Term Definition (ENG)

logistics management of the procurement & movement of goods

and the storage of inventory
carrier company that transports or conveys goods
freight forwarder person or business that arranges documentation and travel
facilities for companies dispatching goods to customers
supplier/vendor company that supplies parts or services to another one
haulage contractor / company that carries goods by road
haulier
courier company that specializes in speedy and secure delivery of
small goods and packages
consignee person or firm named in a freight contract to whom goods
have been shipped or turned over for care.
procurement finding and buying what the company needs
cargo / freight goods transported by sth
stock sth stored in the warehouse
liaise (with) to work closely together with sb
quote to give information about the price
supervise/oversee to watch a job to ensure things are correctly done
consolidate to combine multiple goods into a large shipment
maintenance the activity of keeping sth in good condition by checking it
regularly and repairing it when necessary.
distribution the process of transporting products from a manufacturer,
storing them, and selling them to different stores and
customers
UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO LOGISTICS

UNIT 2: LOGISTICS SERVICES

Term Definition
FCL (Full Container a mode of shipping when one person’s shipment takes up
Load) a full container.
3PL (Third-party company that provides outsourced logistics services, such
Logistics) as warehousing, transportation, inventory management
HGV (Heavy Goods a lorry, truck or other large vehicle used to transport
Vehicle) cargo with a total weight of at least 3.5 tonnes
DC (Distribution A facility that operates as a connection in the logistics
Centre) chain for order fulfilment. A distribution center can
operate as a warehouse, a fulfilment center, pick and pack
station or any number of other operations.
LCL (Less Container A mode of shipping when the cargo is not enough to fill
 Load) up an entire container
EDI (Electronic Data Inter-company, computer-to-computer transmission of
Interchange) business information in a standard format.
VAS (Value-added Additional services offered by logistics providers that
Services) go beyond basic transportation and storage.
RFID (Radio The use of radio frequency technology including RFID
Frequency tags and tag readers to identify objects. Objects may
Identification) include virtually anything physical, such as equipment,
pallets of stock, or even individual units of product.
ISO (International The organization develops and publishes international
Org. for standards in technical and nontechnical fields, including
Standardization) everything from manufactured products and technology
to food safety, transport, IT, agriculture, and healthcare.
GPS (Global A system which uses satellites to precisely locate an
Positioning System) object on earth. Used by trucking companies to locate
over-the-road equipment.
transshipment loading goods from one means of carriage to another
break-bulk (n) packing goods in small, separable units
cross-docking direct flow of goods from receipt at warehouse to
shipping, bypassing storage
order picking selecting and assembling items from stock for shipments
reverse logistics collecting and handling of used or damaged goods or of
reusable transit equipment
tracking and tracing locating items in transit
warehousing receiving and storing goods
collection picking up goods at a named place
outsourcing (n) contracting functions out to third-party providers
comprehensive (adj) including a wide range of services

UNIT 3: INVENTORY MANAGEMENT & PROCUREMENT

Term Definition
economies of scale reducing costs per unit by increasing production
buffer stock goods kept in store to cover unforeseen shortages or
fluctuations in demand
factory gate pricing transport costs are not included in a purchase price of a
product
supply chain the close co-operation of all parties involved in the
making, selling, and delivering of a product.
tender an offer for goods or services that follows a request for a
quotation made by an official body, e.g. local
 government.
lead time the time it takes to produce and supply a product.
procurement the purchasing of goods (materials, parts, supplies,
equipment) required to run an enterprise
customer order cycle the time customers are prepared to wait for the delivery
time of their order
retailer a business that buys products from wholesalers or
manufacturers and resells them to the ultimate consumer
wholesaler an intermediary between manufacturers and retailers
which buys in large quantities and resells in smaller
quatities
JIT (Just in time) a concept of reducing inventories by co-ordinating the
delivery of materials just before they are needed
CRP (Continuous real-time demand which is identified by electronic cash
replenishment) register and the product movement is co-ordinated from
supplier to the retail store
DSD (Direct store orders are transferred electronically to the manufacturer.
delivery) Then they are delivered to the retail store.
CM (category products that have similar characteristics regarding their
management) selling profile are categorized into “families”
VMI (vendor-managed company that provides outsourced logistics services, such
inventory) as warehousing, transportation, inventory management
QR (Quick response)  A planning technique which is similar to CRP.
 It is often used for products that need to be
supplied frequently and in small batch sizes.
strategic sourcing a process of planning & managing a company's
procurement needs efficiently to lower costs & improve
quality
inventory management the process of tracking and controlling stock to meet
demand efficiently
procurement the purchasing of goods (materials, parts, supplies,
equipment) required to run an enterprise

UNIT 4: MODES OF TRANSPORT

Term Definition (ENG)
swap-body  Carrying unit strong enough for repeated use, but
not enough to be top- lifted or stackable when
loaded, designed for intermodal transport of which
one leg is road.
 One type of containers which has 4 up-folding legs
under their frame make it possible to change, or
 swap, their body from one carriage to another. It is
not stackable, and must be lifted by the bottom
frame.
container ship a ship that is designed to carry goods stowed in
containers.
grappler lift a grasping device which has hinged tines or jaws that
close around an object or load, used especially in lifting
or dragging heavy items
road-railer trailer a highway trailer, or semi-trailer, that is specially
equipped for use in railroad intermodal service.
river barge a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal
transport of heavy goods (also called inland waterway).
LGV (large goods the official name for a large vehicle, for example a truck,
vehicle) for transporting goods.
multimodal carriage of goods by at least two different modes of
transport, e.g. shipping by motor lorry and aircraft.
piggyback combines road and rail transport: whole motor lorries,
trailers or swap-bodies are carried by rail.
intermodal goods are transported in the same loading unit or vehicle
using different modes of transport. The handling of
freight itself is not necessary when changing modes.
unaccompanied the driver does not stay with his road vehicle during
transport by rail or ferry.
block train a single shipper uses a whole train which is run directly
from the loading point to the destination. No assembling
and disassembling is required.
single-wagon train is formed out of individual wagons or sets of
wagons which have different origins and different
destinations.
gantry crane a piece of machinery used for loading and unloading
containers from ships onto trucks or rail wagons and vice
versa.
 It is rail-mounted and can straddle at least four
railway tracks.
 It is motorized and can move parallel to the ship's
side.
ISO container a rigid box made of steel which is very common in
intermodal freight transport.
 It can be used for transport by sea, rail, air, and
road.
 It is available in many different versions and sizes.
For example, there are open-top and flat-rack
 versions.
 Some of them have wheels or a bogie attached to
them. It is made to the specifications of the
International Standards Organization.
reach staker a kind of fork lift ruck used in container handling.
 It is equipped with a spreader beam and a lifting
arm and can be used for lifting containers and
piling them on top of each other.
 It is very flexible and has a high stacking and
storage capacity as it is able to reach beyond the
first row of containers to lift a container.
transtainer a special type of device which is able to handle very
heavy loads.
 It is used for tranferring swap-bodies and
containers from rail wagons to trucks and vice
versa.
 It has four legs fitted with wheels and a spreader
beam which can span a wide area.
 It can be mounted on rails or rubber tyres and is
able to straddle several rows of containers.
general-purpose  It comes with a timber floor and has various
container lashing devices to secure the load (dry cargo).
 The lashing points are located horizontally at floor
level.
reefer container  Can be used for delicate cargo and perishables.
 It is temperature controlled and is particularly
suitable for cargo that needs regulated or cool
temperatures.
tanktainer  Standard container frame with a tank fitted inside
to ship liquids, for example, foodstuffs or
chemicals.
 Extra electric plugs for cooling/heating during
transport.
flat-rack especially designed for heavy loads such as heavy
machinery and pipes.
open-top  Used for bulky cargo.
 It comes with a PVC tarpaulin cover instead of a
roof panel to allow loading from the top. The
doors can be removed to make loading easier.
bogie a framework that carries a wheel set, attached to a vehicle
so that it can move on rail.
lashing device an arrangement of rope, wire, or webbing with linking
 device used to secure and fasten two or more items
together in a somewhat rigid manner.
spreader beam a long bar that holds two slings apart, distributing the
weight of a load evenly over two or more attachment
points.
tarpaulin a big sheet of strong, water-proof material, can
effectively be used to cover goods in the course of
shipping

UNIT 5: PLANNING & ARRANGING TRANSPORT

Term Definition (ENG)
tare weight The weight of an empty vehicle or container, which is
sometimes called unladen weight.
gross weight The amount that a vehicle or container weighs when it is
full of passengers or goods.
payload The amount of goods or people that a vehicle, such as a
truck or aircraft, can carry
net weight The weight of a product without its container or package.

UNIT 6: SHIPPING GOODS

Term Definition (ENG)
bale A large package of press-packed goods (often raw
material), which is tightly bound, wrapped, and banded.
chest Sturdy box with a lid which is made of metaI and often
used for storage.
barrel/cask  A large cylindrical or curved container with a flat
bottom and top.
 It is made of wood or metal and is used for
liquids.
drum Cylindrical metaI container for liquids.
crate  A wooden box made of wooden slats.
 It can be open or closed and is used for packing
goods.

UNIT 7: WAREHOUSING & STORAGE

Term Definition (ENG)
hand pallet-truck A pallet jack or pallet pump used to lift and move pallets.
tote bin A portable plastic box with a lid and handle used for
storage and handling of parts or materials.
fork-lift truck / fork A powered industrial trucked used in the warehouse to
hoist (CB truck) lift and move goods over a short distance.
roll-cage pallet (roll A convenient method of moving and transporting a whole
container) variety of goods and products, efficiently and safely
within a warehouse environment or between various
destinations.
(Euro pallet or UK) A kind of wooden pallet sized 1200x800 mm
pallet
trolley Small equipment with two or four wheels used for
handling heavy goods.
receiving area The area where goods arrive and the documentation is
checked and recorded, and goods are often unpacked or
repacked.
back-up storage  The excess inventory in the facility after the
primary storage locations are filled.
 This is typically not available to directly fulfill
orders but is used to replenish primary locations
when they drop below a certain threshold.
order picking The area where goods are selected in the right quantities
and we often break bulk here.
sortation  The area dealing with smaller order sizes.
 Some orders need to be sorted down to individual
orders.
 The process of identifying items on a conveyor
system and diverting them to specific destinations.
collation and VAS The area where goods are packed and wrapped with
special services such as labeling.
marshalling and The area where goods are brought together to form
dispatch vehicle loads and loaded onto vehicles for onward
dispatch.
unloading bay A place at the side of a building where goods are put onto
and taken from vehicles to be brought inside the
warehouse.
shrink-wrapping packaging material into smaller quantities by means of
thin, transparent plastic material that tightly covers the
thing that it is wrapped around, used for protecting goods
when they are being transported or sold.
stretch-wrapping packaging a whole load of products by means of thin,
transparent plastic material that tightly covers the thing
that it is wrapped around, used for protecting goods when
they are being transported or sold.
polybagging a simple process where a printed item or small loose
 items can be hand inserted into polybags and sealed.
kitting taking different individual products and pairing them
together to create a new SKU (stock keeping unit) that
includes multiple products but is sold as a single item.
dispatch goods are brought together for loading and transport
collation complete orders are packed and wrapped
reserve storage where the goods are kept until required
order picking and the goods are selected and put together in the units
sortation required by the customer
receiving the goods are prepared for warehouse operations
label (v) provide specific information on the product itself or the
packaging
repack (v) put into new units or formats
batch (v) put several things together
sort (v) arrange in a special way or order
wrap (v) pack in special material for protection
load (v) put goods on a vehicle or pallet
automated guided a driverless truck controlled by computer and is
vehicle electrically powered
IBC (Intermediate  Industrial-grade containers engineered for the mass
Bulk Containers) handling, transport, and storage of liquids, semi-
solids, pastes, or solids.
 Made of metal or plastic (rigid) or canvas
(collapsible)
APR (Adjustable Pallet  Designed to store pallets in a mechanical and
Racking) functional way using forklifts. (palletized storage)
 These forklifts access goods through aisles parallel
to the racks.
mobile shelving often used for smaller products in non-palletized systems
cage and box pallets  Fitted with corner-posts and sides.
 Usually stackable.

UNIT 8: DOCUMENTATION & FINANCE

Term Definition (ENG)
commercial invoice The most common form of document that contains
specific information regarding the goods shipped and the
conditions agreed between buyer and seller.
certificate of origin A document that states the name of the country in which
the shipped goods were produced
packing list A document which specifies the contents of any form of
packaging, e.g, boxes, containers, cartons, without
 indicating the value of the goods shipped.
air waybill (AWB) A contract between airline and shipper. It is a shipping
document which states the term and conditions of
carriage and is also a receipt for the consignment.
consular invoice A special kind of invoice sometimes required by the
importing country. It needs to be approved by an
embassy
pro forma invoice a draft invoice which seller prepares before the actual
shipment takes place
export license A document which is granted by a government authority
and states that specified good can be exported
customs invoice A specific document required by customs in some
countries e.g. US when importing goods. It includes more
details than a commercial invoice
dangerous goods Certificate prepared by the shipper/consignor which
declaration states that hazardous goods are handled according to
international shipping regulations.
bill of lading (B/L) A contract between carrier and shipper which specifies
the goods to be shipped and the delivery terms. It is also
a receipt of shipment and accompanies the goods until
they reach their destination.
advance payment Customer/importer has to pay for the goods before they
are shipped.
cash on delivery (COD) Customer pays immediately on receiving the goods.
open account The exporter supplies the goods and the
importer/customer pays for them at an agreed date in the
future.
documents against Also called cash against documents (CAD). The
payment (D/P) exporter has full control over the documents until
payment has been made by the importer. The buyer is
given documents when a payment is made to the
bank.
documentary credit Involves the buyer's and the seller's bank. lt is a promise
made by the opening bank that payment will be made on
receiving documents that comply with the terms agreed.
bank guarantee Used to cover financial risk in international transactions
e.g. if a buyer does not pay.
Cost, Insurance, an expense paid by a seller to cover the costs, insurance,
Freight (CIF) and freight against the possibility of loss or damage to a
buyer's order while it is in transit to an export port named
in the sales contract.
Ex works (EXW) an international trade term that describes when a seller
 makes a product available at a designated location, and
the buyer of the product must cover the transport costs.
IMO (International convenient and secure ways to send money
Money Order) internationally. They can be purchased at any Post
Office™ location in values up to $700 ($500 for El
Salvador and Guyana). You can pay for your money
order with cash, debit card, or traveler's checks.
B/E (Bill of Exchange) a written order once used primarily in international trade
that binds one party to pay a fixed sum of money to
another party on demand or at a predetermined date.