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Moving Glossary 
Globe Moving 

Mastering the Language of Moving: A Comprehensive Dictionary of Moving Terms

Asset 2 1

Term/acronym

Definition

Accessorial services

Supplemental or special service provided in addition to the standard contracted service.

Actual Cash value

Value of goods after depreciation is taken into account

Agent overseas

Usually another moving company appointed to act as a partner in your move. The most likely situation is that your mover will appoint someone at destination to receive your shipment, clear it through Customs and arrange final delivery

Arrears

Unpaid debts

Average

Any loss or damage due to insured perils that is less than total loss. Two types of average occur: Particular Average and General Average

AWB

The Air-Way Bill is the most important document in airfreight transportation. It serves as a contract for carriage and shows all relevant information about the shipment, the shipper and the consignee.

This is a non-negotiable instrument of air transport, which serves as a receipt for the shipper, indicating the carrier has accepted the goods listed and is obligated to carry the consignment to the airport of destination according to specific instructions.

BAF

Abbreviation that stands for “Bunker Adjustment Factor”. Used to compensate steamship lines for fluctuating fuel costs. Sometimes called Fuel Adjustment Factor or FAF

Bill of Lading

This is your contract with the carrier. It is your receipt for your goods and the contract for their transportation. Your signature on this document acknowledges that your goods have been loaded on the moving van and “released to the carrier”.

The document issued on behalf of the carrier describing the kind and quantity of goods being shipped, the shipper, the consignee, the ports of loading and discharge and the carrying vessel. It serves as a document of title, a contract of carriage, and a receipt for goods.

Bonded Warehouse

A warehouse that meets with local customs specifications, and allows shipments to be stored pending clearance by Customs. A building authorized by Customs authorities for the storage of goods on which payment of duties are deferred until the goods are removed

Booker or Booking Agent

Intercontinental mover responsible for booking, coordinating and managing the shipment. The term ‘booker’ is used once the agent has been officially contracted for the move for above purposes. Before that stage, the term ‘requesting agent’ is normally used

Bulkhead

Upright wall that separates and stabilizes a load

BCAF

Abbreviation that stands for “Currency Adjustment Factor”. A charge, expressed as a percentage of a base rate that is applied to compensate ocean carriers for currency fluctuations

Chargeable Weight

The weight used for tariffication to determine the freight charge.
 

COD

Cash-On-Delivery, where the payment is made upon the delivery of the goods.

In the FIDI Professional Cooperation Guidelines for International Mover (the PCGs), the expressions ‘COD’ and ‘Deliver against payment’ shall have the same meaning as ‘Collect before delivery’. In this connection, ‘COD’ does not have the same meaning as ‘Cash on Delivery’ or ‘Private Account Shipment’.

Consignee

The person/the company to whom the shipment is to be delivered.

Consolidation Freight

Shipment booked with an airfreight forwarder or consolidator. Consignment is carried on a House Airwaybill (HAWB) issued by the consolidator. Carrier issues one Master Airwaybill (MAWB) to the consolidator for the whole consolidation.

Consolidator

A company or person that will collect less than container load (LCL) shipments from moving companies and ship them to destination once a full container load (FCL) has been obtained.

Constructed net weight

A constructed net weight is calculated by multiplying the estimated volume in cubic feet by a density factor (for example 6.5 or 7 lbs per cu.ft.) to arrive at a net weight to be used in rate calculations.

Container

A modular steel box that is designed to hold goods during transport on sea and land. The term ‘container’ is a synonym to the terms ‘consignment’, ‘vehicle case, liftvan, case’.

Contract

Document that specifies liability between booker, client and third parties involved in a move.

Contractual Liability Insurance

This is an insurance, also known as cargo liability or goods in transit insurance, taken out by the remover, to protect his liabilities of loss or damage to transferees’ goods, legal costs, consequential loss, and errors and omissions.

Corporate account

The organization or company that finally pays for the whole move, usually the employer of the transferee.

Crate

A timber, wooden case for an overseas shipment (often referred to as a liftvan).

Customs

Legal body in charge of formal inspection of goods before allowing a shipment into a country.

Customs Clearance

Formal inspection procedures carried out before allowing a shipment into a country. Normal Customs clearance’ is the standard formalities applicable in the destination country for clearing of used household and personal effects (belongings), and used private automobiles, for account of a private person, based on a Transfer of Normal Residence.

CWT

Abbreviation that stands for the rate or charge per 100 pounds. Legal body in charge of formal inspection of goods before allowing a shipment into a country.

Declared Value

Value the owner declares its goods to be for the purpose of insurance. This will form the basis of your insurance cover and it is important that it reflects the value of your belongings.

Deconsolidator

A company or person that will receive the consolidated shipment at destination port and break up the consolidated shipment back into individual shipments.

Demurrage charges

Demurrage charges are charged by the customs warehouse stations when the goods are stored and not cleared within the specified time i.e., these are the charges for excess period of storage of goods.

Density Factor

Density is the ratio between weight and volume. The cost of a shipment (by air or sea) is affected by the volume AND the weight of the shipment. The density factor is used to calculate air and sea shipment freight costs.

Destination agent

The moving firm instructed by the booker to carry out the services at destination.

Destination agent

The moving firm instructed by the booker to carry out the services at destination.

Detention charges

Charge levied by a shipping line to the consignee from the time the full container is released till the time the empty container is returned to a container depot nominated by the shipping line.

Door-to-Door shipment

Transporting the shipper’s goods from their residence at origin to their residence at destination. This type of move will increase the degree of control you have over the move and subsequently minimize claims.

Door-to-Port shipment

Transporting the shipper’s goods from their residence at origin until the port at destination. This tends to happen if the shipper has decided to arrange transport with a destination agent of their choice from the destination port, and tends to be done by a shipper when they want to save money.

Dunnage

Term used to describe packaging components like bubble wrap, kraft paper, crinkle paper, plastic bracing, fillers, planks, blocks, and boards, dunnage helps secure and support packages throughout the shipping and handling process.

Enquiry Form

Document containing all information gathered over the phone on the transferee or the corporate account.

Export

Shipping of goods outside country borders.

Export Wrapping

Method of packing household goods and personal effects for transportation overseas. Usually involves heavier and more specialist materials.

Extended Liability Insurance

Contractual liability insurance, also known as cargo liability or goods in transit insurance. It is taken out by the mover to protect his liabilities of loss or damage (to transferees goods) including general average and salvage charges.

FAIM

FIDI Accredited International Mover

FAIM Standards

Criteria to become a FIDI Accredited International Mover

FCL

FCL stands for Full Container Load. One container contains one consignee’s cargo. A FCL shipment has specified move dates as agreed with your mover.

FIDI Association

The FIDI Global Alliance covers over 100 countries worldwide represented by 27 FIDI Associations. A FIDI Association is an association of moving companies, or a distinct section of such an association, which is recognized by FIDI as representing the views and interests of FIDI companies in a particular country or region. FIDI recognizes its associations by their FIDI names.

FIDI Moving company

The FIDI alliance comprises over 600 international removal companies, all accredited by the FIDI Accredited International Mover standard (FAIM).

First Enquiry

First request for information from a transferee or a corporate account to a moving company.

First Upper Floor

Ground floor plus one floor.

Freight transport services

Freight service performed by the origin agent at the request of the booker. This encompasses modes of transport, routing and selection of the freight transport carrier. Not to confuse with the term ‘transportation’ often referring to the transportation of the goods by truck from the warehouse to residence.

Groupage

Groupage means filling a container with shipments that are less than container load (LCL). The entire container is filled by your own shipments but can contain several transferee’s small shipments and as such you act as a consolidator.

HAWB

HAWB stands for “House Airway Bill”.

International air waybills that contain consolidated cargo are called master air waybills (MAWB).

MAWBs have additional papers called house air waybills (HAWB). Each HAWB contains information of each individual shipment (consignee, contents, etc.) within the consolidation.

International AWBs that are not consolidated (only one shipment in one bill) are called simple AWBs.

A house air waybill can also be created by a freight forwarder. When the shipment is booked, the airline issues a MAWB to the forwarder, who in turn issues their own house air waybill to the customer.

HAWB

Abbreviation for Household goods – typically transferee’s private belongings to be moved.

Inbound shipment

Import of household goods.

Insurance

Contractual relationship that exists when one party agrees to reimburse another for loss caused by designate contingencies.

Insurance certificate

The official insurance document given to you by the insurance company. You will need this in the event of a claim.

International Move

A move across national borders.

Inventory

A list of your belongings to be moved or a list of your belongings in transit or in storage.

LCL

LCL stands for Less than Container Load.

When a shipment is not large enough to fill one full size shipping container, it is packed in liftvans or wooden crates and loaded in a ISO container. So, multiple shippers will share the container.

Lien

The right to keep possession of property belonging to another person until a debt owed by that person is discharged.

Liftvan

A crate used in the packing of your belongings.

Marine Insurance

Insurance specifically to cover your belongings whilst in transit over long distances and/or across water by vehicle, ship or aircraft. The policy will cover specific marine risks.

Marine/Transit/Cargo Insurance including general average and salvage charges. This is insurance arranged on behalf of (or by) the owner/shipper of the goods for his/her consignment during removal handling, whilst in-transit and delivery, including during professional in-transit storage.

MAWB (Master Airway Bill)

MAWB stands for “Master Airway Bill” – International air waybills that contain consolidated cargo are called master air waybills (MAWB).

Each HAWB contains information of each individual shipment (consignee, contents, etc.) within the consolidation.

MAWBs have additional papers called house air waybills (HAWB).

International AWBs that are not consolidated (only one shipment in one bill) are called simple AWBs. A house air waybill can also be created by a freight forwarder. When the shipment is booked, the airline issues a MAWB to the forwarder, who in turn issues their own house air waybill to the customer.

Multimodal shipment

A shipment by means of different types of transportation. (Sea/Air, Sea/Road, Air/Rail, etc.)

NVOCC

Stands for non-vessel operating common carrier. A shipment consolidator or freight forwarder who does not own any vessel, but functions as a carrier by issuing its own bills of lading or air waybills and assuming responsibility for the shipments.

Origin agent

The moving or shipping company instructed by the booker to handle the move/carry out the services at origin.

Outbound shipment

Export of household goods.

Outlay

Cost, charge, fee, disbursement, expenditure.

Overflow

Unexpected additional quantity of transferee’s goods which cannot be stowed into the applicable shipping container(s) because the total consignment volume exceeds the capacity of the shipping container, resulting in a surplus (overflow) of goods.

Packer

Person in charge of packing, wrapping, loading the goods at origin and unpacking, unwrapping and unloading the goods at destination.

Packing List

This document lists all the goods that are packed in a shipment and has 4 main purposes:

It is used to check the goods at all stages of handling; as a receipt, therefore the importance for the customer of signing for agreement when the goods are collected and unpacked; as an attachment to the insurance certificate as it is the evidence that the goods were shipped and their conditions at the time of packing; for customs clearance as proof of the goods which are being imported.

PBO

Abbreviation that stands for “Packed by owner”. When you choose to pack your belongings yourself, either into cartons supplied by the mover or into your own boxes. Insurance companies often refuse to insure goods packed by their owners. Person in charge of packing, wrapping, loading the goods at origin and unpacking, unwrapping and unloading the goods at destination.

Perm

Stands for Permanent Storage. It is defined as storage of goods for a longer or unspecified period of time.
 

Planning the Move

Action to find the ideal routing for shipping household goods considering time and costs constraints.

Planning the Move

Action to find the ideal routing for shipping household goods considering time and costs constraints.

Port-to-Door shipment

Transporting the shipper’s goods from a port to destination residence. This is quite unusual; these moves are mostly taken care of by national companies contracted for a particular international move. Person in charge of packing, wrapping, loading the goods at origin and unpacking, unwrapping and unloading the goods at destination.

Port-to-Port shipment

Transporting the shipper’s goods from the origin port to the destination port. Generally, these types of moves are booked directly with a forwarder.

Pre-move survey

Survey organized by the moving company at client/transferee’s house to assess the volume or weight of the goods to be moved in order to provide an accurate quote for the move.

Public Liability Insurance

Insurance taken out by the remover to protect his liabilities for claims by a transferee (or third-party) awarded against him because of loss or damage to property, or injury caused by the remover.

Quotation

Detailed written proposal of the moving service and price offer, drawn up and signed by the service provider.

Relocation company

Company that is specialized in taking care of the transferees and provide one or several services like: moving, destination services, school search, home search. Area of activities and services are much broader than just the moving aspect.

Replacement Value

Value of goods equal to the replacement cost at destination.

Ro-Ro

The acronym meaning Roll on/Roll off. Method of sea transportation typically for cars.

Shipper

The person or company who is usually the supplier or owner of the commodities being shipped. Also known as the consignor.

SIT

Abbreviation that stands for “Storage in Transit”. Temporary storage of your household goods in the warehouse of the moving company, pending further transportation.

Survey Form

Standard document issued by the moving company where during the pre-move survey visit, the surveyor note down all the details that will enable the booker to make a cost estimate and later on a firm quotation.

Surveyor

The employee responsible for doing the pre-move survey at client house.

THC

Stands for Terminal Handling Charges. The crane-costs of lifting the container from the truck onto the ship.

Transferee

The person being relocated or assigned to work in another country.

Transit Time

Time it takes to get goods from point A to point B. In the moving industry, this usually includes the packing and unpacking.

W/M

Abbreviation that stands for “weight” or “measurement”.

Warehouse

The building used to store the goods (in transit, short term storage, long term storage).