Freight Glossary: 40 Logistics Terms Explained Simply

A freight glossary is the shared vocabulary that lets you read transport quotes, contracts and customs documents correctly. Knowing the difference between FTL and LTL, FCL and LCL, or freight and THC is the first step to comparing two offers properly and avoiding unexpected charges. This glossary brings together the 40 terms you are most likely to meet when shipping to or from Turkey, grouped under four headings with short definitions.

Where a term deserves a deeper explanation, the entry links to our detailed article. Keep this freight glossary at hand when you read a quote or plan your first shipment with a Turkish supplier or forwarder.

Freight glossary: transport modes and load types

This group covers the terms that define how and in what your cargo will move; one of them usually appears in the first line of a quote.

FTL (full truck load)

The whole vehicle is reserved for one shipper. A standard tilt trailer is about 13.6 metres long and carries 33 euro pallets and roughly 24 tonnes.

LTL (less than truck load)

Cargo from several shippers shares one vehicle and the cost is split; transit is slightly longer because of the consolidation stop.

Groupage

The European name for LTL: small consignments are collected at a hub and consolidated onto a vehicle heading for the same corridor.

Loading metre (LDM)

One metre of trailer floor length. Groupage pricing often uses the floor length your cargo occupies.

Reefer (temperature-controlled) transport

Transport in a refrigerated trailer or container with temperature logging; used for fresh produce, flowers, food and pharmaceuticals.

Intermodal transport

The same loading unit (container or swap body) moves on more than one mode and is not opened at transfer points.

Multimodal transport

Transport across several modes carried out under one contract and one carrier's liability.

Block train

A container train running between one origin and one destination on a fixed timetable without re-marshalling. Its cost and carbon advantages over long distances are covered in our article on rail freight from Turkey.

Ro-Ro

Roll-on/roll-off: trucks or trailers are driven onto a vessel. Across the Black Sea it is an alternative route for Russia-bound cargo from Turkey.

Project cargo (out of gauge)

Cargo exceeding standard dimensions or weight, moved with low-loaders, special permits, escort vehicles and a route survey.

Container and sea freight terms

On ocean quotes the container type, port charges and waiting penalties appear as separate lines; these terms let you read them.

FCL (full container load)

A container reserved for one shipment; it need not be full. Our guide to container shipping from Turkey compares FCL and LCL.

LCL (less than container load)

Shipments from different parties consolidated in one container; used for small sea freight volumes.

High cube (HC) container

A 40-foot container taller than standard, with about 76 m³ of internal space (a standard 40-foot has about 67 m³, a 20-foot about 33 m³).

Reefer container

A container with its own refrigeration unit for temperature-controlled cargo such as food and pharmaceuticals.

Open top / flat rack

Special containers with an open roof or without side walls, used for out-of-gauge machinery and blocks.

THC (terminal handling charge)

The port fee for handling a container at the terminal, charged on top of ocean freight at origin and destination.

Demurrage

The charge levied by the shipping line when a container stays in the port area beyond the free period.

Detention

The charge for keeping a container outside the port (at the consignee's premises) beyond the free period.

ETA / ETD

Estimated time of arrival and estimated time of departure, the basic indicators used in shipment tracking.

Bill of lading (B/L)

The sea transport document: it confirms receipt of the goods and represents title to the cargo.

Document and customs terms

The documents that decide border crossings and duty advantages sit here; agree before shipment who is responsible for each one.

CMR consignment note

The international road transport document recording the contract between shipper, carrier and consignee; reservations for damage are written on it at delivery.

TIR carnet

A customs guarantee document that lets a sealed vehicle cross borders in transit without the cargo being opened.

CIM consignment note

The international rail transport document, the rail equivalent of the CMR.

ATR movement certificate

The document that gives industrial goods a customs duty advantage under the Turkey–EU customs union.

EUR.1 / EUR-MED

Movement certificates used as proof of origin for exports to countries with a free trade agreement with Turkey.

Certificate of origin

The document stating where the goods were produced; required for duty rates and import permits.

Packing list

The detailed list of cartons, pallets, weights and dimensions in a shipment, used by customs and the consignee.

HS code (GTİP in Turkey)

The tariff classification code that determines the duty rate and the regulations a product is subject to; Turkish customs uses the extended GTİP version.

NCTS

The electronic system in which transit declarations are lodged and monitored, speeding up border crossings.

ADR

The agreement governing the carriage of dangerous goods by road: 9 hazard classes, UN numbers and certified drivers. Document requirements should be confirmed against current regulations and destination-country rules.

Pricing, insurance and delivery-term terms

These terms set how cost and risk are shared between buyer and seller and are the most misread group in any freight glossary when quotes are compared.

Freight

The price paid for carrying the goods. Ocean freight comes with surcharges such as THC, BAF and CAF.

BAF (bunker adjustment factor)

A surcharge that passes fluctuations in vessel fuel prices through to the freight.

CAF (currency adjustment factor)

A surcharge added to freight to offset exchange-rate movements.

Incoterms

The international delivery terms that divide cost and risk between buyer and seller; the Incoterms 2020 edition has 11 rules. Each is compared in our guide to Incoterms 2020.

EXW (Ex Works)

The seller's obligation ends when the goods are made available at its premises; all transport is the buyer's responsibility.

FOB (Free on Board)

A sea term under which the seller delivers the goods on board at the port of loading; freight and everything after is the buyer's.

CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight)

A sea term under which the seller pays freight and insurance to the port of destination.

DDP (Delivered Duty Paid)

The seller bears all costs including import duties and delivers the goods to the buyer's address.

CMR liability insurance

Insurance covering the carrier's liability under the CMR Convention, limited to 8.33 SDR per kilogram.

Cargo insurance

The policy that covers the real value of the goods against damage, loss and theft, complementing CMR liability insurance.

Regulations and border procedures change over time; confirm the current requirements with the Turkish Ministry of Trade and with your forwarder before you book.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between FTL and FCL?

FTL reserves a whole truck for one shipper on the road; FCL reserves a whole container for one shipment at sea. In neither case does the unit have to be full; it is simply allocated to one customer.

Are demurrage and detention the same thing?

No. Demurrage accrues when a container exceeds its free time inside the port; detention accrues outside the port. Both are billed by the shipping line and both can be avoided with planning.

Which term in this freight glossary matters most when reading a quote?

Settle the Incoterms rule and the scope of the freight first, because they decide who carries cost and risk. Then check whether THC, demurrage and insurance are included.

Why are logistics terms used as English abbreviations everywhere?

Transport documents and shipping-line contracts follow international standards, so the abbreviations mean the same in every country. Your Turkish supplier and forwarder will use the same terms you see in this freight glossary.

BNK Lojistik, based in Muratpaşa, Antalya, plans road, sea and rail transport, works on Central Asia, China and Russia routes and helps you choose between FTL and LTL, FCL and LCL according to your cargo. If you would like every line of your quote explained in plain language, contact us through the quote form.

Updated: October 7, 2026