A Guide to Freight Forwarding terminology for the beginner

Understanding the terminology associated with Freight Forwarding and shipping can help if you are dealing with B2B or commercial freight. Below we look at 10 of the main terms you may come across and we explain in brief their meanings.

1. Freight Forwarder - a person or company who organise all aspects of a storage and movement of a freight shipment. A good freight forwarder will also manage all of the paperwork and give good support.

2. Freight Logistics - refers to the whole process of the movement and shipping of goods and a freight forwarder dealing with logistics will cover all aspects of the process including paperwork, customs considerations and the movement of the goods.

3. Freight Distribution - This expression crosses over with freight logistics in that this refers to the organisation of the shipment and involves organising, planning and implementing the delivery.

4. Freight Warehousing - In addition to the movement of goods, it is often necessary also to store the shipment at the start or end of the process for a variety of reasons. Freight warehousing refers to the storage of the freight as part of the logistics process.

5. RSJ International Freight- is a name synonymous with B2B and Commercial freight within the freight industry. RSJ are one the UK leaders in freight logistics, distribution and forwarding.

6. B2B Freight - simply refers to the B2B (Business to Business) aspect of the business. A lot of freight is for B2B (also sometimes referred to as Commercial Freight) business and some companies such as RSJ International specialise in this type of work.

7. Freight Tracking - refers to the process of tracking the shipment during the freight forwarding process. A good freight forwarder will be able to help you identify and track the progress of your freight.

8. Freight Containers - simply explains what a lot of freight shipments are put in. You can often rent parts of a container but by sending more freight with each shipment, you can often lower the unit costs.

9. Bulk Freight - is an expression used in the industry to explain larger shipments; shipments often used by B2B and commercial users.

10. Shipping rates - are the costs that the freight owner will pay for the overall costs. These costs can often include customs charges and any other additional costs.

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