ACTUAL WEIGHT ­ Shipping weight determined by weighing the vehicle empty (known as TARE WEIGHT), loading the shipment and returning to the scale to obtain the GROSS WEIGHT and subtracting the two weights to find the ACTUAL WEIGHT of the shipment.

ADVANCE WAREHOUSE ­ A freight warehouse managed by the General Contractor or designated official motor freight carrier where an exhibitor may store their crated and palletized exhibit materials at no cost for approximately 30 days before a show.

AIR EXPRESS ­ Expedited air freight, usually referring to overnight air. This is the most expensive mode of air freight.

AIR FREIGHT ­ Materials that need to be shipped quickly to the next destination, which are usually shipped by air. In the situation of cities in close proximity, freight may be sent by expedited truck.

AIR-RIDE SUSPENSION ­ Special suspension on trailers to absorb shock and protect exhibits during shipping, made possible by two to four air bags located at the rear axle.

AIR WAYBILL ­ A document used by an air freight company to transport an air shipment. Also known as an AIRBILL.

BANDING ­ A system for securing materials onto a pallet, using a strong steel or composite strap and metal clips.

BILL OF LADING (B/L) ­ A document that establishes the terms of a contract between a shipper and a transportation company under which freight is to be moved between specified points for a specified charge. It serves as a document of title, a contract of carriage, and a receipt of goods and is the single most important document in the shipping process. Also known as a MATERIAL HANDLING FORM.

BLANKET WRAP ­ Uncrated goods covered with shipping pads or other protective padding and shipped via van line. Also called PAD WRAP.

CARRIER ­ A transportation line moving freight, usually a van line, common carrier, or airplane.

CLEAN BILL OF LADING ­ A receipt for goods issued by a carrier with an indication that the goods were received in apparent good order and condition, without damages or shortages, or other irregularities; compare with a FOUL BILL OF LADING.

COMMON CARRIER ­ A shipper which transports crated, cased or skidded materials and consolidates freight of more than one customer into one shipment headed for a particular location. Also known as a MOTOR FREIGHT CARRIER.

CONSIGNEE ­ Person to whom good are shipped; the receiver.

CONSIGNOR ­ Person who ships the goods; the shipper.

CONSOLIDATE ­ To ship to a central depot or terminal where several loads bound for the same destination are put together before being shipped to that destination. Common carriers consolidate shipments at terminals.

CRATE ­ A container, usually constructed of wood, which is used to protect exhibits during shipping.

CROSS-DOCKING ­ Unloading and reloading of freight at a freight terminal or warehouse.

CUBIC CONTENT ­ A measurement used in determining shipping costs for van lines.

CUBIC FOOT ­ A cubic foot equals 1728 inches (12" x 12" x 12") and is used in computing the cost of exhibit transportation and storage.

CWT ­ Hundred weight. A weight measurement for computing drayage (material handling) and exhibit freight equaling 100 pounds. (C is the Roman numeral for 100.) CWT is always rounded up to the next even 100 pounds.

DECLARED VALUE ­ Shipper's stated value of the entire contents of a shipment in dollars.

DEFERRED AIR FREIGHT ­ Air freight that waits until cargo space is available (usually 3-5 days) at a reduced rate.

DIMENSIONAL WEIGHT (DIM. WT.) ­ Dimensional weight used in computing the cost of domestic air freight shipments; the formula for computing Dimensional Weight is the length in inches multiplied by the width in inches multiplied by the height in inches divided by a divisor that varies by air freight companies, usually between 175 and 194.

DISPATCHER ­ The person a trucker checks in with when he/she arrives at a particular destination.

DOCK ­ A place where freight is loaded onto and taken from vehicles.

DRAYAGE ­ Delivery of exhibit materials to assigned space, removing empty crates, returning crates at the end of the show for re-crating and delivering materials for carrier loading. Also known as MATERIAL HANDLING.

DRAYAGE CONTRACTOR ­ Company responsible for handling exhibit properties on show site, generally the same as the General Contractor.

DRAYAGE FORM ­ Form filled out by an exhibitor requesting material handling services.

EXCLUSIVE USE ­ Rental of an entire truck or van by one shipper.

EXHIBITION FLOATER POLICY ­ An insurance policy that covers exhibit properties both in transit and while at the show, also known as an ALL-RISK POLICY or DOOR-TO-DOOR POLICY.

FORCED FREIGHT or FORCING THE FLOOR ­ Removal of freight from the show floor which was not picked up by an exhibitor's carrier, or shipments left behind at the booth at the close of the show without a Bill of Lading. Forced freight is generally removed from the hall at a specified time and held by the General Contractor or Official Common Carrier or until payment is made for forwarding. Also known as FREIGHT RECOVERY.

FORKLIFT, FORKTRUCK ­ Vehicle used to transport load, unload, and transport heavy exhibit materials short distances. Also called a TOW MOTOR.

FOUL BILL OF LADING ­ A receipt for goods issued by a carrier with an indication that the goods were damaged when received or that the quantity shipped was not the same quantity received; compare to CLEAN BILL OF LADING.

FREIGHT ­ Exhibit properties, products and other materials shipped for an exhibit.

FREIGHT DESK ­ At a show, the central communications center that handles inbound and outbound exhibit materials, usually from the dock area.

GENERAL CONTRACTOR ­ Show management's appointed company providing services to a trade show and/or its exhibitors. The General Contractor controls the advance warehouse, the marshaling yard, and the loading docks.

GROSS WEIGHT ­ The total weight of a truck with cargo loaded on it.

LESS THAN TRUCKLOAD (LTL) ­ A rates schedule applicable when the quantity of freight is less than the volume of truckload minimum weight.

LIABILITY ­ A legal term referring to responsibility for damages or injuries.

LOADING DOCK ­ An area within an exposition facility where freight is received and shipped.

MARSHALING YARD ­ An area designated near the exposition facility where trucks carrying freight check in and are staged for unloading or loading for a show.

MATERIAL HANDLING ­ See DRAYAGE.

OFFICIAL CARRIER ­ Carrier designated by the Show Manager or General Contractor to be on-site for the inbound and outbound shipments of a show. Use of these carriers is recommended by the General Contractor but not required. Medium to large shows may have one van line, one common carrier, and one air freight carrier designated for the show.
Placing orders onsite with the official carrier at a show will result in non-discounted rates, often up to double.

PACKING LIST ­ A document prepared by a shipper itemizing contents of a shipment.

PAD WRAP ­ See BLANKET WRAP.

PALLET ­ A low wooden frame used to support heavy objects or groups of materials for easier handling. Usually used as a platform for objects moved by forklift. Also called a SKID.

POV ­ Personally operated vehicle. A van or truck, driven by the exhibitor or company staff, carrying exhibit materials direct to the show site.

PRO-NUMBER ­ A progressive numbering system used by a carrier for tracking, billing, and identifying freight. Also called a TRACKING NUMBER.

RELEASED VALUE ­ The stated value of a shipment when released to a carrier.

SHIPPER ­ Company or individual whose goods are being shipped.

SHRINK WRAP ­ A process used to secure materials to a pallet using plastic wrap. Shrink wrap comes in various colors, but black is preferable for security purposes. The term "shrink wrap" is a common industry misnomer, as its correct name is "STRETCH WRAP".

SKID ­ A wood runner protecting the exterior of a shipping case.

SPECIAL HANDLING ­ Applies to display shipments requiring extra labor, equipment, or time in delivery to booth area; a material handling surcharge for this service generally applies. Most services other than common carrier incur special handling charges.

SPLIT PICK-UP/DELIVERY ­ Pick-up or delivery of multiple shipments at more than one place of business.

TARE WEIGHT ­ Empty weight of the vehicle prior to loading the shipment.

TARGET DATE ­ A specific date and/or time set by Show Management to systematically unload freight at show site. Missing this time may result in financial penalties and having your freight brought into the hall after everyone else's. Freight is generally unloaded for the largest exhibits and those furthest from the freight doors to avoid congestion. Also known as a TARGETED INBOUND.

TARIFF ­ A schedule of published rates and charges on file with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) or Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Also referred to as a SCHEDULE OF RATES.

TARIFF RATES ­ Shipping charges for various types of cargo.

TERMINAL ­ Freight handling or dock area.

TOW MOTOR ­ See FORKLIFT.

TRIP TRANSIT INSURANCE ­ Coverage which insures your shipment traveling to and from a show, but not after it is unloaded from the carrier.

TRUCKLOAD (TL) ­ A rate schedule based on a shipment which fills a truck.

VALUATION ­ The value automatically placed on your shipment by your transportation carrier, usually expressed in cents per pound per article.

VAN LINE ­ A carrier that specializes in shipping uncrated exhibits, high-tech equipment and delicate materials that require special handling.

WEIGHT SLIP ­ A document showing the weight of a shipment, secured by the transportation company and given to the freight supervisor at show check-in, on which each exhibitor's drayage costs are based, rounded up to the next hundredweight.

Glossary© reprinted courtesy of Trade Show Consulting, 2003 www.boothmom.com