Estes Express Lines Transportation Glossary

Transportation Glossary (PDF)

Adobe Acrobat Reader Version 4 or higher is required to view or print the PDF version of our glossary.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

T

Tare Weight:

The weight of a container and/or packing materials without the weight of the goods it contains (the actual weight of the empty container).

Tariff:

Legally published rates and charges to price shipments. Also includes packaging guidelines.

Terminal:

A building for the handling and temporary storage of freight pending transfer between locations. Also, the area where containers are prepared for loading into a vessel, train, truck or airplane or are stacked immediately after unloading from the vessel, train, truck or airplane.

TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units):

A measurement of cargo-carrying capacity on a container ship, referring to a common container size of 20 feet in length. Example: one 40-foot container is equal to two TEUs.

Third Party:

Paying party other than the shipper or consignee. Terms can be prepaid or collect.

TOFC (Trailer on Flatcar):

Trailers resting on railway flatcars without a chassis underneath. Also referred to as COFC or Container on Flatcar.

Tractor:

The cab, or the engine-powered vehicle, used to pull a trailer.

Tractor Trailer:

Tractor and semitrailer combination; a complete rig.

Trailer:

The part of the rig used to haul goods. It is hooked up to an engine-powered tractor.

Trailer on Flatcar:

See TOFC.

Transportation Broker:

A person whose business it is to prepare shipping and customs documents for international shipments. Brokers often have offices at major freight gateways, including border crossings, seaports, and airports. See also Customs Broker.

Transportation Security Administration:

See TSA.

Truckload:

An Estes truck can be full in one of two ways—freight can either weigh out at 45,000 lbs. or take up all the cubic footage in the trailer. The minimum weight or volume required to qualify for either volume or truckload rates includes the following: the shipment must be greater than 4,999 lbs. or it must take up at least 10 liner feet of the trailer. Shipments weighing less or taking up fewer linear feet are considered LTL shipments and are not eligible for volume pricing.

TSA (Transportation Security Administration):

A division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units:

See TEU.

Twins/Doubles:

Short semi-trailers (under 28’) designed to operate as part of a combination vehicle with a trailer of similar length. Or, the combination of a tractor and two semi-trailers connected in tandem by a converter dolly.

[Top]