Freight and Shipping Terms Glossary

For your convenience, Logistics Worldwide offers a Freight Terms Glossary compiled by the Georgia Institute of Technology in association with the Georgia Tech Supply Chain & Logistics Institute. The glossary includes over 750 freight, shipping and supply chain & logistics terms for all modes of transportation for our visitors and customers. To use the glossary, simply click on the letters corresponding to the word or phrase you are searching for.

Using this glossary can help you determine the definitions of specific acronyms, slang, payment, credit, and other shipping terms. We believe you’ll find all your transportation industry definition of terms in this glossary but if you are unable to find what you are searching for or need clarification, please contact us and we will be more than happy to assist you.

Logistics Worldwide is pleased to provide a glossary of freight and shipping terms for all modes of transportation to our visitors and customers. To use the glossary, click on the letters below corresponding to the word or acronym you are searching for. If you are unable to find what you are searching for, please contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

N.C.I.T.D.: National Committee on International Trade Documentation.
N.M.F.C.: National Motor Freight Classification.
N.P.C.F.B.: North Pacific Coast Freight Bureau.
Nautical Mile: Distance of one minute of longitude at the equator, approximately 6,076.115. The metric equivalent is 1852.
NEC: Abbreviation for "Not Elsewhere Classified."
Negotiable Instruments: A document of title (such as a draft, promissory note, check, or bill of lading) transferable from one person to another in good faith for a consideration. Non-negotiable bills of lading are known as "straight consignment." Negotiable bills are known as "order b/l's."
NES: Abbreviation for "Not Elsewhere Specified."
Nested: Articles packed so that one rests partially or entirely within another, thereby reducing the cubic-foot displacement.
Net Tare Weight: The weight of an empty cargo-carrying piece of equipment plus any fixtures permanently attached.
Net Tonnage (NT): (0.2+0.02 log10(Vc)) Vc (4d/3D)2, for passenger ships the following formula is added: 1.25 (GT+10000)/10000 (N1+(N2/10)), where Vc is the volume of cargo holds, D is the distance between ship's bottom and the uppermost deck, d is the draught N1 is the number of cabin passengers, and N2 is the number of deck passengers.) "Ton" is figured as an 100 cubic foot ton.
Net Weight: Weight of the goods alone without any immediate wrappings, e.g., the weight of the contents of a tin can without the weight of the can.
Neutral Body: An organization established by the members of an ocean conference acts as a self-policing force with broad authority to investigate tariff violations, including authority to scrutinize all documents kept by the carriers and their personnel. Violations are reported to the membership and significant penalties are assessed.
No-show: Cargo which has been booked but does not arrive in time to be loaded before the vessel sails. See also "Windy Booking."
NOI: Abbreviation for "Not Otherwise Indexed."
NOIBN: Abbreviation for "Not Otherwise Indexed By Name."
Nomenclature of the Customs Cooperation Council: The Customs tariff used by most countries worldwide. It was formerly known as the Brussels Tariff Nomenclature and is the basis of the commodity coding system known as the Harmonized System.
Non-Dumping Certificate: Required by some countries for protection against the dumping of certain types of merchandise or products.
Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC): A cargo consolidator in ocean trades who will buy space from a carrier and sub_sell it to smaller shippers. The NVOCC issues bills of lading, publishes tariffs and otherwise conducts itself as an ocean common carrier, except that it will not provide the actual ocean or intermodal service.
NOR: Notice of Readiness. (When the ship is ready to load.)
NOS: Abbreviation for "Not Otherwise Specified."
Nose: Front of a container or trailer - opposite the tail.