Trucking Glossary
Every dispatch term, defined.
60 terms — and growing — defined in plain English by the Bonafide dispatch desk.
- Defined terms
- 60+
- A–Z buckets
- 18
- English definitions
- Plain
- Quarterly
- Updated
A
B
- Bill of Lading (BOL)A legal document issued by a shipper to a carrier that lists the type, quantity, and destination of goods being transported.
- BOC-3An FMCSA filing that designates a registered process agent in every state where a carrier or broker operates.
- BackhaulA load that takes a truck back toward its origin or home base after delivering its primary load.
C
- Cargo InsuranceCoverage that pays for damage or loss of the freight a carrier is hauling — most brokers require at least $100,000 in cargo coverage.
- Class A CDLA Commercial Driver's License required to operate any combination vehicle over 26,001 lbs with a trailer over 10,000 lbs.
- Class B CDLA Commercial Driver's License required to operate single vehicles over 26,001 lbs GVWR or to tow trailers under 10,000 lbs.
- Conestoga TrailerA flatbed trailer with a retractable tarp on rolling rails that protects freight while allowing side and overhead loading.
- Contract RateA negotiated freight rate between a shipper and a carrier or broker, typically locked for 6–12 months.
- Cost Per Mile (CPM)A carrier's total operating expenses divided by paid miles — the single most important number in trucking economics.
- CSA ScoreFMCSA's Compliance, Safety, Accountability scoring system that ranks carriers across seven BASICs (driver, vehicle, hazmat, etc.).
D
- DAT Load BoardThe largest U.S. freight load board, used by motor carriers and brokers for spot freight and lane rate data.
- DeadheadMiles driven with an empty trailer between loads, generating no revenue.
- DetentionPay owed to a carrier when a shipper or receiver holds the truck beyond the free time agreed on the rate confirmation.
- DispatchingThe function of finding, negotiating, and booking freight for a motor carrier and supporting drivers on the road.
- DOT Number (USDOT Number)A unique identifier issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation to companies operating commercial vehicles in interstate or hazmat transport.
- Drug & Alcohol ClearinghouseAn FMCSA database that tracks CDL drivers' drug and alcohol program violations.
- Dry VanThe most common enclosed trailer in U.S. freight, typically 53 feet long, used for general non-temperature-controlled freight.
- DispatcherAn employee or third-party agent who books freight and supports drivers on behalf of a motor carrier.
E
F
- Freight BrokerAn FMCSA-licensed intermediary that arranges freight between shippers and motor carriers and holds a $75,000 BMC-84 surety bond.
- Freight FactoringSelling a broker invoice to a factoring company at a small discount in exchange for same-day or next-day payment.
- Flatbed TrailerAn open trailer with no walls or roof, used for steel, lumber, building materials, and oversize freight.
- FMCSAThe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration — the U.S. agency that regulates interstate commercial motor vehicle operations.
- Fuel Surcharge (FSC)A separate per-mile charge added to a freight rate to compensate carriers for fuel price changes.
H
- HazMat EndorsementA CDL endorsement (H) authorizing a driver to haul placardable quantities of hazardous materials.
- Heavy HaulFreight that exceeds standard weight or dimension limits, requiring permits, route surveys, and often escorts.
- Hours of Service (HOS)Federal rules limiting how many hours a CDL driver may drive and remain on duty.
- Hot ShotSmaller-scale expedited freight hauled by a Class 3–5 truck (typically a dually pickup with a gooseneck trailer).
- HVUT (Form 2290)Heavy Vehicle Use Tax — an annual federal tax on vehicles operating at 55,000 lbs or more.
I
L
- LaneA specific origin-destination pair that a carrier hauls regularly, often described as 'city to city' (e.g., Atlanta to Memphis).
- LayoverCompensation paid to a carrier when a load is delayed by 24 hours or more, typically because the receiver can't unload.
- Load BoardAn online marketplace where freight brokers and shippers post available loads and carriers search and book them.
- Lowboy TrailerA drop-deck trailer with a very low deck height used for oversize and heavy machinery.
N
O
- OOIDAOwner-Operator Independent Drivers Association — the largest U.S. trade group representing small-fleet and owner-operator interests.
- OTR (Over-the-Road)Long-haul trucking, typically multi-day or multi-week trips covering multiple states.
- Owner-OperatorAn independent driver who owns or leases their own truck and operates under their own MC/DOT authority or leased to a larger carrier.
P
- Power OnlyA trucking arrangement in which the carrier supplies only the tractor and pulls a trailer owned by the shipper, broker, or another carrier.
- Primary LiabilityTrucking insurance that covers third-party bodily injury and property damage caused by a carrier's vehicle.
- PSP ReportPre-Employment Screening Program — an FMCSA-managed record of a driver's last 5 years of crash and inspection history.
R
- Rate Confirmation (Rate Con)The written agreement between a broker and a carrier that documents the freight rate, accessorials, and terms for a specific load.
- Recourse FactoringFreight factoring in which the carrier remains liable to repay the factor if a broker fails to pay.
- Reefer (Refrigerated Trailer)A temperature-controlled trailer used for produce, meat, dairy, and other perishables.
- RGN (Removable Gooseneck)A specialized trailer with a detachable front gooseneck that lets drive-on/drive-off equipment loading.
- Rate Per Mile (RPM)The price a load pays divided by the loaded miles — the standard pricing metric in U.S. trucking.
S
T
- TONU (Truck Order Not Used)A fee paid to a carrier when a load is canceled after dispatch but before pickup.
- TractorThe power unit (engine + cab) of a tractor-trailer combination, which pulls one or more trailers.
- TrailerThe cargo-carrying unit pulled by a tractor — dry van, reefer, flatbed, step deck, lowboy, etc.
- Truckstop.comA major U.S. load board, competitor to DAT, known for broker credit information and reviews.