The Shipper's Glossary and First-Shipment Checklist

This is an independent educational guide, not the website of any carrier, freight forwarder, customs broker, or regulator.

aerolink-logistics.com is an independent, non-commercial field guide to freight and logistics. It explains how goods move by air, sea, road, and rail, what documents a shipment needs, how packing, labeling, and dangerous-goods rules work, and the vocabulary of the industry. It sells nothing, arranges no shipments, accepts no advertising, recommends no specific carrier or service, and has no affiliation with any named carrier, forwarder, association, or authority, or any other named organization.

Your first shipment is mostly a paperwork exercise that happens before anything moves. The terms below are the ones you will meet in quotes, booking confirmations, and customs forms. Read the glossary once, then work the checklist with your supplier or forwarder. Nothing here replaces the destination country's own rules or the advice of a licensed customs broker.

How to use this page

The glossary gives plain-language definitions of the terms you will encounter when you book, document, and clear a shipment; the checklist turns those terms into ten concrete steps you can take before pickup. Official bodies are grouped at the end so you can verify a definition against the source that actually governs it.

The glossary

Bill of lading: A contract of carriage and receipt issued by a sea carrier or its agent, listing the goods, the shipper, the consignee, and the port of loading and discharge. It also functions as a document of title when issued in negotiable form, which is why original bills are handled carefully.
Air waybill: The transport document for air freight, issued by the airline or the forwarder acting as carrier. It is non-negotiable and names the airport of departure and destination, the pieces, the weight, and the declared value for carriage.
Commercial invoice: The seller's statement of sale to the buyer, showing the parties, the goods, the quantity, the unit value, the total, and the currency. Customs uses it to determine value and duty, so it must match the packing list and the entry data.
Packing list: A document that itemizes what is inside each package, carton, or pallet, with counts, weights, and dimensions. It lets a customs officer or warehouse worker open the right box without unpacking the whole consignment.
Certificate of origin: A document declaring where the goods were produced. Some destinations require it for duty purposes, and a preferential form can lower or remove a tariff when a trade agreement applies.
HS code: A numeric classification from the Harmonized System maintained by the World Customs Organization, used worldwide to identify a product for duty and statistics. The code determines the duty rate, so a wrong code means a wrong bill.
Incoterms: Standard trade terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce that divide cost, risk, and tasks between seller and buyer. Each rule, such as FOB or DAP, fixes where delivery happens and who arranges carriage, insurance, and import clearance.
Consignee: The party named to receive the goods at destination. On an air waybill or bill of lading, the consignee is the entity the carrier is instructed to notify and release the cargo to.
Shipper of record: The party named on the transport document as the one handing the goods to the carrier. This is often the exporter or the forwarder booking on the exporter's behalf.
Importer of record: The party legally responsible for the entry into the destination country, including duty payment and compliance with import rules. It must be established in the destination country or have a registered presence there.
Customs broker: A licensed intermediary who files entry documents with customs on the importer's behalf. The broker prepares the entry, arranges duty payment, and responds to customs questions about the shipment.
Freight forwarder: A company that arranges carriage, consolidates cargo, prepares documents, and coordinates with carriers and brokers. A forwarder may act as agent for the shipper or, on some documents, as the contracting carrier.
Chargeable weight: The weight an air or parcel carrier uses for pricing, being the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight. Volumetric weight is calculated from the package dimensions using a divisor the carrier publishes.
FCL: Full container load: one shipper's cargo occupies an entire container, sealed at origin and opened at destination. The shipper controls loading and pays for the whole box.
LCL: Less than container load: cargo from several shippers is consolidated into one container. You pay for the space your goods occupy and share the container with other consignments.
FTL: Full truckload: one vehicle carries a single shipper's goods from origin to destination without intermediate handling. It suits loads that fill or nearly fill a trailer.
LTL: Less than truckload: multiple shippers' freight shares one trailer, with pickup and delivery at terminals along the route. It suits smaller consignments that do not justify a whole truck.
Drayage: The short road movement of a container between a port, terminal, or rail yard and a nearby warehouse or customer. It is a separate charge from the long-haul ocean or rail leg.
Demurrage: A charge levied by a terminal or carrier when a container stays at the terminal beyond the free time allowed. It is separate from detention, which applies when the container is held outside the terminal.
Shipper's declaration: A statement by the shipper describing the goods for dangerous-goods or customs purposes, including the proper shipping name and any hazard class. It is signed by the shipper, who is responsible for its accuracy.

The first-shipment checklist

Agree in writing who will be the importer of record before anything is booked; that party owes the duty and answers to customs.
Agree which Incoterms rule the sale uses, so both sides know who arranges carriage, insurance, and import clearance.
Classify the goods with an HS code before booking; the code drives the duty rate and the entry data.
Prepare the commercial invoice and packing list with matching data: description, quantity, value, weights, and marks.
Tell the forwarder about any batteries, liquids, or aerosols before pickup, since these may be regulated as dangerous goods.
Ask how chargeable weight was calculated on an air quote, and request the actual and volumetric figures.
Read the destination country's import guidance on the official customs site before you ship.
Insure the cargo explicitly if you want cover; do not assume the carrier or forwarder insures it for you.
Keep every document after delivery: invoice, packing list, transport document, entry, and payment receipts.
Teach one colleague one term from the glossary so the next shipment is not a one-person job.

The official sources

Air:

Sea:

Road:

Customs and trade:

Europe and post:

FAQ

Do I need a customs broker for my first shipment?

Not always, but the entry must be filed by someone authorized in the destination country. Many first-time importers use a licensed broker because the entry, duty calculation, and post-entry questions are easier to hand to a specialist.

Who is the importer of record if I buy from an overseas supplier?

Whoever is named on the entry as the importer of record is legally responsible for duty and compliance. If your supplier ships on terms that leave import clearance to you, that party is usually you or your company.

What does chargeable weight mean on an air quote?

It is the weight the carrier prices against, taken as the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight. A large, light carton can cost more than its scale weight suggests because it takes up space.

Is insurance included in the freight rate?

Usually not. Carrier liability is limited by the terms of the transport document, so if you want cover for the cargo value you should arrange insurance explicitly and keep the policy with the shipment file.