Key Transportation Terms You Should Know

When it comes to logistics, there are a number of terms and phrases thrown around on a daily basis that (to an outsider) may sound like complete gibberish. To someone just starting out in the industry, or unsure of what exactly it is that they need to accomplish their company’s projects, the task of sorting through some of the commonly used words can be daunting. In order to give a hand to those who are not sure, we have compiled a list of some of the most common phrases in logistics that could be key to finishing their project in the best-possible way:

Full Service Logistics
Full service warehouse logistics is a complete step-by-step logistics process. It starts from pick up of the freight, includes storage of the freight, and follows through all the way until delivery of the freight at its intended consignee. Full service means you will have everything you need for an efficient and safe transportation of your freight – with no in-betweens, and no third parties.

3PL
3PL, or third-party logistics, is a term that describes a company who outsources their logistics services. They may receive direction to ensure that a shipment gets from point A, to point B – but they will outsource to figure out the best way they can make that happen. That may mean using one trucking company from point A, but another company to make the delivery to point B, as an example.

Cross Docking
Cross docking is a method of moving freight from one transporter to another without incurring storage time. Typically this is done at a warehouse with both inbound and outbound docks in which the freight can be directly moved from the inbound truck to the outbound truck, with minimal handling in between.

Container Stuffing
Container Stuffing is the process by which a shipment is loaded into an empty shipping container. When loaded, the container is sealed for transport – usually by sea vessel.

Container Destuffing
The opposite of Container Stuffing is Container Destuffing, in which a loaded shipping container is brought to a warehouse to have the cargo removed. This may be the final stop for the cargo, or it may be stored to be later loaded onto an outbound truck for delivery. If the cargo was not palletized before being loaded, this process may also include palletizing the freight prior to storage or re-loading.

For some, these phrases may be familiar and some may be unknown. For full service logistics, all of these terms come into play to ensure that your freight gets where it needs to go.