Trucking and Freight Glossary

Plain English definitions from Hey Bubba! of the terms carriers, dispatchers and brokers use every day, grouped by where they come up.

Last updated: 5 October 2026

Operations

Deadhead: Deadhead is any distance a truck drives empty, most often between delivering one load and reaching the pickup for the next. Full definition
Headhaul: A load out of a market with more freight than trucks. It typically pays better than the return leg.
Backhaul: The return leg, usually from a market with more trucks than freight. It often pays less, and is often still worth taking to reposition the truck. When a cheap backhaul pays
Bobtail: Driving the tractor without a trailer attached.
Drop and hook: Leaving a loaded or empty trailer and taking another, rather than waiting to be loaded. Faster than live loading.
Live load / live unload: Waiting at the facility while the trailer is loaded or unloaded. This is where detention usually happens.
FCFS (First Come First Served): FCFS means a facility loads or unloads in arrival order rather than by appointment. Full definition
Lumper: A lumper is a third party worker or crew that loads or unloads a trailer at a facility, and the lumper fee is what they charge to do it. Full definition

RPM (Revenue Per Mile): RPM is revenue divided by miles driven. Full definition
CPM (Cost Per Mile): Total operating cost divided by total miles driven. The number a load has to beat. Work out yours
Linehaul: The base rate for moving the freight, before fuel surcharge and accessorials.
FSC (Fuel Surcharge): A separate charge that adjusts with diesel prices. Whether it is included in a quoted rate materially changes what the load pays.
Accessorials: Charges beyond linehaul and FSC, such as detention, layover, tarping, lumper reimbursement and extra stops.
Detention: Detention is pay owed to a carrier when a truck is held at a shipper or receiver beyond an agreed free period, commonly two hours, while waiting to load or unload. Full definition
Layover: Pay owed when a driver is held overnight because a facility cannot load or unload the same day.
QuickPay: Faster payment from a broker in exchange for a percentage fee. Compare the fee against factoring before agreeing.
Factoring: Selling unpaid invoices to a third party at a discount for immediate cash.
Net 30: Payment due 30 days after invoicing. Standard broker terms.

Bill of Lading (BOL): The Bill of Lading is the document that accompanies a shipment and serves three purposes at once: the contract of carriage between shipper and carrier, the receipt confirming what was picked up, and the document of title to the goods. Full definition
POD (Proof of Delivery): A signed BOL confirming delivery. Usually required before invoicing.
Rate Confirmation: A rate confirmation, or ratecon, is the document a broker issues confirming the agreed rate and terms for a specific load. Full definition
COI (Certificate of Insurance): Proof of coverage, required by brokers during carrier setup.
Carrier Packet: The onboarding documents a broker requires before a first load: authority, insurance, W-9 and agreements.
Scale Ticket: A weight record from a certified scale, showing gross, tare and net weight.

ELD (Electronic Logging Device): A federally mandated device that records driving hours and vehicle position automatically.
HOS (Hours of Service): Federal limits on driving and on duty time. They determine whether a driver can legally take a load.
MC Number: The Motor Carrier operating authority number issued by the FMCSA.
DOT Number: The Department of Transportation identifier for a commercial vehicle operator. Look up a carrier
FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration): The federal regulator, and the authority database brokers and carriers verify against.
IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement): Quarterly fuel tax reporting across jurisdictions.
Double Brokering: Double brokering is when a party accepts a load as a carrier and then re-brokers it to another carrier without the shipper’s or original broker’s authorization. Full definition

Dry Van: An enclosed trailer for non-perishable freight. The most common trailer type.
Reefer: A refrigerated trailer. It requires temperature monitoring and often pre-cooling.
Flatbed: An open trailer for freight that cannot be loaded through doors. It requires securement and often tarping.
Step Deck: A flatbed with a lowered rear section for taller freight.
Hazmat: Hazardous materials freight. It requires a driver endorsement, specific insurance and restricted routing.

Looking for telematics and ELD integration terms? See the telematics integration terms.

Last updated: 5 October 2026