Shipping Abbrevations

AA - Always Afloat

AAAA - Always Accessible Always Afloat

AARA - Amsterdam-Antwerp-Rotterdam Area

ABT - Aboutt

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

ANTHAM - Antwerp-Hamburg Range

APS - Arrival Pilot Station

ARAG - Amsterdam-Rotterdam--Antwerp-Ghent Range

A/S - Alongside

ATDNSHINC - Any Time Day or Night Sundays and Holidays Included

ATUTC - Actual Times Used to Count

BAF - Bunker Adjustment Factor. A Fuel Surcharge expressed as 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 carying cargo.

BAREBOAT CHTR - Bareboat Charter - Owners lease a specific ship and control its technical management and commercial operations only

BBB - Before Breaking Bulk

BDI - Both Dates Inclusive

BENDS - Both Ends (Load & Discharge Ports)

BI - Both Inclusive

BIMCO - The Baltic and International Maritime Council

BL (1) - Bale

BL (2) - (Bill of Lading) A document signed by the carrier which acts as a receipt and evidence of title to the cargo.

BM - Beam

BEAM - The maximum breadth of a ship

BOB - Bunker on Board

BOFFER - Best Offer

BROB - Bunkers Remaining on Board

BSS - Basis

BSS 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 a very flexible description, a rule of thumb is to present cargo at a size easily handled by a large (20 tonne) fork lift truck.

BUNKERS - Name given for vessels Fuel and Diesel Oil supplies (Originates from coal bunkers)

BWAD - Brackish Water Arrival Draft

CBM - Cubic Meter

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.

COA - Contract of Affreightment - Owners agree to accept a cost per revenue ton for cargo carried on a specific number of voyages.

COACP - Contract of Affreightment Charter Party

COB - Close of Business

COD - Cash On Delivery

COGSA - Carriage of Goods by Sea Act

CONS - Consumption

COP - Custom Of Port

CP (or C/P) - Charter Party

CPD - Charterers Pay Dues

CPT - Carriage Paid To

CQD - Customary Quick Despatch

CROB - Cargo Remaining on Board

CRN - Crane

CST - Centistoke

CTR - Container Fitted

CVE - Communication / Victuals / Entertainment

DAPS - Days all Purposes (Total days for loading & discharging)

DDU - Delivered Duty unpaid.

DDP - Delivered Duty Paid.

DEM - Demurrage

DESP - Despatch

DET - Detention

DHDATSBE - Despatch Half Demurrage on Actual 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)

DO - Dropping Off Last Sea Pilot (Norway)

DOP - Dropping Outward Pilot

DOT - Department of Transport

DNRSAOCLONL - Discountless and Non-Returnable Ship and/or Cargo Lost or Not Lost

DRAFT - Depth to which a ship is immersed in water. The depth varies according to the design of the ship and will be 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.

DRK - Derrick

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 forks of a lift truck may be inserted.

DWAT (or DWT) - Deadweight. Weight of cargo, stores and water, i.e. the difference between lightship and loaded displacement.

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.

FD - Free of Despatch

FDD - Freight Demurrage Deadfreight

FDIS - Free Discharge

FEU - Forty foot container equivalency unit - Standard 40'Container

FHEX - Fridays/Holidays Excluded

FHINC - Fridays/Holidays Included

FILO - Free In/Liner Out. Seafreight with which the shipper pays load costs and the carrier pays for discharge Free In/Out. Freight booked FIO includes the seafreight, but no loading/discharging costs, i.e. the charterer pays for cost of loading and discharging cargo.

FIOS - Free In/Out Stowed. As per FIO, but includes stowage costs.

FIOT - Free In/Out and Trimmed. As per FIOS but includes trimming - the leveling of bulk cargoes

FIOSLSD - Free In/Out Stowed, Lashed, Secured and Dunnaged. As per FIO, but includes cost of lashing securing and dunnaging cargo to Masters satisfaction.

FIOST - Free In/Out and Trimmed. Charterer pays for cost of loading/discharging cargo, including stowage and trimming.

FIT - Free In Trimmed

FIW - Free In Wagon

FIXING - Chartering a Vessel

FLT - Full Liner Terms - Shipowner pays to load and discharge the cargo

FMC - Federal Maritime Commission - US government agency

FMS - Fathoms - 6 feet

FO (IFO) - Fuel Oil/Intermediate FO

FOB - Free on Board. Seller sees the goods "over the ship's rail" 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 MAJEURE - Clause limiting responsibilities of the charterers, shippers and receivers due to events beyond their control.

FOT - Free On Truck

FOW (1) - First Open Water

FOW (2) - Free On Wharf

FREE OUT - Free of discharge costs to Owners

FWAD - Fresh Water Departure Draft

FYG - For Your Guidance

FYI - For Your Information

GA - General Average

GLS - Gearless

GNCN - Gencon - a standard BIMCO charter party form

GN (or GR) - Grain (capacity)

GO - Gas Oil

GRD - Geared

GRT - Gross Registered Tonnage

GSB - Good Safe Berth

GSP - Good Safe Port

GTEE - Guarantee

2H - Second Half

HA - Hatch

HDWTS - Half Despatch Working Time Saved

HMS - Heavy Metal Scrap

HO - Hold

HW - High Water

ILOHC - In Lieu of Holds Cleaning

IMDG - International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code

IMO - International Maritime Organisation

IND - Indication

INTERMODAL - Carriage of a commodity by different modes of transport, i.e. sea, road, rail and air within a single journey.

ITF - International Transport Federation - international body that regulates crewing of ships

IU - If Used

IUATUTC - If Used, Actual Time Used To Count

IUHATUTC - If Used, Half Actual Time Used To Count

IWL - Institute Warranty Limits

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 (1) - To hold goods in position by use of Ropes, Wires, Chains or Straps etc.

LASH (2) - Lighter Aboard Ship - a vessel that loads small barges direct from the water

LAT - Latitude

LOA - Length Overall of the vessel

LOW - Last Open Water

LS (or LUMPS) - Lumpsum

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

MT - Metric Tonne (i.e. 1,000 kilos / 2204.6lbs)

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.

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 Registered Tonnage

NYPE - New York Produce Exchange

OO - Owners Option

OSH - Open Shelter Deck

OWS - Owners

PASTUS - Past Us

PC - Period of Charter

PCGO - Part Cargo

PCT - Percent

PDPR - Per Day Pro Rata

PERDIEM - Per Diem - By the Day

PHPD - Per Hatch Per Day

PRATIQUE - License or permission to use a port

RCVR - Receivers

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.

SATPM - Saturday P.M.

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.

SELFD - Self Discharging

SF - Stowage factor. Cubic space occupied by one ton (2,240 lbs/1,000 kgs) of cargo.

SHINC - Sundays/Holidays Included

SHEX - Sundays/Holidays Excluded

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

SRBL - Signing and Releasing Bill of Lading

SSHEX (or SATSHEX) - Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays Excluded

SSHINC (or SATSHINC) - Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays Included

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.

STARBOARD - Subject To Enough Merchandise (Availability of Cargo)

STERN - The aft part of a ship

SUB - Subject (to)

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.

SWAD - Salt Water Arrival Draft

SWDD - Salt Water Departure Draft