.svg)
.png)
Glossary of Terms
Area Service Manager (ASM) — Responsible for truck freight assignment.
Accessorial Charges — Additional charges to a load that are not included in the line haul charges. Charges published on a rules tariff or in the customer’s contract (Examples: detention, driver loading and unloading, reconsignments, TONU, etc.).
Alpha Code — A combination of letters and/or numbers from the driver’s last and first name that are used to identify the driver in the computer.
B-Service — General tractor maintenance given every 32,000 miles.
Backhaul — Carrying freight on a truck’s return journey, reducing empty or unpaid miles.
Balance — Amount of inbound freight matches and the amount of outbound freight for a marketing area or rail ramp location.
Bill of Lading — A legal document of the consignment stating how the freight is billed. Description, count and weight of product are required. Bill must be signed by the driver and receiver.
Bobtail — Power (tractor) unit only with no trailer.
Broker — A person or office who arranged transportation companies and consignments together for a percentage of the rate.
Cabover — A semi-tractor with a flat face or front. The driver is seated over the engine.
Capacity — The difference between the number of units and number of loads within a specific area.
Cartage Company — A company used to store and/or deliver freight in a limited geographical area.
Chain Bank — A location, usually a truck stop, that holds and distributes chains for chain-restricted roads during winter months.
Chassis — A metal frame with wheels that supports the container.
Check Call — Updates provided to the Fleet Manager to confirm current location as well as information about problems, issues, or clarifications regarding present dispatch.
Claims — A written document from a customer, employee, or third party alleging discrepancies or injuries that are either money-related, job-related, or commodity-related.
COD — Collect on delivery; collecting and remitting checks to J.B. Hunt corporate office for amount of freight charges. The van group does not practice COD for freight charges.
Collisions — Vehicular happenings that result from carelessness, unawareness, ignorance, or a combination of cause.
Commodity — The product being shipped.
Consignee — Receiver; the final party receiving freight.
Consignment — The act of delivering goods or merchandise; includes consignee, consignor, and commodity information.
Consignor — Shipper; the original party shipping the freight.
Container — It is a stackable box that sits on a chassis or on a rail car.
Contract Rate — Special rate for shipment agreed upon by both the shipper and J.B. Hunt. It is bound by a legal document and is not subject to ICC regulations.
Conventional — A semi-tractor with a cab seated behind the engine. They are often referred to as a “hood” or “long-nosed” tractor.
Crew Class — A rating used to determine the mileage and performance capabilities of a single driver or team combinations. It is calculated by the computer, based on the drivers’ past month’s performance.
Customer Code — A combination of letters and/or numbers used to identify the customer in the computer.
Customer Experience Representative (CER) — J.B. Hunt employee responsible for all daily communication with the customer, including order solicitation, order entry, setting all original pick-up and delivery appointments, order tracing, and other customer service duties.
Distribution Center — A large storage warehouse that sometimes consolidates freight and ships it out to the other distribution centers or stores.
D-Rings — Half circle rings attached to the inside walls of trailer/container used for bracing loads with the aid of nylon strapping.
Deadhead — The empty miles that occur when a truck drives without carrying a customer’s load.
Dedicated Contract Services (DCS) — Asset-based segment of J.B. Hunt where our employees and equipment are dedicated to a specific customer’s supply chain, handling all transportation needs.
Dedicated Fleet Provider — A transportation company that manages every aspect of fleet management, also referenced as outsourcing or outsourced provider.
Dedicated Lane — A transport lane designed to simplify and speed the pick-up and delivery for either a shipper or receiver.
Delivery Appointment — When the data and time shipment is scheduled to be deliver to a receiver.
Detention — When a J.B. Hunt driver or equipment is held by a customer beyond the agreed amount of time, the customer is subject to charges for lost utilization.
Dispatch — The act of sending a driver from one place to another on J.B. Hunt business. Load information is given to the driver.
Dock — A platform for loading and unloading trucks or railway freight cars.
Domicile — Location where a piece of equipment is based for driver management. This location also includes the driver’s time off, equipment maintenance, safety information, etc. The domicile is usually at the terminal closest to the driver’s place of residence.
DOT — Department of Transportation; the DOT regulates safety regulations for interstate drivers and equipment through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
Drayage — Transportation of goods over a short distance, typically part of a longer intermodal journey that occurs off the rail.
Driver Alpha Code — The combination of letter and/or numbers from the driver’s last and first name that are used to identify the driver in the computer.
Driver Count — When the shipment is being loaded or unloaded, the driver counts the number of pieces contained in the shipment.
Driver Load — Freight loading; service provided by the driver at an additional cost to the customer.
Driver Unload — Freight unloading; service provided by the driver at an additional cost to the customer.
Drop & Hook — Disconnecting the trailer that is attached to the tractor and adding cost to the customer.
Drop Yard — A lot used to drop loaded and/or empty trailers for future delivery or use. Supervision may or may not be present. If the yard is not supervised, it is considered an unmanned yard.
Dry Freight — Freight other than produce and refrigerated product.
E-Call — Empty Call; time and information entered related to the completion of the final delivery on a load, including pieces, weight, bill lading number, who signed for the product, etc.
EDI — Electronic Data Interchange; an information system used to transfer and exchange data between J.B. Hunt, its customers, and rail partners.
ELT — Electronic Load Tendering; part of the EDI system, used by customers to tender loads to J.B. Hunt
ETA — Estimated Time of Availability (empty time); using the hours available of the driver before he needs to complete his 8-hour break and status code and confirm the load assignment ETA.
FTAP — Flexible Truck Assignment Program (slip seat); when a driver removes his gear from the truck during time off or changing trucks to maximize utilization of equipment/manpower.
Fifth Wheel — The pieces of equipment/coupler on the tractor that secures the trailer to the tractor.
Final Mile — Service offering within DCS that conducts last mile, or final mile, deliveries to the end consumer, often inside the home and require assembly or installation.
Fingerprinting — Driver load or unload. When the driver touches every piece of commodity during the loading and/or unloading process.
Flat Car — Rail car that supports one or two containers for intermodal transit and used in place of a chassis.
Flatbed Trailer — A platform trailer without permanent sides and top. This is normally used to haul building materials.
Fleet Manager — J.B. Hunt employee responsible for the coordination and performance of a specific group of drivers. Supervises drivers and reports to the Operations Manager.
Fourth-party Logistics (4PL) — A company that manages the movement of freight using company-owned assets and third-party service providers.
Freight — Cargo that is being shipped.
Freight Class Code — A standardized code system created by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) that applies to all types of commodities and is used to set shipping rates. Commodities are grouped into 18 freight classes based on density, freight stowability, ease of handling, and liability.
General Commodities — General commodities include raw materials and finished goods. J.B. Hunt is allowed by the Interstate Commerce Commission to transport all commodities, other than commodities that J.B. Hunt chooses not to haul.
Glad Hand — The coupling device that connects the airlines from the tractor to the trailer.
Head-haul Market — High outbound freight volume areas. These are top destinations to target when soliciting freight from customers.
Household Goods Carrier Guide — Lists the ICC approved mileage from city to city in the United States. This is the mileage guide that J.B. Hunt uses in the evaluation of mileage.
ICC — Interstate Commerce Commission; Federal agency established by Congress to regulate all pricing of motor carriers.
Incident — Vehicular happening (non-accident related) resulting from carelessness, unawareness, ignorance, or a combination of cause, usually costing no more than $100 in damages.
Intermodal Load — Load that is going to be put on the railroad at some point during transit to its destination.
Interstate Carrier — A motor carrier that can transport freight from one state to another.
Intrastate Carrier — A carrier that is restricted to transportation of freight within state boundaries.
Irregular Route Carrier — A carrier that transports freight without set routes.
JOLT — J.B. Hunt on Line Road Tendering System; customers send load information via the internet vs. from a phone call or fax.
Lane — A term referring to a specific origin/destination (O/D) pair, such as Dallas – Chicago or Los Angeles – New York.
L-Call — Load call at a shipping facility.
Live Load/Unload — Term used when a driver and equipment are present at the time of loading or unloading.
Loaded Miles — The mile from the shipper to the receiver based on the Rand McNally Mile maker program. Miles traveled with freight in the trailer.
Load Number — A number used to identify a shipment. In some cases, this number is calls a “pro number” or “order number.”
Load Switch — The act of exchanging loads between two drivers at some point on the route to help provide on-time service, increase utilization, and meet driver due-home dates.
Local Driver — Also known as a “shuttle driver.” Driver who is home every night, shuttles loaded and empty trailers up to 75 miles from and to his home terminal.
Log — A form required by the DOT to be completed daily by a driver. This form should document a driver’s on-duty driving time. One logs not-driving time, and another logs off-duty time. DOT regulations require and limit the time spent in each area.
LTL — Less-than-truckload; carriers that pickup small amounts of freight from various shippers and deliver to various LTL trucking companies like J.B. Hunt, Parcel Management, Yellow Fright, UPS, ABF, and Roadway.
Lumper — Person hired to load or unload a trailer.
MPACT — Marketing Pricing Activity Communication Tool; Lotus Notes based program used by Regional Marketing Managers to record customer visits, activities, and rare publications.
Multi-Stop Load — A shipment that has more than one intermediate pickup and/or delivery that falls between the original shipper and final receiver.
National Account Manager (NAM) — Area manager responsible for a specific national account customer.
No-touch Freight — Freight loaded and/or unloaded by the shipper or receiver. Drivers do not handle no-touch freight.
NT Order Entry — PC-based load entry system.
OBC — On Board Computer; the satellite system J.B. Hunt utilizes to communicate with and track our driver and trucks.
OS&D — Abbreviation for “overage, shortage, and damages.” It is the term used when dealing with a freight claim.
Outsourcing — Handling off transportation responsibilities to an outside company (i.e. dedicated fleet provider or third-party logistics provider).
Over-The-Road (OTR) Driver — Driver that delivers fright from point to point in the continental United States and Canada.
Pallet — A platform, usually wooden, on which materials are placed from handing or during the transport of goods.
Pallet Jack — A hand-operated piece of machinery used for posting and transporting pallets by means of steel fingers inserted under the top of the platform.
Permit — A written license that gives J.B. Hunt the authority to operate in an area/territory under prescribed rules and regulations.
Pigtail — Curly electric wire on the back of the tractor that connects the tractor and the trailer electrical transfer.
Plate Trailer — Trailer with thinner walls that allows for more cubic loading space.
POD — Proof of Delivery; receiver has signed a copy of the Bill of Landing.
Preload — When a shipping location has a spotted trailer loaded before the driver arrives for the pickup.
Prepaid — When a shipping location has a spotted trailer loaded before the driver arrives for pickup.
Preplan — The assignment of a truck to a shipment before the truck is dispatched on the order.
Pricing Representative — Employee who can negotiate rates with a customer.
Private Fleet — When a non-transportation company or business owns and manages a fleet of trucks and employs company drivers.
Pro Number — The carrier’s load or order number.
Profitability — Affording profits; yielding advantageous returns or results.
Proof of Delivery (POD) — A signed copy of a bill of lading used to verify the receipt of a load.
Published Rates — See contract rate.
Qualcomm — A satellite company used in the OBC communication system. Rate The amount of money charged by J.B. Hunt to transport a shipment.
Rate Quote — The rate quoted to a customer on a specific shipment.
Rate Variance — Price discrepancy on a freight bill.
Re-Rates — Action taken when there is a discrepancy on the rate assigned to a load.
Re-Route — When drivers’ original route changes because of customer, driver, or company needs.
Reason Code — A list of explanations that are assigned a numeric value that states the cause for a shipment to be charged (delivery appointment, order status, etc.).
Receiver — Entity who receives a shipment; the consignee.
Reconsignment — Anytime the routing/consignment of a load is changed by the shipper/consignor, receiver/consignee, or billing party, that is different from the bill of landing.
Reefer — Refrigerated trailer.
Regional Driver — Driver who is home every weekend. They will run a load anywhere from 75 to 250 miles from their home terminal.
Repower — Removing one tractor from a load and assigning another tractor to that same load in attempt to deliver the load on-time.
Roll Over Collision — Accident where a tractor/trailer has rolled over on its side.
Route — A designated path (line of travel) taken or given for the transportation of a shipment.
Seal — A numbered plastic or metal band placed on trailer doors after the trailer is loaded at the shipper location. This is used to determine if the trailer doors have been opened before reaching the destination.
Second Seat Driver — Assists the First Seat driver in their assigned duty. Does not have the primary responsibility of an assigned piece of equipment. This is normally a spouse. The second seat driver must also quality for “First Seat” before being hired.
Shipper — Company providing the freight for shipment.
Shipper Count — Shipper accepts responsibility for the count of the product loaded into the trailer.
Shipment ID Number — A number supplied by the shipper to identify a shipment. This is the pickup number that the driver uses to identify the commodity needing to be shipped.
Shrink Wrap — Thick plastic wrap used for securing freight on a pallet or slip sheet.
Single Seat Driver — A driver who operates a truck with no other drivers assigned.
Skeleton — The basic information of an order. The A/R uses this to repeat orders so that all information can be duplicated automatically instead of needing to be repeated.
Slip Sheets — Thin, flat cardboard sheets on which materials are placed for handling or transportation (these are used in place of pallets).
Spill (Hazardous) — Leak of a hazardous substance or material.
Spot price — A rate quoted when a customer has no published rates for a freight movement. This is usually quoted for one-time loads, or to cover loads moving immediately while the rate is being published.
Spotted trailer — Trailer left at the shipping or receiving location for a customer to load or unload without a driver/tractor being present.
Stack Bunk — A tractor designed to accommodate bunk-style beds.
Supply Chain — Consists of a combination of raw materials, inventory, shipping, sales, marketing, information technology, and strategic planning.
Tailgate — The driver will unload the freight, but will only move it to the tail end of the trailer. Then, the customer will remove the freight from the trailer.
Tandems — A set of two axes with one behind the other.
Tariff — Rates that are applicable to loads taken by J.B. Hunt, including general rules of operation.
Tariff Miles — The miles from city to city that J.B. Hunt charges the customer.
TCI — Temperature-controlled intermodal container.
Temperature-controlled Trailer — Trailer with thin insulation and stays either warm or cold.
Tender — The process of assigning a carrier company or driver to a specific load. A load tender typically includes terms of the shipment and must be agreed to by both the carrier and shipper.
Terminal — An office where dispatch functions take place and maintenance is sometimes available.
Terminal Manager — The individual responsible for all activities within a specific terminal. They report directly to the Vice President of Operations.
Thermacube Trailer — Trailer with thin insulation and stays either warm or cold for up to 72 hours.
Third-party Logistics Provider (3PL) — A third-party company that manages the movement of freight primarily using contracted carriers.
TOFC — An intermodal term that refers to a trailer on a railroad flat car. Ton One ton equals 2000 pounds. We can haul 40 tons (80,000 pounds) gross weight per load.
TONU — Truck Ordered Not Used; this occurs when a customer will order a truck to transport their product, then they will cancel the load after the truck is dispatched.
Tractor — Power unit that pulls the trailer.
Trailer Pool — Trailers that are designated to a customer’s facility for preloading purposes (also see the definition for spotted trailer).
Transload — To transfer freight from one trailer to another or to transfer freight from one mode to another (i.e. rail to truck).
Transit Mode — The type of transportation used to move a freight truck or train.
Transportation Management System (TMS) — An online platform designed to streamline the shipping process through use of automation, artificial intelligence, and online transactions.
Tweener Load — A load that takes more than one day, but less than two days, to complete (550 – 799 miles).
Under-booked — When the number of units is greater that the number of loads, it requires soliciting freight.
User ID — A combination of letters of the last and first names of J.B. Hunt personnel for identification in the computer system.
Utilization — Miles per road tractor per workday. This includes both OTR and Regional, and it excludes the shuttle drivers.
Utilization Service Center (Detention Center) — The department that handles detention issues and is notified anytime there is a detention of J.B. Hunt drivers or the equipment at a customer location while loading/unloading freight.
Van — Dry trailer that hauls dry freight.
Variance — The difference between pay lines, which is what a driver is paid, and hub miles, which are the actual number of miles a shipment has moved from its origin to destination.
Way Bills — Paperwork generated by railroad to keep track of J.B. Hunt equipment vs. flat cars used. This is also used by railroad for billing purposes.
Yard Code — An abbreviation for a yard or terminal that allows identification of that yard or terminal in the computer system.