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Understanding the language used in any industry is important for success, and the trucking industry is no different. As an owner-operator, knowing commonly used trucking terms can help you better understand the business and can mean the difference between smooth transactions and frustrating misunderstandings.
To help you, we put together a glossary of commonly used terms in the trucking industry. Keep this tool handy and use it to help you in your everyday work.
Glossary of Trucking Terms
Language you need to know as a truck driver
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Accessorials | Additional services, such as detention and lumper, that go beyond typical pickup and delivery |
| Anti Lock Braking System (ABS) | A safety system that allows the wheels on a vehicle to maintain contact with the road surface according to driver inputs while braking |
| Axle Weight | The weight on a single axle of the truck; this is regulated to prevent road damage. |
| Backhaul | Carrying cargo on a return trip—either hauling the same or different goods back over part of the same route |
| Bill of Lading (BOL) | A legal document between the shipper and the carrier detailing the type, quantity, and destination of the goods being carried |
| Blind Shipment | When the shipper and receiver are unaware of one another |
| Bobtail | Driving a semi tractor without a trailer attached |
| Bulk Freight | Goods that are not packaged, like grain or coal |
| Cab | The driver's compartment of a truck |
| Chassis | A special trailer used to transport shipping containers over the road; it has no walls or roof and is merely a frame with wheels, brakes, and necessary equipment |
| Commercial Driver's License (CDL) | The special license required in the United States, Canada and Mexico to legally operate large or specialized vehicles, such as trucks or vehicles carrying hazardous materials |
| Consignee | The person or place where a shipment is to be delivered |
| Consignor | The person or place where a shipment originates—aka: the shipper |
| Container | A standard-sized, large box used for freight shipment via different modes of transport, such as truck, rail, and sea |
| Converter Dolly | An unpowered commercial vehicle that is designed to convert a semi-trailer into a full trailer |
| Deadhead | Operating a truck without cargo between two locations |
| Dedicated Lane | A regularly scheduled route for a specific shipper; it usually involves moving freight in both directions but it can also be “backhaul back” or “deadhead back” |
| Demurrage | A fee for leaving equipment in someone else's terminal, rail yard, or port |
| Detention | A fee for holding a truck and/or driver beyond the scheduled pickup or delivery window |
| Doubles | Two trailers pulled by one tractor |
| Drayage | Transport of goods over a short distance, often as part of a longer overall journey |
| Drop and Hook | When a driver “drops” off a trailer and “hooks” to (hauls away) a different trailer |
| Dry Van | A standard, enclosed trailer, usually 53' long or 28-1/2' long |
| ELD (Electronic Logging Devices) | Devices used by drivers to automatically record driving time and hours of service |
| Factor | A financial institution that buys a shipper's or broker's accounts receivable at a discount and collects the full amount |
| FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) | The U.S. federal agency regulating the trucking industry |
| Freight Forwarder | An individual or company that acts as an intermediary between a shipper and various transportation services |
| Fuel Surcharge | An additional charge to cover the fluctuating cost of fuel. It's typically a percentage of the base rate |
| Hazmat | Short for Hazardous Materials. It refers to goods that can pose a risk to health, safety, or property during transportation |
| Hotshot Loads | Small loads that require quick delivery and can fit on a box truck, pickup truck, or trailer |
| Hours of Service (HOS) | Regulations by FMCSA that limit when and how long truck drivers may drive and dictate required rest periods |
| IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement) | An agreement among the 48 contiguous U.S. states and 10 Canadian provinces that simplifies the reporting of fuel use by motor carriers operating in multiple jurisdictions |
| Intermodal | The process of moving freight using two or more modes of transportation, typically trucks, trains, and/or ships |
| Jackknife | A dangerous scenario where a truck and its trailer fold at the connection point, resembling a folding pocket knife |
| Kingpin | A coupling pin centered on the front underside of a truck's trailer that connects the trailer to the truck's fifth wheel and provides pivoting |
| Landing gear | The legs that support the front of a semi-trailer when it's not attached to a tractor |
| Lane | A term often used to refer to a specific freight shipping route between two points |
| Less than Truckload (LTL) | A shipment that does not require the entire space of a truck. Companies that specialize in LTL make extensive use of “double” and “triple” trailer configurations |
| Linehaul | The movement of freight over the road from one location to another, excluding pickup and delivery service |
| Logbook | A record of a driver's hours of service. Formerly written on paper, logbooks are now kept electronically |
| Lowboy | A type of flat bed trailer with a lowered section in the middle, which rides lower to the ground, allowing for the transport of taller/bulkier loads |
| Lumper | A person hired to load and unload the truck, often at a warehouse or distribution center |
| Manifest | A document listing the cargo, passengers, and crew of a ship, aircraft, or vehicle, for the use of customs and other officials |
| Owner Operator (O/O) | A truck driver who owns and operates their own truck(s) or small trucking business |
| Payload | The weight of the cargo being hauled |
| Power Only | When an owner-operator or fleet provides only the tractor portion to haul someone else's trailer |
| Reefer | A refrigerated/heated trailer used for temperature-sensitive cargo |
| Roll | When a load is moved to the next day or a later time; the term can also refer to the movement of a truck from one place to another |
| Sleeper | A compartment attached to the cab where drivers can rest or sleep |
| Tandem | A set of two axles, one immediately following the other |
| TMS (Transportation Management System) | A software platform designed to streamline and optimize the planning, execution, and monitoring of transportation operations, including shipment planning, carrier selection, freight auditing, tracking, and reporting |
| TONU (Truck Order Not Used) | A fee charged when a carrier reserves a truck for a shipper, but the shipper cancels the load |
| Transload | The process of transferring a shipment from one mode of transportation to another |
| Tridem | A set of three axles, one immediately following the other (not common in US interstate commerce) |
| Triples | Three trailers pulled by one tractor |
| Yard Goat | A specialized yard truck designed to move trailers within a terminal or warehouse yard |
| Yard Jockey | Person who operates a yard truck (or hostler or “yard goat”) that moves trailers within a terminal or warehouse yard |
Armed with this glossary, you will be better equipped to navigate the trucking industry. Hopefully, this knowledge can make your day-to-day tasks smoother and your business communications more effective. Happy trucking!
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