Air Freight

Air freight refers to goods transported by aircraft. It is commonly used when shipments need to move faster than sea freight, especially for urgent, high-value or time-sensitive cargo.

Air Waybill (AWB)

An air waybill is a transport document used for air freight shipments. It includes shipment details and acts as evidence that the airline or air carrier has received the goods for transport.

Bill of Lading (B/L)

A bill of lading is one of the most important shipping documents in international trade. It acts as a receipt for the goods, evidence of the transport contract and, in some cases, a document of title.

Carrier

A carrier is the company responsible for transporting goods. Depending on the shipment, this may include an ocean carrier, airline or transport provider.

Certificate of Origin

A certificate of origin is a document that identifies where goods were produced or manufactured. It may be required for customs clearance, trade agreements or buyer requirements.

Commercial Invoice

A commercial invoice is a document issued by the seller to the buyer. It includes shipment and transaction details such as product description, quantity, value, currency, seller information and buyer information.

Consignee

The consignee is the party receiving the goods at destination. This may be the buyer, importer or another authorized receiving party.

Container

A container is a standardized unit used to transport goods, especially by sea. Common container types include 20-foot containers, 40-foot containers and refrigerated containers.

Cross-Trade Shipment

A cross-trade shipment is a shipment where goods move between two countries without passing through the country of the company managing the transaction. Trading companies often manage cross-trade shipments.

Customs Broker

A customs broker is a specialist or company that helps prepare and submit customs-related information and documents for import or export clearance.

Customs Clearance

Customs clearance is the process of getting goods approved by customs authorities before they can enter or leave a country. This usually involves submitting required documents and meeting regulatory requirements.

Delivery Order

A delivery order is a document that authorizes the release of cargo to the consignee or their appointed representative.

Demurrage

Demurrage is a charge that may apply when cargo or containers remain at a terminal longer than the allowed free time. The fee is charged by the carrier.

Detention

Detention is a charge that may apply when a container is kept outside the port or terminal beyond the allowed free time before being returned. The fee is charged by the carrier.

Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA)

Estimated time of arrival is the expected date and time a shipment, vessel, aircraft or transport movement will arrive at a destination.

Estimated Time of Departure (ETD)

Estimated time of departure is the expected date and time a shipment, vessel, aircraft or transport movement will leave its origin point.

Exporter

An exporter is a company or individual that sells and ships goods to another country.

Full Container Load (FCL)

Full container load refers to a shipment where one shipper uses the full container. It is commonly used when the shipment volume is large enough to justify a dedicated container.

Freight Forwarder

A freight forwarder is a company that helps arrange the transportation of goods. Freight forwarders may coordinate carriers, documents, bookings and other logistics activities on behalf of shippers.

HS Code

An HS code is a standardized product classification code used in international trade. It helps customs authorities identify goods for duties, taxes and trade regulations.

Importer

An importer is a company or individual that buys and receives goods from another country.

Incoterms

Incoterms are international commercial terms that define the responsibilities of buyers and sellers in a trade transaction. They help clarify who is responsible for transport, insurance, risk and cost at different stages of the shipment.

Inland Transportation

Inland transportation refers to the movement of goods within a country, usually by road or rail, before or after an international shipment.

Lead Time

Lead time is the amount of time between the start of a process and its completion. In shipment operations, it may refer to the time between placing an order and receiving the goods.

Less than Container Load (LCL)

Less than container load refers to a shipment that does not fill an entire container. The cargo is usually consolidated with other shipments inside the same container.

Letter of Credit (LC)

A letter of credit is a payment instrument issued by a bank that helps secure payment between buyer and seller under agreed trade conditions.

Logistics

Logistics refers to the planning, coordination and movement of goods from one location to another. It can include transport, documents, storage, coordination and shipment visibility.

Notice of Receipt (NOR)

Notice of receipt is used to confirm that goods or shipment-related items have been received. In Naviflow’s terminology, NOR is used as the delivery confirmation term instead of using POD for proof of delivery.

Ocean Freight (Sea Freight)

Ocean freight, also called sea freight, refers to goods transported by vessel. It is commonly used for international shipments involving larger volumes or lower urgency compared with air freight.

Packing List

A packing list is a shipping document that describes how goods are packed. It usually includes item descriptions, quantities, weights, dimensions and package counts.

Port of Discharge (POD)

Port of discharge is the port where cargo is unloaded from the vessel. In Naviflow’s terminology, POD refers to port of discharge, not proof of delivery.

Purchase Order (PO)

A purchase order is a document issued by a buyer to a supplier confirming the products, quantities, prices and terms of a purchase.

Shipper

The shipper is the party sending the goods. This is often the seller, exporter or supplier.

Shipment

A shipment is a group of goods being transported from one location to another. A shipment may involve multiple documents, milestones, suppliers and logistics partners.

Shipment Documents (Shipping Documents)

Shipment documents are the files and records needed to support international trade and transport. These may include bills of lading, air waybills, commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin and delivery documents.

Shipment Lifecycle

The shipment lifecycle refers to the full journey of a shipment from the initial purchase order or shipment request through coordination, movement, documentation and delivery confirmation.

Shipment Management

Shipment management is the process of organizing and managing shipment information, documents, milestones, communication and operational activities throughout the shipment lifecycle.

Shipment Milestone

A shipment milestone is a key event in the shipment lifecycle, such as order created, shipment booked, departed origin, arrived at destination, documents received or delivery confirmation completed.

Shipment Operations

Shipment operations refers to the day-to-day work involved in managing shipments. This can include tracking milestones, organizing documents, coordinating suppliers, following up with partners and keeping internal teams aligned.

Shipment Tracking

Shipment tracking refers to monitoring the location or status of a shipment. Tracking is important, but shipment management usually involves more than tracking alone.

Storage

Storage is a charge that may apply when cargo or containers remain at a port longer than the allowed free time. The fee is charged by the port authorities.

Supplier

A supplier is a company or individual that provides goods to a buyer. In international shipment operations, suppliers often provide product details, shipment updates and required documents.

Supply Chain

A supply chain is the network of companies, people, processes and information involved in producing, moving and delivering goods.

Telex Release

A telex release is an instruction that allows cargo to be released at destination without requiring the original bill of lading to be physically presented.

Trading Company

A trading company buys and sells goods, often coordinating shipments between suppliers and customers across different countries.

Visibility

Visibility refers to the ability to see and understand what is happening across shipments, documents, milestones and operations. In shipment management, visibility is not only about location; it also includes operational status and required actions.