Freight glossary
The language of the freight back office.
Plain-English answers to the terms that actually run a drayage and warehouse operation: demurrage, detention, last free day, the bills of lading, and the EDI behind them. Written by the team that automates the work, grounded in what we see in production.
Charges 4
Demurrage Guide
Demurrage is the fee an ocean carrier or terminal charges when a loaded container sits inside the terminal past its f... Read → Detention Guide
Detention is a charge for holding someone else's asset past its free time. In drayage it is the ocean carrier billing... Read → Last free day Guide
The last free day, or LFD, is the final day you can pull a loaded import container from the terminal before demurrage... Read → Per diem Guide
Per diem in shipping is the daily fee an ocean carrier charges for the use of its equipment, the container and often ... Read → Drayage & container 4
Drayage Guide
Drayage is the short-distance trucking of an ocean or rail container between a port or rail terminal and a nearby war... Read → Intermodal Guide
Intermodal freight is cargo that stays in one container or trailer while it moves across two or more modes, usually s... Read → SCAC code Guide
A SCAC, or Standard Carrier Alpha Code, is a unique two-to-four-letter code that identifies a transportation company.... Read → Transloading Guide
Transloading is moving cargo out of one container or vehicle and into another, most often unloading a 40-foot ocean c... Read → Stop paying for the terms in this glossary.
Demurrage, detention, re-keyed orders. Melrose automates the work that creates them. Book a demo.