Trucking Glossary

Charges beyond the base line-haul transportation price for extra services or circumstances, such as detention, layover, loading labor, tarping, or liftgate use. Check which items are separately billable and their agreed terms.

Also: 杂费

A load picked up after delivery to head back toward your origin (or next pickup), reducing deadhead.

Also: 返程货

A common shipping document recording the consignor, consignee, origin, destination, package count, freight description, and applicable weight or volume. It helps parties identify freight received for transportation; read the actual document and shipping arrangement for its terms and signature requirements.

At pickup, compare the document with the package count and visible condition. If they differ, clarify with site personnel and the carrier, record the discrepancy as required, and keep the evidence.

Also: B/L

A thin transparent ice layer through which the pavement remains visible, often difficult to distinguish from a wet road.

Pavement need not look white to be icy.

An arranged shipment withholding some party information from another party.

Follow authorized documents; do not infer hidden party identity.

Reduced braking effectiveness associated with conditions such as overheating. Greater pedal force does not establish restored braking.

Treat it as a serious condition and follow driver training and vehicle procedures.

Calling a known trusted number to verify a change.

Do not rely solely on the number in the change request.

Unauthorized taking of freight in transit or custody.

Verify unusual pickup instructions; do not presume who is responsible.

A road control requiring traction equipment under specified conditions. Requirements depend on the vehicle, location and current directions.

Do not apply passenger-car four-wheel-drive exceptions directly to heavy trucks.

A designated area for fitting traction equipment, subject to local use and stopping rules.

It is not guaranteed overnight parking or a repair area.

Reporting arrival at pickup or delivery to the gate, shipping or receiving office, or designated system and confirming the job. Reaching the area is not necessarily check-in, and check-in does not by itself authorize docking.

Follow the facility’s check-in process and note the time. Detention eligibility follows the agreement, not location data alone.

Also: 签到 · 入场登记 · check in · driver check-in

Wind acting across the vehicle, with effects depending on vehicle profile, loading, wind strength and exposure.

Report strong crosswinds together with location and observed effects.

A leg driven without freight, such as traveling from delivery to the next pickup. It may involve an empty trailer or a tractor alone; compensation for empty miles depends on the agreement.

Include pickup and necessary return deadhead when estimating a trip: those miles still use fuel and time.

Also: 空跑

In road freight, a charge associated with driver or vehicle waiting at pickup or delivery. Free time, billing conditions, rates, and responsibility depend on applicable terms. In ocean shipping the word can refer to equipment use, so context matters.

Also: 等货费 · 压车费 · detention time · wait time

Written confirmation of dispatch instructions such as pickup and delivery details.

It is distinct from the Rate Confirmation's pricing terms.

A device bridging the dock and trailer floor and accommodating height differences. It is distinct from equipment that restrains the vehicle.

Confirm which equipment the warehouse means; do not operate unfamiliar machinery.

A restraint intended to prevent unintended trailer movement during dock work. Locking, indicator and release procedures vary by equipment.

Confirm the site's signal and release procedure rather than guessing from a light.

A load is passed to another carrier without the original broker's or shipper's knowledge.

It raises risk but does not make every reassignment fraud.

A descending road in the direction of travel, commonly used in long-grade warnings; the opposite is upgrade.

“Long downgrade ahead” warns of a sustained descent, not a request to speed up.

Dropping one trailer and hooking to another to reduce live loading or unloading time. Either trailer may be loaded or empty; it is not limited to dropping a loaded trailer and collecting an empty one.

Also: 甩柜

An estimate of when you will arrive based on current progress. “What is your ETA?” asks for the expected arrival time; it does not book an appointment or establish that you have arrived.

Specify the place, date, and local time. Update the estimate after delays rather than driving unsafely to preserve it.

Also: 预计到场 · 预估到达时间 · estimated arrival

A note recording a quantity, condition or other exception during a handoff. It preserves observations without automatically deciding liability.

Record checkable facts such as one missing item rather than an assumed cause.

Loading or unloading generally arranged in check-in order rather than a reserved appointment slot for each truck. Receiving hours, separate queues, and site conditions may still apply; it does not mean arrival at any time or immediate service.

Confirm that day’s receiving hours and check-in location. Queue order and entitlement to detention pay are separate questions.

Also: 先到先装 · 先到先卸 · 按到场顺序 · first come first serve · first-come-first-served

Truck-stop lanes with diesel dispensers.

Follow site signs when fueling and leaving.

The steepness of an uphill or downhill road, often expressed as a percentage, not an angle or speed limit.

Read the direction and length as well as the grade percentage.

Using another party's identity to conduct transport business.

Verify the company and contact through established channels.

Running the engine while stationary.

Parking permission does not mean idling is allowed.

An organization's record of an accident or operating incident.

Record facts without turning speculation into a fault finding.

An extended delay, such as a load being pushed to the next day, and the related charge. Spending a night away does not automatically earn a layover payment; the trigger, amount, and payer depend on applicable terms.

Also: 过夜补偿

The truck waits while its trailer is loaded or unloaded at the facility before leaving, rather than dropping one trailer and hooking to another. “Live” does not refer to live animals or automatically mean the driver must handle the freight.

Confirm live loading versus a trailer swap, the driver’s expected involvement, and the time allowance. Waiting charges follow separate terms.

Also: 等装货 · 等卸货 · 现场装卸 · live loading · live unloading

One complete shipment assignment — pickup, delivery, cargo, agreed rate. "A load" = one job.

Also: 一票货 · 运单 / 货 · 货单 · 运单

The place where a warehouse loads or unloads a trailer, often with numbered dock doors. “Door 8” usually identifies a loading position, not the facility entrance; confirm the site’s directions.

Confirm the assigned door after check-in and follow the site’s safe docking process; an empty door is not permission to back in.

Also: 装卸平台 · 月台 · 装卸口 · 门位 · dock · dock door · loading bay

LTL (Less Than Truckload) generally shares trailer space among shipments. FTL (Full Truckload) generally reserves a truck’s capacity for one shipment; the trailer need not be physically full. Pricing also depends on the lane, freight, equipment, and service.

Also: less than truckload · full truckload

A charge for third-party loading or unloading labor at a warehouse or distribution center. A broker or carrier may arrange payment, or a driver may pay with authorization; the word alone does not mean the driver must fund it.

Confirm the amount, authorization, and payment method before paying. Keep the receipt and approval record for settlement or reimbursement.

An event that nearly caused harm or loss without that outcome.

It may be reported internally without calling it a crash.

A group of freight discrepancies: more than documented, fewer than documented, or damaged goods. If the document says ten cartons and only nine are counted, that is a shortage. Describe visible damage as observed.

Check the discrepancy, notify dispatch, and ensure the handoff record reflects it. Recording an exception does not decide liability or guarantee a claim.

Also: 货差货损 · 短少破损 · 货物异常 · OSD · over short and damaged · overage · shortage · damage

A truck parking space requiring payment.

Payment may not reserve a specific space.

A platform beneath freight that lets handling equipment move a unit of cargo, commonly made of wood or plastic. Two pallets need not mean two cartons. “Skid” is also used for a freight base, though its construction can differ.

Check whether the document counts pallets, cartons, or individual pieces. A matching pallet count does not establish the carton count.

Also: 栈板 · 卡板 · pallets · skid

Equipment that inserts forks under a pallet and lifts it slightly for movement; manual and powered models exist.

For driver unloading, confirm equipment, training and responsibilities; a name is not authorization.

Authorizing payment at the dispenser.

Confirm approval and keep the receipt.

A request to send payment to a different account or payee.

A change is not automatically fraud; verify independently.

Messages designed to elicit data or lure users to malicious links.

Do not rely on appearance alone to establish authenticity.

A reference used by a pickup facility to identify the freight you are collecting, often labeled Pickup # or Reference #. A shipment may also have order, BOL, and appointment numbers; these are not necessarily interchangeable.

If a number is rejected, ask which type is required and check with dispatch rather than guessing another number.

Also: 提货号码 · 提货编码 · 参考编号 · pickup # · pick up number · reference # · PU number

A law-enforcement report about an incident.

The report does not itself decide insurance liability.

A record showing delivery, such as a signed bill of lading or another paper or electronic delivery receipt. It records receipt of the freight and is often used for billing; having a POD does not mean the freight bill has been paid.

Also: 回单

A document confirming the rate and arrangements for a specific load, often called a rate con. It commonly lists pickup, delivery, timing, and freight charges; accessorial and payment terms may also appear in a separate agreement.

Read the rate con with the applicable agreement. Confirm waiting, cancellation, layover, and loading charges, and keep written confirmation of changes.

Also: 运价单 · rate con · rateconf

Changing the planned consignee or delivery arrangement in transit.

Confirm with an authorized party and retain instructions.

Retrieving a crashed or stuck vehicle for handling.

Recovery and routine towing may be separate services.

The receiver declines all or part of a shipment, potentially because of freight, paperwork, timing, or another dispute. Refusal describes the delivery outcome; it neither decides driver fault nor authorizes disposal.

Record what was refused and the stated reason, then obtain further instructions from dispatch. Do not independently decide to return, redirect, or dispose of the freight.

Also: 拒收 · 整票拒收 · 部分拒收 · refused load · rejected load · refusal

Parking arranged in advance through a provider.

Check location, time, and arrival procedure.

A facility providing emergency deceleration or stopping space for an uncontrolled vehicle, particularly after brake failure; also called an escape ramp.

This is emergency infrastructure, not routine parking or a rest entrance.

Also: escape ramp

A specific description of where an event occurred.

Record verifiable road, direction, and exit details.

A mismatch in seal number, condition or records, such as a number differing from the paperwork. It is an observation, not proof of theft.

Describe what you actually observed, contact dispatch and record the discrepancy.

A thin sheet supporting a load in handling systems that may replace a pallet; compatible handling equipment is normally needed.

For a slip-sheet load, confirm compatible handling at both ends.

Unintended release of fuel, cargo, or another substance.

Refer unknown or hazardous materials to qualified responders.

Faking a caller, sender, or other displayed identity.

A display name or number alone proves little.

A designated area where vehicles or freight wait before the next operation. It is not necessarily overnight parking.

Ask whether the instruction is for the truck or for freight.

Film stretched around goods to help keep a palletized load together. It differs from shrink wrap, which contracts with heat.

A wrapped pallet does not by itself establish adequate transport securement.

A category of tire equipment intended to improve traction, braking or steering on snow or ice, including qualifying chains and alternatives.

Confirm accepted equipment and placement for the vehicle and current control.

Short for Truck Order Not Used: a possible cancellation charge when a truck has been arranged but the shipment does not use it. Terms determine whether dispatch or arrival is required, the cancellation cutoff, and the amount.

Also: truck order not used · truck order not used

Moving a disabled vehicle with towing equipment.

Retain provider and destination details.

A numbered seal placed on trailer or container doors to help reveal tampering or replacement. It is not cargo securement and does not by itself prove the count or condition of the contents, or that the doors were never opened.

Report and record a missing, broken, or mismatched seal. Do not cut or replace it and treat it as unchanged; inspection of sealed freight follows authorization and applicable requirements.

Also: 封签 · 封条号 · seal number · security seal

A designated space for commercial trucks.

Check fees, time limits, and overnight rules.

How clearly and far the surroundings can be seen in conditions such as fog, rain, snow or smoke; it may change quickly.

Low visibility describes viewing conditions, not simply a lighting fault.

A wedge placed against a wheel to help restrict rolling. It is separate from the parking brake and dock restraint.

“Chock the wheels” requests wheel restraint; follow the approved site procedure.

Someone who directly observed part of an event.

Separate direct observation from hearsay.

A worker who moves trailers between locations within a yard, often using a yard tractor. Also called a yard driver or hostler.

Confirm who takes the trailer and where; the job title does not confirm a handoff.

Also: hostler · yard driver