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Logistics & Supply Chain vocabulary · Transport Modes

Ocean freight

Meaning in logistics & supply chain, with examples

nounCore term

In logistics & supply chain, ocean freight means: The transport of goods by ship, mostly in containers; the cheapest way to move large volumes over long international distances.

In Turkish: deniz yolu taşımacılığı, deniz navlunu, deniz taşımacılığı

How it is used

The two main options are FCL and LCL. 'Sea freight' means the same and is more common in British English. Quotes usually show the ocean freight separately from origin and destination charges such as terminal handling.

Example sentences

  1. Ocean freight is cheaper, but the transit time is six weeks door to door.

  2. The quote shows ocean freight and local charges separately.

Common collocations

  • ocean freight rates
  • sea freight
  • ship by ocean freight
  • ocean freight forwarder
  • containerA large steel box of standard size used to carry goods by ship, train and truck without unloading them when they move from one vehicle to another.
  • FCLShort for full container load: a sea shipment in which one shipper's goods fill or use a whole container on their own.
  • LCLShort for less than container load: a small sea shipment that shares a container with goods from other shippers and pays only for the space it uses.
  • 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.
  • vesselA ship, especially a large one that carries cargo; the standard word for ships in shipping documents and freight emails.

More terms: Transport Modes

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