Estes Express Lines Transportation Glossary

Transportation Glossary (PDF)

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D

Damage

Goods that sustain injury before, during or after transit, which can result in the shipper’s, consignee’s or carrier’s liability.

Dead Head (Dead-Heading):

A shipment from one terminal to another with no applicable freight charges. Also used to describe the return of an empty transportation container/trailer back to a terminal or facility (empty backhaul).

Declared Value (Code: "DEC"):

Documents the total dollar value of the goods being shipped by the shipper. This is necessary when the rates applied to a shipment are based on the value of the goods.

Dedicated Delivery:

See Milk Run.

Delivery Receipt (DR):

A legal document signed by the consignee and Estes that completes the contract of carriage when the freight is received.

Demurrage:

The detention of containers by the shippers or receivers of freight beyond the specified free time. See also Waiting Time.

Density Calculation:

Density of a shipment is equal to the length of the freight, times the height of the freight, times the width of the freight in inches. The product is then divided by 1,728 to convert the units to cubic feet. (12" ' 12" ' 12" = 1,728 ÷ 1,728 = 1 cubic foot.)

Department of Transportation (DOT):

The governing body concerned about any commerce that crosses state lines. Principally, this segment of the government regulates the interstate truck operations.

Direct:

The territory serviced directly by the Estes terminal network, including the four direct regions (Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest) and the Caribbean.

Direct Loading:

Loading of shipments direct from one service center to another without an intermediate stop for rehandling.

Dispatch/Dispatcher:

The scheduling and control of intercity traffic and intracity pickup and delivery; an individual tasked to assign available transportation loads to available drivers.

Disposition:

Authorized instructions given to a common carrier regarding the movement of a shipment.

Distribution:

The activities associated with the movement of material—usually finished goods or service parts—from the manufacturer to the customer. Can include the following: assembly, transportation, warehousing, inventory control, material handling, order administration, site and location analysis, industrial packaging, data processing, and the communications network necessary for effective management.

Distribution Service:

A service in which the carrier accepts one shipment from one shipper and, after transporting it as a single shipment, separates it into a number of parts at the destination and distributes them to many receivers.

Dock:

A space used for receiving merchandise at a freight terminal.

Dolly:

An auxiliary axle assembly equipped with a fifth wheel (coupling device), for the purpose of converting a semi-trailer into a full-trailer (or for hauling multiple trailers behind a single power unit). The dolly, or converter dolly, is towed by a semi-trailer and supports the front of, and tows, another semi-trailer. Also referred to as bogie.

DOT:

See Department of Transportation.

DR:

See Delivery Receipt.

Drayage:

Transporting of rail or ocean freight by truck to an intermediate or final destination; typically a charge for pickup/delivery of goods moving short distances (e.g., from marine terminal to warehouse).

Drop Trailer:

A situation where the carrier spots, or drops off a trailer at the customer’s location for loading and/or unloading of freight without the carrier’s driver being present.

Drop Trailer Agreement:

A mutual agreement in writing between the customer and Estes when a trailer is spotted for loading and/or unloading purposes.

Duty:

The tax imposed by a government on merchandise imported from another country.

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