediting
The 'rushing' or 'chasing' of production or purchase orders which are needed in less than the normal lead time.

Expendable Pallet
See disposable pallet.
Synonym: One Way Pallet.

Expenses
Costs paid out in connection with booking of cargo and arranging transport (e.g. commission).
Expiration
Termination of a certain period.

Exponential market
Where one party can be both a buyer and seller.Both buyers and sellers benefit when a new participant joins because fewer participants are needed to create higher volumes. Grow faster than linear markets. Require well-defined or commoditized products to make purchase and sale easy. Transaction costs must be low to keep the market liquid. Examples: Altra (energy), e-Steel, MetalSite. Synonym: circular market. Antonym: linear market.

Export
The process of carrying or sending goods to another country or countries, especially for purposes of use or sale in the country of destination. The sale of products to clients abroad.

Export Declaration
A document required by the U.S. Treasury Department and completed by a shipper indicating the contents, value, and destination of an export shipment.

Export Licence
Document granting permission to export as detailed within a specified time.

Export Packer
Company, packing goods for export.

Exporter
The party responsible for the export of goods.

Extract
Summary or copy of something written, e.g. used in connection with the log book.

EXW
See Ex Works (...named place).

EZC
See European Zone Charge.
 

F

Fabrication
A term used to distinguish manufacturing operations for components as opposed to assembly operations.

Factory Delivery
The delivery of goods by a factory whereby the goods are put at the disposal of another (internal) party such as a commercial department.

Fairway
A navigable channel for vessels, often the regular or prescribed track a vessel will follow in order to avoid dangerous circumstances.

FAK
See Freight All Kinds.

FAL
Facilitation Committee of the IMO.

Fantainer
Identical to a GP but is fitted with an electric extraction fan for carriage of cargoes prone to condensation. 20' only

FAS
See Free Alongside Ship (...named port of shipment).

Fashion Transport
Transport of clothing and/or garments including shoes, belts and handbags in dedicated means of transport. FCA
See Free Carrier (...named place).

FCC
See Fully Cellular Containership.

FCL
See full container load.

Feed Back
The flow of information back into the control system so that actual performance can be compared with planned performance.

Feeder
A vessel normally used for local or coastal transport (for carriage of cargo and/or containers) to and from ports not scheduled to be called by the main (ocean) vessel, directly connecting these ports to the main (ocean) vessel.

Fender
An appliance made of rubber, timber and/or rope or other materials normally attached to a dock or quay used to prevent damage to the hull of a vessel especially during mooring and un-mooring operations.

FEU
See Forty Foot Equivalent Unit.

FIFO
See First In First Out.

Fifth Wheel
Circular or wheel-shaped bearing mechanism, secured on the rear of the chassis of a truck-tractorm that engages the semi-trailer king pin with a spring lock device and supports the weight of the front end of the semi-trailer.

FILO
See Free In Liner Out.

FIO
See Free In and Out.

First In First Out
Abbreviation: FIFO
The method whereby the goods which have been longest in stock (first in) are used, delivered (sold) and/or consumed first (first out).

Fixed Crane
A crane of which the principal structure is mounted on permanent or semi permanent foundations.

Fixed Height Load-carrying Truck
Truck carrying its load on a non-elevating platform.
Synonym: Fixed platform truck.

Fixed Platform Truck
See Fixed Height Load-carrying Truck.

Flag
An indication of the country in which a means of transport is registered through a reference to the ensign of this country.

Flammable
Capable to be set on fire under given circumstances.
(Amendment 25 IMO DGS).

Flash Point
The lowest temperature at which a good produces enough vapour to form a flammable mixture with air.

Flat
See Flat Rack.

Flat Bed Trailer
A wheeled trailer or a semi-trailer with a flat cargo carrying surface or deck and without any superstructure.

Flat Pack

Garments packed in cardboard boxes.

Flat Rack
A flat bed with fixed ends suitable for the carriage of cargo of excessive width and plated for carriage of heavy loads. 20' and 40'

Fleet
Any group of means of transport acting together or under one control.

Flexibility
The extent to which and the rate at which adjustments to changed circumstances are possible.

Flexible Computer Integrated Manufacturing
FCIM is the integration of equipment, software, communication, human resources, and business practices within an enterprise to rapidly manufacture, repair, and deliver items on demand with continuous improvements in the processes. The FCIM initiative is a Joint Service and Agency effort to establish and implement the procedures and processes needed.
Acronym: FCIM

Flexitanks
A large polythene liner which can be fitted inside a 20'GP for the transportation of non-hazardous liquids

Flight Member
A licensed crew member charged with duties essential to the operation of an aircraft during flight time.

Flight Number
A combination of two letters, indicating the airline, and three or four digits indicating the number of the voyage.
Synonym: Line Number.

Floating
Freely suspending in water of an object.

Floating Crane
A crane mounted on a barge or pontoon, which can be towed or is self propelled.

Floating Dock
A floating structure that can be partially submerged to enable vessels to enter and to leave and which can be raised for use as a dry dock.

Floating Stock
See Pipeline Inventory.

Flow Chart
A diagram, using symbols and depicting the sequence of events that should take place in a complex set of tasks.

Flow control
A term often used to describe a specific production control system.

Flow Line
The direction of flow in which e.g. pallets have been positioned and stowed.

Flow of materials
The flow of materials and components which goes to and through the factory for the production process.

FMC
Federal Maritime Commission (Control of shipping acts USA)

FOB

See Free On Board (...named port of shipment).

Fo'c's'le
See Forecastle.

Force Majeure
Circumstance which is beyond the control of one of the parties to a contract and which may, according to the terms and conditions, relieve that party of liability for failing to execute the contract.
Synonym: Act of God.

Fore and Aft Stowage
Stowage from the bow to the stern (lengthwise), as opposed to stowage athwartships.

Forecast
An estimation or calculation in advance; a prediction.
The amount of cargo expected to be booked for a certain sailing of a vessel.
The number of containers expected to be used in a certain area, for steering purposes.

Forecastle
Abbreviation: Fo'c's'le.
Forward part of a vessel where stores, ropes and anchor chains are located.

Fork Lift Pockets
See Fork Pockets.

Fork Lift Truck
A three or four wheeled mechanical truck with forks at the front designed for lifting, carrying and stowing cargo.

Fork Pockets
Openings or recesses in a side of a container for the entry of the forks of a fork lift truck.
Synonym: Fork Lift Pockets.

Formula of Camp
A mathematical formula on behalf of inventory management for calculating the optimum order quantity.

Forty Foot Equivalent Unit
Abbreviation: FEU
Unit of measurement equivalent to one forty feet shipping container.

Forward
At, near or towards the bow or front of a vessel or an aircraft.

Forwarder The party arranging the carriage of goods including connected services and/or associated formalities on behalf of a shipper or consignee.
Synonym: Freight Forwarder.

Forwarding Instruction
Document issued to a freight forwarder, giving instructions to the forwarder for the forwarding of goods described therein.

Four Way Pallet
A pallet of which the frame permits the entry of forks of e.g. a fork lift truck at all four sides.

Fragile
Easily breakable. Term denoting that goods should be handled with care.

Fragmentation
Market condition when there is no dominant group of buyers or suppliers, but where many buyers are chasing many suppliers, often inefficiently.

Franchise
Amount which in case of damage will have to be borne by the assured.

Free Airport
See Free Trade Zone.

Free Alongside Ship (...named port of shipment)
Abbreviation: FAS
 

Free Circulation, Libre Circulation
The movement of goods within the European Community without the need to pay any duty.

Free House Unclear
Delivered at a certain destination without payment of certain duties or incurred costs.

Free Carrier (...named place)
Free Carrier" means that the seller fulfils his obligation to deliver when he has handed over the goods, cleared for export, into the charge of the carrier named by the buyer at the named place or point. If no precise point is indicated by the buyer, the seller may choose within the place or range stipulated where the carrier shall take the goods into his charge. When, according to commercial practice, the seller's assistance is required in making the contract with the carrier (such as in rail or air transport) the seller may act at the buyer's risk and expense.
This term may be used for any mode of transport, including multimodal transport.
"Carrier" means any person who, in a contract of carriage, undertakes to perform or to procure the performance of carriage by rail, road, sea, air, inland waterway or by a combination of such modes. If the buyer instructs the seller to deliver the cargo to a person, e.g. a freight forwarder who is not a "carrier", the seller is deemed to have fulfilled his obligation to deliver the goods when they are in the custody of that person.

Free In and Out
Abbreviation: FIO
Transport condition denoting that the freight rate excludes the costs of loading and discharging and, if appropriate, stowage and lashing.

Free In Liner Out
Abbreviation: FILO
Transport condition denoting that the freight rate is inclusive of the sea carriage and the cost of discharging, the latter as per the custom of the port. It excludes the cost of loading and, if appropriate, stowage and lashing.

Free Lift
The maximum elevation of the forks of a fork lift truck.

Free On Board (...named port of shipment)

"Free on Board" means that the seller fulfils his obligation to deliver when the goods have passed over the ship's rail at the named port of shipment. This means that the buyer has to bear all costs and risks of loss of or damage to the goods from that point.
The FOB term requires the seller to clear the goods for export.
This term can only be used for sea or inland waterway transport. When the ship's rail serves no practical purpose, such as in the case of roll-on/roll-off transport, the FCA term is more appropriate to use

Free Port
An international port or an area within an international port at which, crew, passengers, baggage, cargo, mail and stores may be disembarked or unloaded, may remain and may be transhipped, without being subjected to any customs charges or duties. (Examination is possible for instance to meet security or narcotics control requirements.) Source: IMO.

Free Pratique
Permission granted by local medical authorities, denoting that the vessel has a clean Bill of Health so that people may embark and disembark.

Free Trade Zone
Abbreviation: FTZ
A part of the territory of a state where any goods introduced are generally regarded, in so far as import duties and taxes are concerned, as being exempted (Kyoto Convention).
Synonym: Free Port, Free Airport.
 

Freeboard of a Vessel
Vertical distance from the main deck to the surface of the water measured at the middle of the vessel's length.

Freight
The amount of money due for the carriage of goods and payable either in advance or upon delivery.

Freight All Kinds
Abbreviation: FAK
Single freight which is charged irrespective of the commodity.
 

Freight Collect
Freight and charges be paid by the consignee.

Freight Container
See Container.

Freight Costs
Costs incurred by the merchant in moving goods, by whatever means, from one place to another under the terms of the contract of carriage. In addition to transport costs this may include such elements as packing, documentation, loading, unloading and transport insurance.

Freight Forwarder
See Forwarder.

Freight Invoice
An itemized list of goods shipped and services rendered stating fees and charges.

Freight Manifest
A (cargo) manifest including all freight particulars.

Freight Prepaid
Freight and charges to be paid by the consignor.

Freight Ton
A unit for freighting cargo according to weight and/or cubic measurement.
Synonyms: Revenue ton, Bill of Lading ton.

Freighter
A vessel or an aircraft used for the carriage of cargo.

FTL
Full Truck Load, an indication for a truck transporting cargo directly from supplier to receiver.

FTZ
See Free Trade Zone.

Full Container Load
Abbreviation: FCL
A container stuffed or stripped under risk and for account of the shipper and/or the consignee.
A general reference for identifying container loads of cargo loaded and/or discharged at merchants' premises.
 

Full Trailer
A truck trailer constructed in such way that its own weight and that of the cargo rest upon its own wheels, instead of being supported by e.g. a tractor.

Fully Cellular Containership
Abbreviation: FCC
A vessel specially designed to carry containers, with cell-guides under deck and necessary fittings and equipment on deck.

Fumigation
Treating of cargoes with gases to exterminate unwanted life forms.