Glossary of Transport & Logistics Terms

Welcome to our glossary of key freight‑transportation, logistics and road‑haulage terms. At SIA Patrius we believe clear communication is vital. This glossary helps you understand the jargon you may see when moving freight in Europe — between Latvia, Poland, the Czech Republic, and beyond.

A

Accessorial Charges – Additional charges applied when the standard transport service is extended by extra services (for example: tail‑lift loading/unloading, waiting time, inside delivery).
ADR (European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road) – A regulatory framework specifying how dangerous goods (hazardous cargo) may be transported by road in Europe.
Autonomous Trailer / AT – (Less common in our operations) A trailer unit that may have self‑moving capability or advanced features; in any case, our fleet uses standard tractor‑trailer units meeting Euro 6 standards.

B

Bill of Lading (B/L or BOL) – A legal document issued by the carrier (or transporter) listing the goods, origin, destination, and terms of carriage. It acts as a contract of carriage and receipt of goods.
Broker – A company or agent that arranges transportation between a shipper and carrier. At SIA Patrius we act directly as carrier, which may simplify your coordination.

C

Cabotage – The transport of goods between two points in the same country by a carrier registered in another country. Within the EU this is subject to rules and quotas — relevant when we do cross‑border operations.
Carrier – The company (such as SIA Patrius) which transports goods under a contract with the shipper.
Consignee – The party who receives the goods at the destination.
Consignor / Shipper – The party who sends or supplies the goods for carriage.

D

Deadhead – When a truck travels without cargo (an empty run). Reducing dead‑haul is one way we optimise cost and efficiency in our operations.
Distribution – The movement of goods from a central point (warehouse or hub) to end destinations (such as retailers). SIA Patrius offers domestic distribution services within Latvia and the Baltics.

E

ETD / ETA (Estimated Time of Departure / Arrival) – The estimated times when the shipment or vehicle will depart or arrive at a location. We provide clients with our ETAs for all shipments.
Express Transportation – A premium service for urgent shipments which need faster transit times, dedicated vehicles or priority scheduling.

F

FTL (Full Truck Load) – A shipment where one truck is dedicated to a single customer’s cargo and travels direct, without consolidation with other customers’ loads.
Freight Forwarder – A company that organizes shipments for shippers, typically consolidating cargo, arranging documentation and transport. SIA Patrius offers forwarding services as part of our 3PL portfolio.

G

GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) – The total weight of a vehicle including the cargo, fuel, driver, passengers and equipment. In road transport compliance with maximum GVW is critical for legal operation.

H

Hub & Spoke – A logistics model where a central hub processes and distributes goods to/from multiple spoke‑points. Though SIA Patrius often uses direct point‑to‑point routing, understanding this model helps when we talk distribution networks.

I

Incoterms® – International Commercial Terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) defining responsibilities of buyers and sellers for delivery, risk transfer and cost. Important when we handle cross‑border shipments.
Intermodal Transport – Use of more than one mode of transport (e.g., truck + rail + ship) for a single shipment. While our focus is road transport in Latvia/Poland/Czech corridors, understanding intermodal helps when clients’ supply chains include other modes.

L

LTL (Less‑Than‑Truck Load) – When a shipment does not fill a full truck, and the vehicle carries loads from multiple customers. A cost‑effective choice for smaller shipments.
Logistics – The overall coordination of transport, warehousing, distribution, route planning, tracking and supply‑chain management.

M

Manifest – A detailed list of all cargo items, consignors and consignees on a transport vehicle.
Multimodal Transport – Similar to intermodal, but may involve door‑to‑door carriage under one contract using multiple modes of transport.

P

Project Logistics – Transport of special, oversized, heavy or complex shipments requiring tailored vehicles, route planning, loading/unloading coordination. One of the specialist services offered by SIA Patrius.
Palletisation – The practice of placing goods on pallets (wood/enclosed platforms) to facilitate handling, transport and storage.

R

Route Optimisation – The process of planning and executing transport routes in the most efficient, cost‑ and time‑effective manner. At SIA Patrius we invest in route‑planning to serve our Latvia ↔ Poland ↔ Czech corridors.
Road Haulage – Transport of goods by road vehicles (trucks, vans) rather than sea, rail or air.

S

Supply Chain – The full network of processes, from sourcing raw materials, manufacturing, warehousing, transport, distribution to end‑customer delivery.
Tail‑Lift – A mechanical lifting platform attached to the rear of a truck or van to load/unload goods where no loading dock is available.

T

Transit Time – The time required for goods to move from the point of origin to the destination.
Truck Load (TL) – Another term for full truck load; same as FTL.
Turn‑over / Turnaround Time – The time taken for a vehicle to complete its journey, unload, and return ready for the next assignment.

V

Van (Cargo van / Box van) – A smaller goods vehicle, often used for regional distribution and smaller consignments. SIA Patrius operates vans in addition to larger tent‑trailers.
Volume Weight – A method of calculating freight charges based on parcel volume rather than actual weight, often relevant for lighter, bulky shipments.

W

Warehouse – A facility for storage of goods, often integrated with distribution services. SIA Patrius supports warehousing & distribution solutions.
Waybill – A transport document issued by the carrier giving details about the goods and journey; similar in function to a bill of lading but may lack title aspects.

How to Use This Glossary

Keep this glossary in mind when you review quotation terms, transport contracts, documentation or shipment statuses. If you encounter a term you don’t recognise — or if you’d like an explanation in our service‑context (for example: express shipments between Latvia and the Czech Republic) — please ask our team. We’re happy to help you navigate all logistics terminology with clarity.