Glossary of container shipping terms

Below are glossary of common shipping terms, which are used throughout this website.

Congestion Surcharge
Surcharge for congested port

Detention 
Container charge in case of delayed return of empty containers

Demurrage
Container charge in case of delayed take over of containers in a port

ISO container 
Freight container complying with all relevant ISO container standards in existence at the time of its manufacture.

ISO standard 
Standard compliant with the "International Organization for Standardization".

LCL Service Charge
Handling costs for less container loads

swap body 
Swap bodies are vehicle bodies that are not permanently fixed to the carrying vehicle. They are similar to containers and are locked to the carrying vehicles in the same way using twist locks. At the loading bays, the swap bodies can be stored standing on their own legs. They are suitable for use for multimodal transport by road and rail and have grappler pockets which allow them to be moved using gantry cranes.

TEU 
Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit

twist lock 
A securing mechanism for securing containers in a vertical direction; twist locks are placed between the containers and fastened in the oblong holes on the container corners.


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