Abbreviation

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AA - Always Afloat
AAAA - Always Accessible Always Afloat
AARA - Amsterdam-Antwerp-Rotterdam Area
ADCOM - Address Commission
AFSPS - Arrival First Sea Pilot Station(Norway)
AFFREIGHTMENT - The Hiring of a ship in whole or part
AFT - At or towards the stern or rear of a ship
AGW - All Going Well
AHL - Australian Hold Ladders
ALFA - A
ANTHAM - Antwerp-Hamburg Range
APS - Arrival Pilot Station
ARAG - Amsterdam-Rotterdam--Antwerp-Gent Range
A/S - Alongside
ATDNSHINC - Any Time Day/Night Sundays and Holidays Unincluded
ATUTC - Actual Times Used to Count
B - Bale Capacity
BAF - Bunker Adjustment Factor. A Fuel Surcharge expressed as a percentage added or subtracted from the freight amount,reflecting the movement in the market place price for bunkers.
BALLAST - Heavy weight, often sea water, necessary for the stability and safety of a ship which is not carrying cargo.
BAREBOAT CHTR - Bareboat Charter - Owners lease a specific ship and control its technical management and commercial operations only.
BBB - Before Breaking Bulk
BDAYS - Banking Days
BDI - Both Dates Inclusive
BENDS - Both Ends (Load & Discharge Ports)
BI - Both Inclusive
BIMCO - The Baltic and International Council
BL1 - Bale
BL2 - (Bill of Lading). A document signed by the carrier which acts as a Contract of Affreightment, a receipt and evidence of title to the cargo.
BOC - Bulk Oil Carrier
BRAVO - B
BRG - Barge
BOFFER - Best Offer
BROB - Bunkers Remaining on Board
BSS - basis
BSS 1 - 1/1 Basis 1 Port to 1 Port
BT - Berth Terms
BUNDLING - This is the assembly of pieces of cargo, secured into one manageable unit. This is relevant to items such as Structural Steel, Handrails, Stairways etc.Whilst this is a very flexible description, a rule of thumb is to present cargo at a size easily handled by a large (20 tonnes) fork lift truck.
BUNKERS - Name given for vessels Fuel and Diesel Oil supplies (Originates from coal bunkers)
BWAD - Brackish Water Arrival Draft
C/B - Crew Boat
CBFT - (or CFT) Cubic Feet
CFR (or C&F;) - Cost and Freight
CHOPT - Charterers Option
CHTRS - Charterers
CIF - Cost, Insurance & Freight. Seller pays all these costs to a nominated port or place of discharge.
C/B - Crew Boat
Contract of Affreightment - Owners agree to accept a cost per revenue tonne for cargo carried on a specific number of voyages.
COA - Contract of Agremeent
COACP - Contract of Affreightment Charter Party
COB - Clean On Board
COGSA - Carriage of Goods by Sea Act
COP - Custom of the Port
CUFT - Cubic Feet
CP (or C/P) - Charter
DAPS - Days all Purposes (Total days for loading & discharging)
DAMFORDET - Damages for Detention. Penalty if cargo is not ready when ship arrives for working (1st day of Laycan). This is not detention which is charged for ships time on delay. If the cargo is ready there is no DAMFORDET.
DDU - Delivered Duty unpaid.
DDP - Delivered Duty Paid.
DEM - Demurrage (Quay Rent). Money paid by the shipper for the occupying port space beyond a specified _Free Time_ period.
DERR - Derricks
DFRT - Dead Freight
DHDATSBE - Despatch Half Demurrage on All Time Saved Both Ends
DHDWTSBE - Despatch Half Demurrage on Working Time Saved Both Ends
DISCH - Discharge
DK - Deck
DLOSP - Dropping Last Outwards Sea Pilot (Norway)
DNRCAOSLONL - Discountless and Non-Returnable Cargo and/or Ship Lost or Not Lost
DOP - Drop Outward Pilot
DRAUGHT - Depth to which a ship is immersed in water. The depth (or varies according to the design of the ship and will be DRAFT) greater or lesser depending not only on the weight of the ship and everything on board, but also on the density of the water in which the ship is lying.
DUNNAGE - Materials of various types, often timber or matting, placed among the cargo for separation, and hence protection from damage, for ventilation and, in the case of certain cargoes, to provide space in which the tynes of a fork lift truck may be inserted.
DWAT (or DWT) - Deadweight. Weight of cargo, stores and water, i.e., the difference between lightship and loaded displacement.
DWCC - Dead Weight Cargo Capacity
D/N - Day and Night
EC - East Coast
EIU - Even if Used
ELVENT - Electric Ventilation
ETA - Estimated Time of Arrival
ETC - Estimated Time of Completion
ETD - Estimated Time of Departure
ETS - Estimated Time of Sailing
EXW - Ex Works
FAS - - Free Alongside Ship. Seller delivers goods to appropriate dock or terminal at port of embarkation and buyer covers costs and risks of loading.
FCA - Free to Carrier. A modern equivalent of FAS used in intermodal transport where goods are transferred at a nominated forwarder premises, depot or terminal but not actually put on board vessel.
FHEX - Fridays Holidays Excluded
FIXING - Chartering a Vessel
FLATPACKING - Cargo to be presented stacked and secured as an integral unit.
FREE DESPATCH - If loading/discharging achieved sooner than agreed, there will be no freight money returned.
FREE OUT - Free of discharge costs to owners. Includes seafreight only.
FRT - Freight
FILO - Free In/Liner Out. Seafreight with which the shipper pays load costs and the carrier pays for discharge costs.
FIO - Free In/Out. Freight booked FIO includes the seafreight, but no loading/discharging costs, i.e. the charterer pays for cost of loading/discharging cargo.
FIOS - Free In/Out Stowed. As per FIO, but includes stowage costs.
FIOST - Free In/Out and Trimmed. Charterer pays for cost of loading/discharging cargo, including stowage and trimming.
FIOT - Free In/Out and Trimmed. As per FIOS but includes trimming, e.g. the levelling of bulk cargoes
FIOS - includes seafreight, but excludes loading/discharging and stowage costs.
includes seafreight, but excludes loading/discharging and stowage costs. - Free In Trimmed
FIW - Free In Wagon
FIXING - Chartering a Vessel
FLATPACKING - Cargo to be presented stacked and secured as an integral unit.
FMC - Federal Maritime Commission
FMS - Fathoms
FO (IFO) - Fuel Oil/Intermediate FO
FOB - Free on Board. Seller sees the goods _over the ship_srail_ on to the ship which is arranged and paid for by the buyer.
FOFFER - Firm Offer
FOG - - For Our Guidance
FOQ - Free On Quay
FOR - Free On Rail
FORCE MAJEUR - Clause limiting responsibilities of the charterers,shippers and receivers of cargo.
FOT - Free On Truck
FOW1 - First Open Water
FOW2 - Free On Wharf
FREE DESPATCH - If loading/discharging achieved sooner than agreed, there will be no freight money returned.
FREE OUT - Free of discharge costs to owners. Includes seafreight only.
FWAD - Fresh Water Arrival Draft
FWDD - - Fresh Water Departure Draft
FYG - For Your Guidance
FYI - For Your Information
GA - General Average
GLS - Gearless
GNCN - Gencon (General Conditions)
GN (or GR) - Grain (capacity)
GO - Gas Oil
GRD - Geared
GRT - Gross Registed Tonnage
GSB - Good Safe Berth
GSP - Good Safe Port
GTEE - Guarantee
2H - Second Half
HA - - Hatch
HDWTS - Half Despatch Working (or Weather) Time Saved
HHDW - Handy Heavy d.w. (scrap)
HMS - Heavy Metal Scraps
HO - - Hold
HW - High Water
IMDG - International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code
IMO - International Maritime Organisation
IN&/OR OVER - IN&/OR OVER
IND - Indication
INTERMODAL - Carriage of a commodity by different modes of transport, i.e. sea, road, rail and air within a single journey.
INCOTERMS - (Refer comments in covering letter)
ITF - Complies on Crewing
IU - If Used
IUHTAUTC - If Used, Half Time Actually To Count
IWL - Institute Warranty Limits
KOS - - Kilograms
LANE METER - A method of measuring the space capacity of Ro/Ro ships whereby each unit of space (Linear Meter) is represented by an area of deck 1.0 meter in length x 2.0 meters in width.
LASH - To hold goods in position by use of Ropes, Wires, Chains or Straps etc.
LAT - Latitude
LI - Liner In
LO - Liner Out
LOA - Length Overall of the vessel
LOW - Last Open Water
LSD - Lashed Secured Dunnaged
LT - Liner Terms
LW - Low Water
LYCN - Laycan (Layday Cancelling Date)
MB - Merchant Broker
MDO (DO) - Marine Diesel Oil
MIN/MAX - Minimum/Maximum (cargo quantity)
MOLCHOPT - More or Less Charterers Option
MOLOO - More or Less Owners Option
M/T - Motor Tanker
MTS - Metric Tons
M/V - Motor Vessel
NAABSA - Not Always Afloat But Safely Aground
NCB - National Cargo Bureau
NESTING - Implies that cargo is presented stacked in the contour of similarly shaped cargo, it may be likened to a stack of plates. This is particularly relevant in the presentation of tankage strakes for transport.
NON-REVERSIBLE - (Detention). If loading completed sooner than expected, then saved days will not be added to discharge time allowed.
NOR - Notice of Readiness
NRT - Net Register Tonnage
NYPE - New York Produce Exchange
OO - Owners Option
OPT - Option
OSH - Open Shelter Deck
OWS - Owners
PASTUS - Past Us
PC - Period of Charter
PCGO - Part Cargo
PDPR - Per Day Pro Rata
PERDIEM - - By the Day
PER SE - By Itself
PHPD - Per Hatch Per Day
PRATIQUE - Licence or permission to use a port
RCVR - - Receiversl
REVERSIBLE - (Detention). If loading completed sooner than expected at load port, then days saved can be added to discharge operations.
ROB - Remaining On Board
RT - Revenue Tonne (i.e. 1.0 metric Tonne or 1.0 cubic meter, whichever greater). The overall RT is calculated on a line by line basis of the Packing List using the largest amount. The overall freight liability is calculated on the total RT amount, multiplied by the freight rate
SB - - Safe Berth
SD (or SID) - Single Decker
SEAFREIGHT - Costs charged for transporting goods over the sea. This does not cover any haulage or loading/discharging costs but the sea transport only.
SF - Stowage factor. Cubic space (measurement tonne) occupied by one tonne (2,240 lbs/1,000 kgs) of cargo.
SKIDS - Are bearers (timber or steel) positioned under cargo to enable fork lift handling at port, and for ease of rigging and lashing on board ship.
SL - Bale (capacity)
SOC - Shipper Owned Container
SOF - Statement Of Facts
SP - Safe Port
SPIDERING - Is the internal strengthening of circular tanks for transport, this prevents the tanks becoming warped. The tanks are strengthened with steel or wood crossbeams giving a _spider_ appearance.
SRBL - Signing and Releasing Bill of Lading
STABILITY - It is paramount that a vessel is stable in all respects at all times. When cargo is loaded/discharged, the stability is monitored by a computer, which takes into account the weight and position of cargo within the vessel.
SUPERCARGO - Person employed by a ship owner, shipping company, charterer of a ship or shipper of goods to supervise cargo handling operations. Often called a port captain.
Time Charter - Owners agree to hire a particular ship for
TEU - Standard Container
TTL - Total
USC - Unless Sooner Commenced
UU - Unless Used
UUIWCTAUTC - Unless Used In Which Case Time Actually Used To Count
VPD - Vessel Pays Dues
WCCON - Whether Customs Cleared Or Not
WIBON - Whether In Berth Or Not
WIFPON - Whether In Free Pratique or not
WIPON - Whether In Port Or Not
WLTOHC - P(distance) Water Line-To-Hatch Coaming
WOG - Without Guarantee
WPD - Weather Permitting Day
WWD - Weather Working Day
WRIC - Wire Rods In Coils
WWR - When, Where Ready
WWWW - Wibon, Wccon, Wifpon, Wipon
YAR - York Antwerp Rules
Z UTC - GMT