Drayage runs on abbreviations. A single email thread about one container can contain LFD, ERD, VGM, EIR, per diem, pre-pull and street turn, and none of them are explained anywhere. This glossary covers the terms that show up most in day-to-day South Florida import and export work, with links to fuller guides where we have them.

Charges and fees

Accessorial — Any charge beyond the base linehaul rate: pre-pull, storage, waiting time, chassis, hazmat and so on. Usually where the surprises live. Full guide.

Demurrage — Charged by the marine terminal for a loaded import container occupying terminal space past its free time. Compared with detention and per diem here.

Detention — Charged by the ocean carrier when you hold their equipment outside the terminal beyond free time.

Per diem — The daily equipment rental charge on a carrier-owned container or chassis. Often used interchangeably with detention.

Chassis split — A separate trip to collect a chassis from a location other than where the container is, billed as its own charge. More here.

Dry run — A trip where the driver arrives and cannot complete the move, typically because the receiver wasn’t ready or a hold hadn’t cleared. Billable.

Fuel surcharge (FSC) — A variable charge tied to a published diesel index. How it’s calculated.

Lumper fee — What a receiver charges to unload a trailer, typically paid by the driver and reimbursed.

Waiting time / driver detention — Charged after a free time allowance once a driver is on site. The highest-value line to audit on any invoice. Invoice audit checklist.

Timing

Last free day (LFD) — The final day you can pick up a container before demurrage begins. The most important date in import drayage. Explained.

Earliest receiving date (ERD) — The first day a terminal will accept your loaded export container against a booking. Export timing at PortMiami.

Cargo cutoff — The deadline for delivering an export container to the terminal for a given vessel. Miss it and you roll to the next sailing.

Free time — The days allowed before a charge begins. Terminals and ocean carriers each grant their own, and they’re not the same.

Turn time — Minutes from a truck’s gate arrival to gate departure. The number that determines how many containers a driver moves per day.

Dwell — How long a container sits at a given point in the chain.

Moves and services

Drayage — Short-distance container transport, typically between a port or rail ramp and a nearby facility. Types explained.

Pre-pull — Pulling a container off the terminal and holding it in a yard before final delivery, usually to beat the last free day. More.

Live unload — The driver waits while the container is unloaded, then departs with the empty.

Drop and hook — The driver leaves the loaded container and departs, returning later for the empty. Comparison.

Street turn — Reusing an import empty directly for an export load without returning it to a depot first. How it works in Miami.

Transloading — Moving cargo out of an ocean container into a domestic trailer. Guide.

Cross-docking — Moving freight from an inbound vehicle to an outbound one with little or no storage. Difference from transloading.

Deconsolidation — Breaking down a consolidated container into its individual shipments, done at a CFS. LCL guide.

Equipment

Chassis — The wheeled frame a container sits on for road transport. Types and fees.

Tri-axle — A three-axle chassis used to spread weight on heavy loads. Often required for overweight containers. Overweight rules in Florida.

Reefer — A refrigerated container. Cold chain basics.

Genset — The generator that powers a reefer while it’s on the road.

Flat rack / open top — Equipment for cargo that doesn’t fit a standard box. OOG drayage.

SOC / COC — Shipper-owned container vs. carrier-owned container. Comparison.

High cube (HC) — A container one foot taller than standard, usually a 40HC or 45HC. Sizes guide.

Documents and compliance

Bill of lading (BOL) — The contract of carriage and title document for the ocean move.

Delivery order (DO) — The instruction authorizing release of the container to a specific party. Pickup documents explained.

EIR — Equipment Interchange Receipt, recording equipment condition each time it changes hands. Damage claims.

ISF — Importer Security Filing, the advance data filing required for ocean imports. Timing.

VGM — Verified Gross Mass, the certified weight of a packed export container. Rules.

UIIA — The Uniform Intermodal Interchange and Facilities Access Agreement, the standard contract governing equipment interchange between carriers and motor carriers. Carrier credentials.

TWIC — Transportation Worker Identification Credential, required for unescorted access to secure port areas.

In-bond — Cargo moving under customs custody without a formal entry. Bonded drayage.

FTZ — Foreign-Trade Zone, treated as outside U.S. commerce for duty purposes. FTZ basics.

GO (General Order) — Status for cargo not cleared within the allowed period, moved to a bonded warehouse at the importer’s expense. More.

ISPM 15 — The international standard for treating wood packaging. Guide.

Places and parties

CFS — Container Freight Station, where containers are stripped and cargo sorted. Explained.

MTO — Marine Terminal Operator, the company running the terminal.

NVOCC — Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier, issuing its own bills of lading without owning ships. Working with forwarders and NVOCCs.

Asset-based 3PL — A logistics provider that owns its trucks, chassis and facilities rather than brokering the work out. Why it matters.

Off-dock yard — Container storage outside the marine terminal, at a fraction of terminal storage rates. Our Miami yard.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between demurrage and detention?

Demurrage is charged by the marine terminal for a loaded container occupying terminal space past its free time. Detention is charged by the ocean carrier for holding their equipment outside the terminal too long, most commonly an empty you haven’t returned. Two different parties, two different clocks.

What does “drayage” actually mean?

Short-distance container transport, typically between a seaport or rail ramp and a nearby warehouse, yard or facility. The word predates trucking and originally referred to hauling by dray cart. In a trade show context it means something different — moving exhibit materials within a venue.

What is a pre-pull and when should I use one?

Pulling a container off the terminal and holding it in a yard before final delivery. It’s used when your last free day is approaching but your receiving location isn’t ready, converting expensive terminal demurrage into cheaper yard storage.