Freight Technology Glossary

How to use this glossary

Trucking runs on shorthand. A dispatcher, a CFO and an IT manager can sit in the same meeting and mean three different things by "rating," "per diem" or "integration." Strong Tower Consulting put this glossary together so owners, operations managers, back-office staff and IT teams at carriers, brokers and private fleets can share one vocabulary. Where a topic goes deeper, each entry links to the matching guide or practice page.

Definitions are general and educational. Regulatory items, such as hours of service, IFTA and leasing rules, change over time and have exceptions, so confirm specifics with FMCSA, your base jurisdiction or your own advisors before acting on them.

0-9

3-2-1 backup rule

A backup guideline: keep at least three copies of your data, on two different types of storage, with one copy offsite. Many organizations now extend it with an immutable or offline copy and regularly verified restores.Related: Backups That Actually Restore, Data Protection & Continuity

A

Accessorial charge

A charge billed in addition to the base linehaul rate for extra services or conditions, such as detention, liftgate, inside delivery, extra stops, lumper fees or layover. Accessorials are defined in the customer's tariff or contract, and they are a common source of missed revenue when they are not captured at dispatch.Related: Order to Cash in Trucking

All-in rate

A single per-load or per-mile price that bundles linehaul and fuel surcharge, and sometimes accessorials, into one number. It keeps quoting simple but hides how much of the revenue is fuel recovery.

API (application programming interface)

A defined way for one software system to request data or actions from another, usually over the web using JSON. Carriers increasingly use APIs alongside or instead of EDI for tenders, tracking, ELD data and accounting integration.Related: ELD, EDI & Back-Office Integration

Apportioned registration

Commercial vehicle registration in which fees are divided among the jurisdictions a vehicle travels in, based on the distance traveled in each. It is administered under the International Registration Plan (IRP) and evidenced by an apportioned plate and cab card.Related: IFTA Without the Scramble

AR aging

A report that groups unpaid customer invoices by how long they have been outstanding, typically current, 31 to 60, 61 to 90 and over 90 days. Growing balances in the older buckets usually point to billing errors, missing paperwork or credit problems.Related: Order to Cash in Trucking

AS2 (Applicability Statement 2)

An internet standard for exchanging EDI and other business documents securely over HTTP or HTTPS, using encryption, digital signatures and signed receipts (MDNs) to confirm delivery. Many large shippers use AS2 for direct EDI connections instead of a VAN.Related: EDI for Carriers, ELD, EDI & Back-Office Integration

Asset-based carrier

A trucking company that owns or leases the tractors and trailers it uses and employs or contracts the drivers who haul the freight. It contrasts with a non-asset broker, which arranges capacity from other carriers.Related: Truckload

B

Backhaul

A load that moves a truck back toward its home base or origin region after delivering a headhaul load. Backhaul freight often pays less than headhaul, but good backhaul planning cuts deadhead.Related: Lane Profitability with SQL

Bill of lading (BOL)

The shipping document issued at pickup that serves as a receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage and, in some cases, a document of title. It lists the shipper, consignee, piece count, weight, freight class for LTL, and special instructions.Related: Order to Cash in Trucking

BMC-84 and BMC-85

The FMCSA financial security filings for freight brokers and freight forwarders: the BMC-84 is a surety bond and the BMC-85 is a trust fund agreement. Since October 2013 the required amount has been $75,000.Related: Brokerage & 3PL

Bobtail

A tractor operating without a trailer attached, for example when returning to the yard after dropping a trailer. Bobtail moves show up as non-revenue miles in most TMS reporting.

Broker (freight broker)

A company holding FMCSA broker authority that arranges transportation by matching shippers' freight with motor carriers for compensation, without taking possession of the freight. The broker's margin is the difference between what the shipper pays and what the carrier is paid.Related: Brokerage & 3PL

Business intelligence (BI)

Tools and practices for turning operational data into dashboards, scorecards and reports that managers use to make decisions. In trucking, BI usually sits on top of TMS, accounting and ELD data through a reporting database or data warehouse.Related: Reporting, SQL Data Mining & Analytics

C

Cab card

The registration document carried in an apportioned vehicle that lists the jurisdictions where it is registered under IRP and the registered weight for each.Related: IFTA Without the Scramble

Carmack Amendment

The federal law (49 U.S.C. 14706) that governs motor carrier liability for loss of or damage to goods in interstate shipments. It generally holds the carrier liable for the actual loss unless liability has been limited by agreement or an exception applies.

Carrier packet (carrier onboarding)

The documents a broker collects before tendering freight to a new carrier, typically proof of operating authority, a W-9, a certificate of insurance and a signed broker-carrier agreement. Many brokers automate onboarding and ongoing monitoring of authority and insurance.Related: Brokerage & 3PL

Chassis

The wheeled steel frame on which an intermodal container is mounted for movement over the road. Chassis may come from pools, leasing companies, ocean carriers or the motor carrier itself, and daily chassis charges are a significant drayage cost.Related: Intermodal & Drayage

Cost per mile (CPM)

Total operating cost divided by total miles, including fixed costs such as equipment, insurance and overhead and variable costs such as fuel, driver pay and maintenance. Comparing cost per mile with revenue per mile by lane and customer shows where you actually make money. CPM can also mean cents-per-mile driver pay.Related: Lane Profitability with SQL

Cross-dock

A facility or process where freight is unloaded from inbound trailers and moved, with little or no storage, onto outbound trailers. LTL networks and many 3PLs depend on cross-docking to sort and consolidate freight.Related: LTL

CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability)

FMCSA's safety enforcement program, which uses the Safety Measurement System (SMS) to rank carriers in categories called BASICs based on inspection, violation and crash data. Poor scores can trigger FMCSA interventions and influence how shippers and brokers view a carrier.

Cubing

Measuring a shipment's length, width and height to calculate its cubic volume and density. LTL carriers use dimensioning equipment to verify cube, which can lead to reclassification or capacity-based charges.Related: LTL

Cutover

The planned transition from an old system to a new one, including the final data conversion, freezing the old system and the first live transactions in the new one. A good cutover plan names owners, timing and rollback criteria, and spells out how open loads, unbilled freight and pending settlements are handled.Related: TMS Go-Live Checklist, Legacy TMS Advisory

D

Data conversion (data migration)

Extracting customers, rates, equipment, drivers, open loads and history from an old system, then cleaning, mapping and loading that data into a new one. It is one of the highest-risk parts of any TMS project and should be rehearsed more than once before go-live.Related: TMS Implementation & Go-Live, Legacy TMS Decision Guide

Data warehouse

A database built for reporting and analysis that combines historical data from systems such as the TMS, accounting, ELD and fuel cards. Keeping reporting separate from the live operational database keeps queries fast and lets you analyze years of history consistently.Related: SQL Data Mining & Analytics, Lane Profitability with SQL

Deadhead

Miles driven empty, without a revenue load, such as the run to the next pickup. Deadhead percentage, empty miles divided by total miles, is a core efficiency measure for truckload carriers.Related: Lane Profitability with SQL

Demurrage

A charge for leaving a loaded container at a port or rail terminal beyond the allowed free time, which ends on the last free day. In drayage, demurrage is distinct from per diem, which applies after the equipment leaves the terminal.Related: Intermodal & Drayage

Detention

A charge billed when a truck and driver are held at a shipper or receiver beyond the agreed free time for loading or unloading. Accurate arrival and departure times, often from ELD or geofence data, are what make detention billable and defensible.Related: Order to Cash in Trucking

Dispatch

Assigning a driver, tractor and trailer to a load and managing the trip through pickup and delivery. In a TMS, the dispatch board is where planners see available power, load status and exceptions.Related: TMS Selection & Advisory

Double brokering

Re-brokering a load to another carrier without the knowledge or consent of the shipper or original broker, a tactic common in freight fraud schemes. Strong carrier vetting and identity verification are the main defenses.Related: Brokerage & 3PL

DQ file (driver qualification file)

The file a motor carrier must keep for each driver under 49 CFR 391.51, including the employment application, motor vehicle record reviews, road test or equivalent, and medical examiner's certificate.

Drayage

Short-distance trucking of intermodal containers between ports or rail ramps and nearby warehouses, distribution centers or other rail yards. It involves terminal appointments, chassis, last free days, per diem and interchange paperwork.Related: Intermodal & Drayage

Drop and hook

An operation where the driver drops a trailer at a facility and hooks to a preloaded or empty trailer instead of waiting for live loading or unloading. It reduces detention but requires trailer pools and good trailer tracking.

Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse

FMCSA's online database, in effect since January 2020, that records drug and alcohol program violations by CDL holders. Employers must query it before hiring a CDL driver and at least once a year for each driver they employ.

DSO (days sales outstanding)

The average number of days it takes to collect payment after invoicing, usually calculated as accounts receivable divided by revenue for a period, times the days in that period. Late or incomplete billing pushes DSO up before collections even begin.Related: Order to Cash in Trucking

DVIR (driver vehicle inspection report)

A written report on the condition of a commercial vehicle that a driver prepares under 49 CFR 396.11 at the end of each day's work, covering items such as brakes, lights, tires and coupling devices. Defects that affect safe operation must be repaired, and the repair certified, before the vehicle is driven again.

E

EDI (electronic data interchange)

The computer-to-computer exchange of business documents in a standard format. In North American freight, the ANSI ASC X12 standard defines transaction sets such as the 204 load tender, 990 tender response, 214 status message and 210 invoice.Related: EDI for Carriers, ELD, EDI & Back-Office Integration

EDI 204 (Motor Carrier Load Tender)

The X12 transaction a shipper or broker sends to offer a load to a carrier, with stops, dates, reference numbers, equipment and often rate details. It typically creates or updates an order in the carrier's TMS.Related: EDI for Carriers

EDI 210 (Motor Carrier Freight Details and Invoice)

The X12 transaction a carrier uses to send an invoice electronically, including charges, reference numbers and shipment details. Rejected 210s, often caused by mismatched references or rates, are a common reason for slow payment.Related: EDI for Carriers, Order to Cash in Trucking

EDI 214 (Transportation Carrier Shipment Status Message)

The X12 transaction a carrier sends to report shipment events such as arrival, pickup, departure, delay and delivery, with time stamps and locations. Many shippers score carriers on the timeliness and accuracy of their 214s.Related: EDI for Carriers

EDI 322 (Terminal Operations and Intermodal Ramp Activity)

An X12 transaction that reports container and equipment events at ports and rail terminals, such as gate-ins, gate-outs, loads and discharges. Drayage carriers use 322 data to track container availability and terminal moves.Related: EDI for Carriers, Intermodal & Drayage

EDI 824 (Application Advice)

An X12 transaction that tells the sender whether a document, such as a 210 invoice, was accepted or rejected by the receiving application, often with the reason for rejection.Related: EDI for Carriers

EDI 990 (Response to a Load Tender)

The X12 transaction a carrier returns to accept or decline a 204 load tender. Shippers usually expect a 990 within a set time window, so tender response rules in the TMS matter.Related: EDI for Carriers

EDI 997 (Functional Acknowledgment)

An X12 transaction confirming that an EDI document was received and whether it passed standard syntax checks. A 997 does not mean the business content was accepted, only that the document was readable.Related: EDI for Carriers

ELD (electronic logging device)

A device and software that connects to a truck's engine to automatically record driving time and duty status, replacing paper logs for most drivers subject to hours-of-service rules. FMCSA's ELD rule reached full compliance in December 2019, and ELD data now also feeds dispatch, HOS visibility and IFTA mileage.Related: ELD, EDI & Back-Office Integration

Escrow (owner-operator escrow)

Money withheld from an owner-operator's settlements and held by the carrier to cover obligations defined in the lease. Federal leasing rules (49 CFR Part 376) require the lease to state the amount and permitted uses, and require interest to be paid and the balance returned at lease end, less final deductions.Related: Driver Settlements Without the Disputes

ETA (estimated time of arrival)

The predicted time a truck will reach a stop. Modern ETAs combine GPS location, remaining hours of service, traffic and appointment times.

ETL (extract, transform, load)

The process of pulling data from source systems, cleaning and reshaping it, and loading it into a reporting database or data warehouse. Well-built ETL is what makes the numbers match between the TMS, accounting and reports.Related: SQL Data Mining & Analytics

F

Factoring

Selling freight invoices to a factoring company at a discount in exchange for immediate cash instead of waiting on customer payment terms. Factored invoices are usually paid by the customer directly to the factor, which affects how receivables are tracked in the TMS and accounting.Related: Order to Cash in Trucking

Fractional CIO

An experienced technology executive who provides part-time CIO leadership, covering strategy, budgets, vendor management, security and project oversight, on an ongoing basis. It suits carriers that need senior technology judgment but not a full-time executive.Related: Does Your Carrier Need a CIO?, Fractional Freight CIO

Freight bill

The carrier's invoice for transporting a shipment, listing linehaul, fuel surcharge and accessorial charges along with references to the bill of lading and order.Related: Order to Cash in Trucking

Freight class

One of 18 classes in the National Motor Freight Classification, ranging from 50 to 500, used to price LTL shipments. Lower classes generally mean denser, easier-to-handle freight and lower rates.Related: LTL

FSC (fuel surcharge)

A charge that adjusts freight rates for changes in diesel prices, usually calculated from a schedule tied to the weekly U.S. on-highway diesel price published by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), part of the Department of Energy. It may be applied per mile or as a percentage of linehaul, and outdated or misapplied FSC tables are a frequent source of lost revenue.Related: Order to Cash in Trucking

FTL or TL (full truckload)

A shipment that fills a trailer or is the only shipment on the truck, moving directly from shipper to consignee without terminal handling.Related: Truckload

Fuel card

A payment card used at truck stops that records gallons, price and location for each purchase. Fuel card data feeds IFTA reporting, driver advances and settlement deductions, and fraud controls.Related: IFTA Without the Scramble, Driver Settlements Without the Disputes

G

Geofence

A virtual boundary around a location, such as a customer dock or terminal, that triggers an event when a tracked truck enters or leaves it. Geofences automate arrival and departure times for status updates and detention billing.Related: ELD, EDI & Back-Office Integration

Go-live

The point at which a new system starts running real operations. A go-live plan covers readiness criteria, on-site support, issue triage and the first billing and settlement cycles.Related: TMS Go-Live Checklist, TMS Implementation & Go-Live

H

Headhaul

The primary leg of a round trip, typically out of a freight-rich market where rates are stronger. It is paired with a backhaul that returns the truck toward home.

HOS (hours of service)

FMCSA rules that limit how long commercial drivers may drive and work. For property-carrying drivers, the core limits are 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour window after 10 consecutive hours off duty, a 30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving, and 60 or 70 on-duty hours in 7 or 8 days, with an optional 34-hour restart.Related: ELD, EDI & Back-Office Integration

HVUT (Form 2290)

The federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax, filed annually with the IRS on Form 2290 for highway vehicles with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more. The stamped Schedule 1 is required to register those vehicles.

I

IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement)

An agreement among the 48 contiguous U.S. states and the 10 Canadian provinces that lets interstate carriers file one quarterly fuel tax return with their base jurisdiction, which then distributes the tax to the others. The return reports miles and fuel gallons by jurisdiction and is due on the last day of the month after each quarter: April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31.Related: IFTA Without the Scramble

Immutable backup

A backup copy that cannot be changed or deleted for a set retention period, even by an administrator account. Immutability protects against ransomware that tries to encrypt or erase backups along with production systems.Related: Backups That Actually Restore, Data Protection & Continuity

Intermodal

Moving freight in a container or trailer by more than one mode, typically rail for the long haul and truck for drayage at each end, without handling the freight itself when changing modes.Related: Intermodal & Drayage

IRP (International Registration Plan)

A registration agreement among the contiguous U.S. states, the District of Columbia and the Canadian provinces under which interstate carriers pay registration fees apportioned by the distance traveled in each member jurisdiction. IRP mileage reporting often draws on the same data as IFTA.Related: IFTA Without the Scramble

L

Lane

A recurring origin and destination pair, defined at the city, ZIP code, market or region level. Lane-level analysis of revenue, cost, deadhead and volume is the basis for pricing and network decisions.Related: Lane Profitability with SQL

Last free day (LFD)

The final day a container can sit at a port or rail terminal before demurrage or storage charges begin. Missing the LFD is one of the most expensive mistakes in drayage, so dispatch tools track it closely.Related: Intermodal & Drayage

Layover

A charge or driver pay item when a driver is held overnight or for a full day because a load cannot be loaded or delivered as scheduled.Related: Driver Settlements Without the Disputes

Lease purchase

An arrangement in which a driver leases a tractor, often from or through the carrier, with payments deducted from settlements and an option to own the truck at the end of the term. These programs need clear, accurate settlement statements to avoid disputes.Related: Driver Settlements Without the Disputes

Legacy system

An older system that still runs critical operations, often on aging technology with limited vendor support or few people who know it well. A legacy system is not automatically a problem, but its risks should be measured and managed.Related: Legacy TMS Advisory, Legacy TMS Decision Guide

Linehaul

In LTL and parcel networks, the long-distance movement of freight between terminals, as opposed to local pickup and delivery. In rating, linehaul also means the base transportation charge before fuel surcharge and accessorials.Related: LTL

Live load and live unload

Loading or unloading a trailer while the driver waits, as opposed to drop and hook. Live appointments are where most detention occurs.

Load board

An online marketplace where brokers and shippers post available loads and carriers post available trucks.Related: Brokerage & 3PL

LTL (less-than-truckload)

Shipping freight that does not need a full trailer, where many shippers' freight shares space and moves through a network of terminals. LTL pricing depends on freight class, weight, distance and accessorials.Related: LTL

Lumper

A third-party worker or service hired to load or unload freight at a warehouse. Lumper fees are often paid at the dock by the driver or carrier and then reimbursed or billed to the customer, so receipt capture matters for both billing and settlements.Related: Order to Cash in Trucking

M

MC number

The docket number FMCSA assigns with interstate operating authority for for-hire motor carriers, brokers and freight forwarders. It is separate from the USDOT number, which identifies the company for safety and registration purposes.

MFA (multi-factor authentication)

A login method that requires two or more kinds of proof, such as a password plus a code from an authenticator app or a hardware key. MFA on email, remote access, the TMS and backup consoles is one of the most effective defenses against account takeover.Related: Data Protection & Continuity

Mileage engine

Software that calculates distances and routes between locations for rating, driver pay, quoting and planning. Carriers should know whether they rate and pay on practical (truck-routed) miles or shortest (household goods) miles, because mismatches cost money.Related: Driver Settlements Without the Disputes

N

NMFC (National Motor Freight Classification)

The standard published by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) that assigns commodities to freight classes for LTL pricing. NMFC item numbers and classes appear on the bill of lading and drive the rate.Related: LTL

O

On-time performance

The share of pickups and deliveries completed within the appointment window. It is one of the most common carrier scorecard measures, and it is only as reliable as the arrival times recorded.Related: Reporting

Operating ratio (OR)

Operating expenses divided by operating revenue, expressed as a percentage. An operating ratio of 95 means 95 cents of every revenue dollar went to operating costs, so lower is better.Related: Lane Profitability with SQL

Order to cash

The full cycle from receiving a customer order through dispatch, delivery, paperwork, invoicing, collections and cash posting. In trucking, delays usually hide in proof of delivery collection, accessorial approval and invoice rejections.Related: Order to Cash in Trucking, Business Process Optimization

OS&D (over, short and damaged)

Exceptions recorded when delivered freight does not match the bill of lading: extra pieces, missing pieces or damaged goods. OS&D records drive claims, customer service follow-up and carrier performance reports.Related: LTL

Owner-operator

An independent driver who owns or leases a truck and contracts with a motor carrier, typically leased on under the carrier's operating authority. Pay, deductions and escrow are governed by the lease agreement and federal Truth-in-Leasing rules.Related: Driver Settlements Without the Disputes

P

P&D (pickup and delivery)

Local operations that collect freight from shippers and deliver it to consignees, usually feeding an LTL terminal or cross-dock. Routing and stop density largely determine the local cost per shipment.Related: LTL, City Cartage

Per diem (driver pay)

A daily travel allowance paid to drivers who are away from home overnight, intended to cover meals and incidental expenses. Its tax treatment follows IRS rules, so it needs careful setup in settlements and payroll.Related: Driver Settlements Without the Disputes

Per diem (intermodal)

A daily charge from an ocean carrier or equipment owner for keeping a container or chassis beyond the allowed free days after it leaves the terminal. Tracking out-gate and return dates for every container is essential to avoid absorbing per diem that should be billed to the customer.Related: Intermodal & Drayage

Percentage pay

Driver or owner-operator compensation calculated as a percentage of the revenue on each load. The pay rules must state exactly which charges count, such as linehaul only or linehaul plus fuel surcharge and accessorials.Related: Driver Settlements Without the Disputes

Personal conveyance

Off-duty movement of a commercial vehicle for personal use, such as driving from a receiver to a nearby rest location, recorded in the ELD as a special driving category. When it meets FMCSA guidance, it does not count against driving time.Related: ELD, EDI & Back-Office Integration

POD (proof of delivery)

A signed delivery receipt or electronic confirmation showing the shipment was delivered, who received it and any exceptions noted. Many customers will not pay without a POD, so fast POD capture shortens order to cash.Related: Order to Cash in Trucking

Private fleet

Trucks owned or leased by a company whose primary business is not transportation, used to move its own goods.Related: Private Fleet

Q

Quick pay

An option many brokers offer to pay a carrier sooner than standard terms in exchange for a fee or discount.Related: Brokerage & 3PL

R

Ransomware

Malicious software that encrypts or steals a company's data and demands payment for its release. Tested backups, MFA, timely patching and limited administrator access are the core defenses.Related: Backups That Actually Restore, Data Protection & Continuity

Rate confirmation

The document a broker sends a carrier for a specific load, confirming pickup and delivery details, rate, accessorials and terms. It is the primary reference when a billing dispute arises.Related: Brokerage & 3PL

Rating

Calculating the charges for a shipment by applying the customer's tariff or contract rates, fuel surcharge and accessorials. Automated rating in the TMS reduces billing errors, but only if the tariffs are kept current.Related: Order to Cash in Trucking

Reefer

A refrigerated trailer with its own temperature control unit, used for perishable and temperature-sensitive freight.

Revenue per mile (RPM)

Total revenue divided by miles, often reported both on loaded miles and on total miles. Watching revenue per mile by lane, customer and driver alongside deadhead and cost per mile shows true profitability.Related: Lane Profitability with SQL, SQL Data Mining & Analytics

RFP (request for proposal)

A structured document that asks vendors to propose a solution against stated requirements, such as a new TMS. In freight sales, an RFP also refers to a shipper's bid inviting carriers to price a set of lanes.Related: How to Choose a TMS, TMS Selection & Advisory

RPO (recovery point objective)

The maximum amount of data, measured in time, a business can afford to lose in an outage. An RPO of 15 minutes means backups or replication must capture changes at least that often.Related: Backups That Actually Restore, Data Protection & Continuity

RTO (recovery time objective)

The maximum acceptable time to restore a system after an outage. For a TMS that runs dispatch and billing, the business should set the RTO, and IT should prove it with a real restore test.Related: Backups That Actually Restore, Data Protection & Continuity

S

SaaS (cloud TMS)

Software hosted by the vendor and accessed over the internet for a subscription fee, as opposed to on-premises software you host yourself. It shifts infrastructure work to the vendor, but data ownership, exports and exit terms need careful contract review.Related: TMS Selection & Advisory, How to Choose a TMS

Settlement (driver settlement)

The periodic statement and payment to company drivers or owner-operators that calculates pay from loads, miles, percentages, stops and accessorial pay, then applies advances, deductions and escrow. Accurate settlements depend on clean load data and clearly written pay rules.Related: Driver Settlements Without the Disputes

SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol)

A secure method of transferring files over an encrypted SSH connection. Carriers commonly use it to exchange EDI files with trading partners and to receive fuel card and bank files.Related: ELD, EDI & Back-Office Integration

Spot rate and contract rate

A spot rate is the price for a single load at current market conditions, while a contract rate is agreed for a lane over a set period, usually through a shipper bid. The mix between the two affects revenue stability.Related: Truckload

SQL (Structured Query Language)

The standard language for querying and managing data in relational databases, which is where most TMS and accounting systems store their data. SQL lets you answer questions the standard reports do not, such as margin by lane, customer or driver.Related: Lane Profitability with SQL, SQL Data Mining & Analytics

T

Tariff

The schedule of rates, rules and accessorial charges a carrier applies to a customer's freight, whether published broadly or specific to one customer contract. In a TMS, tariffs are the rating tables that billing depends on.Related: Order to Cash in Trucking

Telematics

Technology that collects and transmits vehicle data such as location, speed, engine diagnostics, fuel use and driver behavior. ELDs are often one part of a broader telematics platform.Related: ELD, EDI & Back-Office Integration

Tender (load tender)

An offer of a load to a carrier, sent by EDI 204, API, email or portal. Tender acceptance rate is a key measure of how reliably a carrier covers committed freight.Related: EDI for Carriers

TIR or EIR (trailer or equipment interchange receipt)

The document created when a container, chassis or trailer is handed from one party to another, such as at a terminal gate, recording equipment numbers, time and condition. Interchange receipts are evidence in damage disputes and supply the dates used for per diem and demurrage.Related: Intermodal & Drayage

TMS (transportation management system)

The core software that runs a trucking, brokerage or logistics operation, typically covering order entry, rating, dispatch, tracking, billing, settlements and reporting. For many carriers it is the system of record for nearly every load and dollar.Related: TMS Selection & Advisory, How to Choose a TMS

TONU (truck ordered, not used)

A charge billed when a load is cancelled after the carrier has committed or dispatched a truck for it.Related: Order to Cash in Trucking

Truth-in-Leasing

Federal regulations at 49 CFR Part 376 that govern equipment leases between motor carriers and owner-operators, including written lease terms, compensation, chargebacks and escrow. When pay is based on a percentage of revenue, the carrier must give the owner-operator a copy of the rated freight bill or equivalent documentation.Related: Driver Settlements Without the Disputes

U

UAT (user acceptance testing)

Testing in which the people who will use a system run real business scenarios to confirm it supports their daily work before go-live. In a TMS project, UAT should include complete load cycles from order through invoice and settlement.Related: TMS Go-Live Checklist, TMS Implementation & Go-Live

UCR (Unified Carrier Registration)

A federally mandated annual registration and fee for interstate motor carriers, brokers, freight forwarders and leasing companies, with carrier fees based on fleet size.

UIIA (Uniform Intermodal Interchange and Facilities Access Agreement)

The standard contract governing how motor carriers interchange intermodal equipment with ocean carriers, railroads and other equipment providers. Drayage carriers generally must participate in the UIIA to pull containers.Related: Intermodal & Drayage

Unassigned driving time

Vehicle movement recorded by an ELD while no driver is logged in. The carrier must review it and either assign it to the correct driver or annotate why it is not assigned.Related: ELD, EDI & Back-Office Integration

USDOT number

The unique identifier FMCSA assigns to companies operating commercial vehicles that carry passengers or haul cargo in interstate commerce, and in some states intrastate commerce. It is used to track a company's safety record, inspections, crashes and audits.

V

VAN (value-added network)

A third-party service that routes, stores and tracks EDI documents between trading partners, acting as a secure mailbox for EDI. A VAN simplifies connecting to many partners but usually charges by document or data volume.Related: EDI for Carriers, ELD, EDI & Back-Office Integration

W

Weight-distance tax

A highway use tax charged by a few states, such as Kentucky, New Mexico, New York and Oregon, based on vehicle weight and miles traveled in the state. These taxes are filed separately from IFTA.Related: IFTA Without the Scramble

Y

Yard move

An ELD special driving category for moving a vehicle within a yard, terminal or other restricted area, such as repositioning trailers. Yard moves count as on-duty, not driving, time.Related: ELD, EDI & Back-Office Integration