Chapter 12

Less-than-truckload (LTL)

-150 to 10,000 pounds -Too big to be handled manually, too small to fill a truck -trucks carry shipments from many shippers -ABF Freight System, FedEx Freight, UPS Freight, YRC

Broker

-Companies that look to match a shipper's freight with a carrier to transport it -May consolidate LTL shipments and then give to motor carriers, freight forwarders, or shippers' associations

Private carrier

-Companies whose primary business is other than transportation and provide their own transportation service -Also exempt from economic regulation

Truckload (TL)

-Focus on shipments > 10,000 lbs -Close to the amount that would physically fill a truck trailer -Possible that large shipments from several customers can be consolidated

Surface Transportation Board

-Has primary responsibility for resolving railroad rate and service disputes and potential rail mergers -Some jurisdiction over motor carriers, domestic water transportation, and rates and services of pipelines not regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Shippers' associations

-Similar to air and freight forwarders but are not-for-profit organizations -Primarily focused on achieving the lowest rates for members

Freight forwarder

-Two types: Surface and Air -Exists by offering a service to shippers that must use LTL rates because they do not generate enough volume to use TL rates -Typically offers pickup and delivery service but does not perform the line-haul service (done by motor carriers or railroads)

Parcel carriers

-companies that specialize in transporting packages weighing up to 150 pounds -USPS, UPS, FedEx Express, Greyhound Package Express

Dimensional (dim) weight

Considers a shipment's density (the amount of space occupied relative to weight) to determine a shipment's billable weight.

Exempt carrier

Exempted from economic regulation due to legislation

Contract carrier

Offer specialized service to customers on a contractual basis No obligation to serve the general public or to treat customers on an equal basis

Common carrier

Serve the general public

transportation

The actual, physical movement of goods and people between two locations

Ton miles

The number of tons times the number of miles

Slurry systems

Transport products that are ground into a powder, mixed with water, and then shipped in slurry form through a pipeline

TEU

Twenty-foot equivalent unit; a measure of the number of 20-foot containers that are used or handled.

trucks

Understand which mode of transportation is fastest, cheapest, most reliable, most flexible, and capable of handling the largest volume

Terminal

a carrier or public facility where freight or passengers are shifted between vehicles or modes

Land bridge services

a combination of water transportation costs to its destination

Unit load devices (ULD)

an alternative name for airfreight containers

Piggyback transportation

either truck trailer-on-rail car or container-on-rail car, to take advantage of rail's low transportation costs on the line-haul along with truck's ability to provide door-to-door service

Environment Protection Agency (EPA)

federal regulatory agency established to protect human health and the environment

Barge

flatboard boat used to transport heavy products

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)

focused on reducing crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

has primary responsibility for air transportation safety

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)

has primary responsibility for safety in the U.S. railroad industry

Surface Transportation Board (STB)

primary responsibility for resolving railroad rate and service disputes and potential rail mergers

Lock

raises or lowers barges so that they can meet the river's level as they move upstream or downstream

Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS)

responsible for safety considerations for natural gas and liquid pipelines

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)

safety regulation responsibilities for marine safety considerations

Line-haul

terminal to terminal movement of freight or passengers

Rail gauge

the distance between the inner sides of two parallel rail tracks

Department of Transportation (DOT)

the federal agency responsible for transportation safety regulations for all five modes

Consignee

the receiver of a shipment

Accessorial service

transportation service that is supplemental to line-haul transportation

Intermodal transportation

transportation when using a container or other equipment that can be transferred from the vehicle of one mode to the vehicle of another mode without the contents being reloaded or disturbed