A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - L - M - N - O - P - S - T - V - W

A

ACCESSORIAL SERVICES:  Service performed in addition to the usual transportation services such as storage, assembly, distribution, and documentation.  Charges are normally assessed for these services.

  ADJUSTOR:  An employee who handles and settles claims against the company for cargo damage and/or loss, property damage, and bodily injury.

  AGENT:  A person authorized to transact business for and in the name of another.

  APPLIANCE SERVICING:  Preparing appliances for safe transportation by securing moveable parts.

  APPLIANCE DESERVICING:  Removing braces or bolts to place units back in service.

  APU:  Authorized pickup.

  AUTHORIZED PICKUP:  Pickup from origin address, for storage of a shipment by an origin agent, when shipper must vacate the premises before an over-the-road unit can be scheduled to handle the move authorized by dispatch.

  AVERAGE TRANSIT TIME:  Average time in shipping from one point to another point.

B

BARREL:  A square, corrugated container imprinted with NVL emblems used for shipping fragile items such as china, glass and lamps.

  BILL OF LADING:  Either a straight (non-negotiable) or order (negotiable) document which is a contract for transportation between the shipper and the carrier.

  BOOKING AGENT:  Agent securing the order for a move.

C

CARGO:  The freight carried by a vehicle.

CARRIER:  An individual, partnership, or cooperation engaged in the business of transporting goods or persons.

CARRIER LIABILITY:  The total dollar amount for which the carrier is liable in the event of loss or damage.

CARTAGE (LOCAL):  Hauling between locations in the same town or city or contiguous municipalities.

CERTIFICATE OF INSPECTION:  A document often required with shipments of perishable or other goods, when certification notes the good condition of the merchandise immediately prior to the shipment.

CLAIM:  (1) A demand made upon a transportation line for payment on account of loss or damage alleged to have occurred while shipment was in possession of carrier.  (2) A demand upon a transportation company for refund of an overcharge.

CLAIMANT:  Person or company filing claim.

C.O.D.:  Shipment for which driver, or delivery agency, is required to collect all charges shown on Bill of Lading before delivery is made.

COMMODITY:  The article being shipped.

COMMON CARRIER:  Transportation business that offers service to the general public.  Interstate common carriers must hold a franchise issued by the Interstate Commerce Commission.  This franchise limits service to a specific geographical area.  Rates also are regulated.  Routes and schedules of regular common carriers are regulated by government agencies, but irregular route common carriers may set their own without regulatory approval.  Most states also regulate common carriers.

COMPANY DRIVER:  NVL hauler paid a salary; generally drives a company-owned tractor.

CONCEALED DAMAGED:  Damage to the contents of a package which is apparently in good condition eternally.

CONCEALED LOSS:  Loss or damage that cannot be determined until the package is opened.

CONNECTING SHIPPER:  A shipper whose shipment is on a van with another’s goods.

CONSIGNEE:  The person, firm or representative to which a seller or shipper sends merchandise.

CONSIGNOR:  The seller or shipper of merchandise.

CONSOLIDATED SHIPMENT:  (Tariff Application) The property of two or more shippers moving as one shipment.

CONTAINER:  The standard modular box, or other device, in which a number of packages are stored, protected and handled as a single unit in transit.

CONTAINERIZATION:  Shipping system based upon large cargo-carrying containers that can easily be interchanged between trucks, trains and ships without rehandling contents.

CONTRACT NUMBER:  Number assigned to a shipment for use as filing and reference control.

CUBIC FOOT:  A common measure of the capacity of a truck, 1,728 cubic inches.

D

DA:  Destination Agent.

DECLARED VALUE FOR CARRIAGE:  The value of the goods, declared by the shipper on a bill of lading for the purpose of determining a freight rate or the limit of the carrier’s liability.

DELAY CLAIM:  A claim for expenses arising from delayed or late arrival of a shipment, based on arrival date given to shipper by National Van Lines.

DELIVERY ORDER:  Document issued by the customers broke to the ocean carrier as authority to release the cargo to the inland carrier.

DEPRECIATION:  Liability based on an agent and prior use.

DESTINATION:  Place to which a shipment is to be delivered.

DESTINATION AGENT:  The agent nearest the point of delivery of a shipment.

DESTINATION SERVICES:  Services provided at destination by driver, agent, or third party such as servicing appliances, unpacking and arranging furniture.

E

ESTIMATE:  The approximate cost of moving a shipper’s goods, usually determined by the origin agent.

ETA:  Estimated time of arrival.

EXCLUSIVE USE:  A tariff term applying to a shipper’s request that his shipment be the only one occupying the van.

EXPEDITED SERVICE:  A tariff term applying to shipments on which delivery on a specific date has been requested.

F

FLOOR RUNNERS:  Cloth runner strip used to protect rugs and floors of shipper’s house.

FORK LIFT:  Machine used to move goods loaded on pallets or skids.

FREIGHT:  Anything being transported.

FREIGHT CHARGE:  Payment due for freight transportation.

FREIGHT FORWARDER:  A firm that represents shippers by arranging transport and completing documentation required for international shipping.

FULL VALUE PROTECTION:  NVL designation for increased liability for shipment based on an increased transportation rate and on a shipper’s declaration of value.

G

GROSS WEIGHT:  The total weight of merchandise including the container in which it is packed.

H

HAULER:  Driver responsible for over-the-road transportation of shipment.

HHG:  Household goods.

HOUSEHOLD GOODS:  Personal affects and/or property, used, or to be used in a dwelling.

I

I.C.C.:  Interstate Commerce Commission.  Federal government agency responsible for regulating surface transportation between states.

INSURANCE CERTIFICATE:  Assures the consignee that insurance is provided to cover loss or damage to the cargo while in transit.

INTERLINE:  Better equipment utilization and other reasons sometimes make it necessary to set the shipment off, or van-to-van it, at an intermediate point, there to be picked up and delivered to destination by another hauler.

INTRASTATE:  Shipments moving within one particular state; does not cross state lines.

INVENTORY:  Listing of all items shipped with the conditions of each item noted.  This form is signed by the shipper and driver at origin and destination of the move to certify conditions of goods, or to note exceptions.

L

LINEHAUL:  Movement of freight between cities or terminals.  Linehaul does not include pickup and delivery service.

LOCAL RATE:  Rate applying between stations located on the same transportation line.

M

MANIFEST:  Document describing shipment or the contents of a vehicle or ship.

MILEAGE GUIDE:  Official guide specified by tariff and used by carriers to determine mileage from one city to another, regardless of the route actually driven.

N

NET WEIGHT:  The weight of an article clear of packing and container.  As applied to a truckload, weight of the entire contents of the truck.

NEW PRODUCTS:  The movement of new home, office, school and store furnishings from the manufacturer to the distributor.  Consists mainly of new furniture, pianos, etc.

O

ORDER FOR SERVICE:  Agreement signed by shipper authorizing National to handle the transportation of goods.

ORIGIN AGENT:  The agent who handles the estimating, scheduling, packing and loading of a shipment at the city or place of departure.

ORIGIN SERVICE:  Service provided by an agent at the origin of shipment (thru container and van), such as all packing, arranging for appliance servicing, maid service, etc.

OVERAGE:  Excess over the quantity believed to have been shipped or more than the quantity shown on a shipping document.

OVERFLOW:  Portion of a shipment which cannot be loaded on one van due to lack of available space.  Another van (or vans) is assigned to load overflow portions.

OWNER/OPERATOR:  Driver who owns his own tractor and pulls NVL trailer.

P

PAD:  Preferred Arrival Date.

PERMANENT STORAGE:  Domestic shipment stored under separate contract between the warehouse and the shipper.

POINT OF ORIGIN:  Terminal at which a shipment is received by a transportation line from the shipper.

PREPAID:  Term donating that transportation charges have been or are to be paid at shipping point.

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION:  Name sometimes given to the state agency that regulates public utilities and transportation companies.  Sometimes called the Public Utility Commission.

S

SHIPPING PAPERS:  Papers used in conjunction with movement of freight.

SIT:  Storage-in-transit.

SPREAD DATE:  Two or more successive days designated by the area dispatch office as the period during which a specific shipment will be loaded.

STORAGE CHARGES:  Payment due for storage.

STORAGE IN TRANSIT (SIT):  Temporary safekeeping of a shipment at a point between origin and destination.

STRAIGHT TRUCK:  Truck with the body and engine mounted on the same chassis.

SURCHARGE:  Charge above the usual or customary charge.

T

TANDEM TRACTOR:  Tractor containing three axles, two of which are drive axles.

TARE WEIGHT:  The weight of the container and the material used for packing.

TARIFF:  A document issued by a carrier setting forth applicable rules, rates, and charges for the movement of goods.  It sets up a contract of carriage between the shipper, consignee, and carrier.  In international trade applications, the term also refers to a tax on imports.

TOLL CALL:  Any telephone call to a point outside the local service area.

TOP QUALITY AGENT:  Designates agents with the best performance records.

TRACER:  Request that a carrier locate a shipment to speed its movement or to establish delivery.  Request for an answer to a previously filed claim or other communication.  Request for agent to find lost items.

V

VALUATION:  Freight value mutually agreed upon by shipper and carrier as a basis for transportation charges.  May also represent an agreed maximum amount that can be recovered in case of loss or damage.

VALUATION ACTUAL:  Actual value of goods required to be shown on Bill of Lading by shipper, when rate to be applied is dependant on that fact.

VALUATION; RELEASED:  Value of goods set by shipper as the limit of carrier’s liability in consideration of rate to be charged.

W

WALK BOARD:  Ramp used from van to ground to eliminate lifting heavy objects.

WAREHOUSE:  Place for the reception and storage of goods.

WAREHOUSE RECEIPT:  Receipt for goods placed in a warehouse (may be issued as a negotiable or non-negotiable document).

WEIGHT TICKET:  Needed to properly lease a vehicle, shows weight of vehicle without load, used to substantiate the ordering of permits.  Also, the weight of each shipment weighed on certified scales.