Freight and Shipping Terms Glossary
Logistics Worldwide’s Freight and Shipping Terms Glossary helps you understand the language of transportation—from common acronyms and industry terminology to payment, credit, and supply chain terms.
Select a letter below to browse terms alphabetically. If you can’t find a term or need help understanding how it applies to your shipment, contact Logistics Worldwide.
The Freight Terms Glossary was compiled by the Georgia Institute of Technology in association with the Georgia Tech Supply Chain & Logistics Institute.
- Kilogram
1,000 grams or 2.2046 pounds.
- King Pin
A coupling pin centered on the front underside of a chassis; couples to the tractor.
- Knocked Down (KD)
Articles which are taken apart to reduce the cubic footage displaced or to make a better shipping unit and are to be re-assembled.
- Knot
One nautical mile (6,076 feet or 1852 meters) per hour. In the days of sail, speed was measured by tossing overboard a log which was secured by a line. Knots were tied into the line at intervals of approximately six feet. The number of knots measured was then compared against time required to travel the distance of 1000 knots in the line.
- Known Loss
A loss discovered before or at the time of delivery of a shipment.
- KT
Kilo or metric ton. 1,000 Kilos or 2,204.6 pounds.
