Shipping Glossary
COMMON SHIPPING TERMS
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Said to Contain |
| Abbreviation: STC | |
| Term in a Bill of Lading signifying that the master and the carrier are unaware of the nature or quantity of the contents of e.g. a carton, crate, container or bundle and are relying on the description furnished by the shipper. | |
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Salvage |
| The saving or rescue of a vessel and/or the cargo from loss and/or damage at sea. | |
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Schedule |
| A timetable including arrival/departure times of ocean- and feeder vessels and also inland transportation. It refers to named ports in a specific voyage (journey) within a certain trade indicating the voyage number(s). In general: The plan of times for starting and/or finishing activities. | |
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Seal |
| A device used for containers, lockers, trucks or lorries to proof relevant parties that they have remained closed during transport. | |
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Seaworthiness |
| Fitness of a vessel to travel in open sea mostly
related to a particular voyage with a particular
cargo. Seller Party selling merchandise to a buyer. |
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Sender |
| A service Bill (of Lading) is a contract of carriage issued by one carrier to another for documentary and internal control purposes | |
| For internal documentary and control purposes a so-called participating agent in a consortium uses some kind of document which, depending on the trade, is referred to as 'Memo Bill' which will among others state: | |
| Name of Carrier on whose behalf the original document (Way Bill, Bill of Lading, etc.) was issued | |
| The original document number. The agent who issued the original document and his opponent at the discharging side | |
| The number of packages, weight and measurement, marks and numbers and goods description | |
| Further mandatory details in case of special cargo | |
| No freight details will be mentioned and the Memo Bill is not a contract of carriage. Acts as intermediary between shipowners or carriers by sea on the one hand and cargo interests on the other. The functions are to act as forwarding agent or custom broker, fixing of charters, and acting as chartering agent. |
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Ship Operator |
| A ship operator is either the shipowner or the (legal) person responsible for the actual management of the vessel and its crew. | |
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Ship's Protest |
| Statement of the master of a vessel before (in the presence of) competent authorities, concerning exceptional events which occurred during a voyage. | |
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Shipment |
| A separately identifiable collection of goods to be carried. | |
| Note: In the United States of America the word shipment is used instead of the word consignment. | |
| The (legal) person officially registered as such in the certificate of registry where the following particulars are contained: | |
| Name of vessel and port of registry | |
| Details contained in surveyors certificate | |
| The particulars respecting the origin stated in the declaration of ownership | |
| The name and description of the registered owner, if more than one owner the proportionate share of each | |
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Shipper |
| The merchant (person) by whom, in whose name or on whose behalf a contract of carriage of goods has been concluded with a carrier or any party by whom, in whose name or on whose behalf the goods are actually delivered to the carrier in relation to the contract of carriage. | |
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Shipper's Export Declaration |
| Abbreviation: SED A United States customs form to be completed for all exports to assist the government in compiling export statistics. |
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Shipper's Letter of Instruction |
| Abbreviation: SLI A document containing instructions given by the shipper or the shipper's agent for preparing documents and forwarding (air cargo). |
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Shipping Note |
| Document provided by the shipper or his agent to the carrier, multimodal transport operator, terminal or other receiving authority, giving information about export consignments offered for transport, and providing for the necessary receipts and declarations of liability. | |
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Shipping Documents |
| Documents required for the carriage of goods. | |
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Shipping Instruction |
| Document advising details of cargo and exporter's requirements of its physical movement. | |
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Shipping Label |
| A label attached to a unit, containing certain data. | |
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Shipping Marks |
| The identification shown on individual packages in order to help in moving it without delay or confusion to its final destination and to enable the checking of cargo against documents. | |
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Shortage |
| The negative difference between actual available or delivered quantity and the required quantity. | |
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Shrink Wrapping |
| Heat treatment that shrinks an envelope of polyethylene
or similar substance around several units, thus
forming one unit. It is used e.g. to secure packages
on a pallet. Go to top Slot The space on board a vessel, required by one TEU, mainly used for administrative purposes. |
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Slot Charter |
| A voyage charter whereby the shipowner agrees to place a certain number of container slots (TEU and/or FEU) at the charterer's disposal. | |
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Special Drawing Rights |
| Abbreviation: SDR Unit of account from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), i.a. used to express the amount of the limitations of a carrier's liability. |
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Special Rate |
| A rate other than a normal rate. | |
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Stability |
| The capacity of a vessel to return to its original position after having been displaced by external forces. The stability of a vessel depends on the meta-centric height. | |
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Stack |
| An identifiable amount of containers stowed in a orderly way in one specified place on an (ocean) terminal, container freight station, container yard or depot. | |
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Storage |
| The activity of placing goods into a store or the state of being in store (e.g. a warehouse). | |
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Storage Charge |
| The fee for keeping goods in a warehouse. | |
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Stowage |
| The placing and securing of cargo or containers on board a vessel or an aircraft or of cargo in a container. | |
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Stowage Factor |
| Ratio of a cargo's cubic measurement to its weight, expressed in cubic feet to the ton or cubic metres to the tonne, used in order to determine the total quantity of cargo which can be loaded in a certain space. | |
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Stowage Instructions |
| Imperative details about the way certain cargo is to be stowed, given by the shipper or his agent. Go to top Stowage Plan A plan indicating the locations on the vessel of all the consignments for the benefit of stevedores and vessel's officers. |
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Stripping |
| The unloading of cargo out of a container. | |
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Stuffing |
| The loading of cargo into a container. | |
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Supply Chain |
| A sequence of events in a goods flow which adds to the value of a specific good. These events may include: | |
| - Conversion | |
| - Assembling and/or disassembling | |
| - Movements and placements | |
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Supply Vessel |
| Vessel which carries stock and stores to offshore drilling rigs, platforms. | |
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Surcharge |
| An additional charge added to the usual or customary freight. | |
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Survey |
| An inspection of a certain item or object by a recognised specialist. | |
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Surveyor |
| A specialist who carries out surveys. | |
| Note: A surveyor is often representing a classification bureau or a governmental body. | |