The vehicle shipping industry has its own vocabulary. Whether this is your first shipment or your fiftieth, here are the terms you will run into, in plain language.
A
- Advanced charges
- Charges for services performed by someone other than the carrier, added to the bill of lading.
- Agent
- A representative acting on behalf of the shipper or carrier in arranging the shipment.
- Auto transport
- Moving a vehicle from one location to another.
- Auxiliary service (shuttle)
- A smaller vehicle used when the assigned carrier cannot reach the pickup or delivery address.
B
- Bill of lading (BOL)
- The legal document issued by the carrier acknowledging receipt of the vehicle and setting out the terms of transport. It records the vehicle's condition at pickup and delivery.
- Bill of sale
- A legal document transferring ownership of a vehicle.
- Boat transport
- Moving boats on specialized carriers, often arranged through auto transport companies.
- Bonded carrier
- A carrier authorized to handle bonded cargo, typically for international shipments.
C
- Car carrier / car hauler
- A truck or ship built to transport vehicles.
- Car shipping calculator
- An online tool for estimating shipping costs.
- Claim (damage claim)
- A shipper's statement of loss or damage while the vehicle was in the carrier's care.
- Collect on delivery (COD)
- Shipments where the customer pays the carrier at delivery.
- Consignee
- The person or company receiving the vehicle.
- Containerized shipping
- Shipping vehicles inside enclosed metal containers.
- Cut-off time
- The latest possible time a shipment can be delivered.
D
- Deadhead
- A truck's empty return trip after delivering a load.
- Dealership auto transport
- Shipping tailored to dealership pickups and deliveries.
- Delivery estimate
- The approximate window in which the vehicle is expected to arrive.
- Delivery network
- The trucks, ships, and railroads that make up the transport system.
- Diversion
- Changing a shipment's route while in transit.
- Door-to-door
- Pickup at your address and delivery to the destination address, or as close as the truck can safely get.
- DOT / USDOT
- The Department of Transportation, the federal body overseeing transportation.
- Drop-off
- The delivery location.
E
- Enclosed trailer
- A trailer with walls and a roof that protects the vehicle from the elements.
- En route
- The vehicle has left the pickup address and is on its way.
- Escrow
- A third party holding funds until conditions are met; occasionally used in vehicle transactions.
- Estimated delivery date
- The specific date the vehicle is expected to arrive.
- Expedited shipping
- Priority pickup for an additional fee.
F
- FMCSA
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the regulator for carriers and brokers.
- Free and clear title
- A title showing the vehicle has no liens.
- Freight broker
- The intermediary who arranges transport on the customer's behalf.
- Full truckload (FTL)
- A shipment that fills the whole truck.
H
- Hot shot
- Specialized fast transport for high-value or urgent shipments, usually on a small trailer.
I
- Inoperable vehicle
- A vehicle that cannot move under its own power.
- Inspection
- The pre-shipment examination that documents existing damage.
- Insurance
- Coverage protecting the vehicle against damage or loss during transport.
L
- Lien
- A legal claim against the vehicle that lets a creditor seize it if a debt goes unpaid.
- Loading
- Securing the vehicle onto the truck or ship.
M
- Motorcycle shipping
- Transport on specialized enclosed trailers.
- Multi-car shipping
- Several vehicles moving on the same shipment.
N
- New / finished vehicle logistics
- Planning and shipping services for manufacturers and the auto industry.
O
- Open carrier
- A trailer without walls or a roof.
P
- Pickup date
- The date the vehicle is collected.
- POD
- Proof of delivery.
- Port-to-port
- Transport between designated ports.
- Power of attorney (POA)
- A document authorizing someone to act on your behalf.
Q
- Quote
- An estimate of the shipping cost.
R
- Ramp
- The platform used for loading and unloading.
- Registration
- Documentation proving ownership.
- Roll-on / roll-off (RoRo)
- Driving vehicles on and off a ship via ramps.
- Route
- The planned path to the destination.
S
- Shipper
- The person or company sending the vehicle.
- Shipping cost
- The total cost including transport, insurance, and any fees.
- Single vehicle shipping
- Delivery of one automobile from one point to another.
T
- Terminal
- A facility where vehicles are received, stored, and loaded.
- Terminal-to-terminal
- A cheaper option where you drop off and pick up at terminals rather than door to door.
- Tracking
- Following a shipment through delivery.
- Transit time
- Estimated time from pickup to delivery.
- Transport truck
- A truck with a trailer designed to carry vehicles.
U
- Unloading
- Removing the vehicle from the truck or ship.
V
- Vehicle inspection report
- The document detailing the vehicle's condition before and after transport.
- Vehicle logistics company
- A provider that plans and manages auto transport services.
- Vehicle shipping / vehicle transport
- Physically moving a vehicle from one place to another.
W
- Weight certificate
- A document verifying the vehicle's weight, sometimes required by shipping companies.