Reference

Freight & Logistics Glossary

Plain-English definitions for the terms you encounter in freight forwarding, port operations, dispatch, and driver compliance — covering everything from MAWB to DVIR.

AWB (Air Waybill): A non-negotiable transport document issued by an air carrier for goods shipped by air. Acts as a receipt, contract of carriage, and customs declaration.
MAWB (Master Air Waybill): The single air waybill issued by the airline to the freight forwarder covering the entire consolidated shipment. Logixa's top-level shipment record — one MAWB can contain many HAWBs.
HAWB (House Air Waybill): An individual waybill issued by the freight forwarder to each end customer whose cargo is inside the consolidated MAWB. Logixa breaks a shipment into houses, each with its own HAWB.
BOL / B/L (Bill of Lading): The ocean-cargo equivalent of an AWB. A legal document issued by a carrier to a shipper detailing the goods being transported. The MAWB/HAWB structure maps to MBL/HBL for ocean shipments.
Consolidation: Combining multiple smaller shipments — each with its own HAWB — into one larger movement under a single MAWB to reduce cost per unit. The core reason house waybills exist.
LFD (Last Free Day): The last day cargo can sit at a port or terminal without incurring storage fees. Missing LFD triggers demurrage charges. Logixa sends proactive alerts at 72h, 48h, and 24h before each LFD.
Demurrage: A penalty fee charged by the port or carrier for cargo that remains at the terminal past its Last Free Day. Typically $150–$350 per container per day. Preventable with timely dispatch.
Detention: A penalty fee charged for holding port equipment — a chassis or container — past the allowed free period after it leaves the terminal. Often confused with demurrage, but billed separately.
ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival): The expected date and time cargo will arrive at a given point — port, warehouse, or consignee. Used throughout Logixa to plan pickups and deliveries.
ETD (Estimated Time of Departure): The expected date and time cargo will leave a given point — port, warehouse, or origin. Used in Logixa's pickup and delivery scheduling.
Ready Time: The timestamp when cargo has been cleared by customs and is physically available for pickup at the port. Distinct from ETA — cargo may arrive but not be immediately releasable.
Free Days: A contractual number of days a customer's cargo can sit at the forwarder's warehouse before storage fees apply. A customer-level attribute in Logixa that varies by contract.
Freight Forwarder: A logistics company that arranges cargo movement on behalf of shippers and consignees — handling documentation, customs, and carrier coordination. Logixa's primary user type.
3PL (Third-Party Logistics): A broader category covering freight forwarders, warehousers, and final-mile providers that manage logistics on behalf of other businesses.
Shipper: The party sending the goods — typically upstream of the freight forwarder. Logixa does not model shippers as first-class entities since forwarders manage the inbound relationship.
Consignee: The party receiving the goods — the end recipient, downstream of the freight forwarder. A first-class entity in Logixa with its own contact record and address.
Carrier: The physical transport provider: airline, steamship line, or trucking company. Modeled in Logixa's directory with a type field indicating airport or seaport.
Customer: The freight forwarder's paying client. May be the shipper or consignee depending on trade terms. A first-class entity in Logixa with contract free days tracked per account.
Operator: Inside the forwarder's office, the person who creates and manages shipments — entering MAWB data, breaking cargo into houses, and updating status. A Logixa user role.
Dispatcher: The person who assigns drivers and trucks to pickups and deliveries — scheduling appointment windows and tracking execution. A Logixa user role.
Drayage: Short-haul trucking from a port or terminal to a nearby warehouse or rail yard — typically within the same metropolitan area. Logixa's pickup module is drayage-first.
Warehouse Transfer: A shipment type where cargo is picked up from the port and moved to the forwarder's or customer's warehouse for deconsolidation before final delivery.
Direct Delivery: A shipment type where cargo is picked up from the port and delivered straight to the end consignee, skipping the warehouse leg entirely.
OTR (Over-the-Road): Long-haul trucking across greater distances. Not Logixa's primary focus — the platform is optimized for port-to-warehouse drayage and regional final mile.
Split Pickup (A/B/C): A partial pickup against a single MAWB when cargo must be moved across multiple trucks or trips. Logixa tracks each split (A, B, C…) with its own driver, truck, and status.
Chassis: A wheeled frame that a shipping container sits on so it can be towed by a truck cab. Often tracked and billed separately from the container itself. Logixa models chassis as an asset type.
Trailer: An enclosed or flatbed trailer pulled by a truck — distinct from a container-on-chassis setup. Logixa models trailers as an asset type in the carrier directory.
Container: A standardized steel intermodal box (20ft, 40ft, high-cube) used in ocean and intermodal shipping. Arrives on a chassis from the port; not yet a first-class entity in Logixa.
HOS (Hours of Service): U.S. federal regulations governing how many hours a commercial driver can drive and work before mandatory rest periods. The 11-hour driving limit and 30-minute rest requirement are the most tracked rules.
ELD (Electronic Logging Device): Hardware installed in commercial trucks that automatically records driving time for HOS compliance. Federally mandated for most commercial drivers since 2017.
DOT (Department of Transportation): The U.S. federal agency that sets and enforces regulations for commercial transport. DOT compliance generally means meeting FMCSA rules for HOS, vehicle inspections, and driver qualifications.
DVIR (Driver Vehicle Inspection Report): A federally required pre-trip and post-trip inspection record covering brakes, tires, lights, fluids, and other safety components. Logixa's driver app includes a digital DVIR checklist.
Pre-Trip Inspection: The safety inspection performed before a driver starts their shift. Any failed items must be resolved before the vehicle can legally move. The Logixa Driver App guides drivers through this checklist.
At Port: Shipment status indicating cargo has arrived at the port but has not yet been cleared or scheduled for pickup.
In Transit: Shipment status indicating cargo is actively being moved by a carrier — from port to warehouse, or from warehouse to consignee.
Dispatched: Shipment status indicating a driver has been assigned and the movement is underway. Set automatically when a pickup is assigned in Logixa.
Delivered: Final shipment status indicating cargo has reached its destination. Closes the LFD loop in Logixa.
Completion Status: Logixa's internal gate that tracks whether a shipment's house waybills fully reconcile against the master totals AND at least one pickup is scheduled. Required before the shipment can advance to 'Complete'.

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