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Logistics & Supply Chain vocabulary · Freight and Shipping

Carrier

Meaning in logistics & supply chain, with examples

/ˈkæriər/nounCore term

In logistics & supply chain, carrier means: A company that physically transports goods, such as a trucking company, a shipping line, an airline or a rail operator.

In Turkish: taşıyıcı, taşıyıcı firma, nakliyeci

How it is used

Used to separate the company that moves the goods from the one that organizes the move (the freight forwarder). Shippers select, book and pay carriers; the carrier issues the transport document and is liable for the cargo while it is in its care.

Example sentences

  1. We use three carriers for domestic deliveries and compare their rates every quarter.

  2. The carrier is liable for the damage because the seal was broken during transit.

Common collocations

  • ocean carrier
  • select a carrier
  • carrier liability
  • contract carrier
  • carrier rates
  • freight forwarderA company that organizes shipments for its customers: it books space with carriers, prepares documents and arranges customs, insurance and delivery.
  • shipperThe person or company that sends goods and hands them over to a carrier, often the seller or exporter named on the transport document.
  • bill of ladingA document issued by a sea carrier that confirms the goods were received for shipment, sets out the terms of carriage and, in its negotiable form, gives the right to collect the cargo.
  • freight rateThe price a carrier or forwarder charges to move goods, usually per container, per pallet, per kilogram or per shipment.
  • 3PLShort for third-party logistics: an outside company that a business hires to run part of its logistics, such as warehousing, transport or order fulfillment.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Freight and Shipping

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