Basic cargo transport glossary

Transport logistics, and in particular freight transport, has its own language, which is essential when working in any of the phases of the distribution operation. Here we present a basic glossary of freight transport and logistics that can be very useful:

Low bed: Trailer for transporting heavy low-loaders.
Truck: Free-operating motor vehicle used to transport cargo. Excludes light vehicles with two axles, which assimilate passengers.
Cargo: Goods, products and goods transported either by land, air or sea, by companies of the federal trucking or national railway system or by airlines or national or foreign vessels, as the case may be. It is measured in tonnes and in tonne-kilometres.
Indivisible cargo: Cargo that due to its characteristics cannot be fractionated for transportation.
Extradimensioned cargo: That indivisible cargo that exceeds the body dimensions of conventional vehicles approved by the Ministry of Transportation for the mobilization of cargo in normal transit on public roads.
Extra-heavy cargo: Indivisible cargo that, once mounted on conventional vehicles approved by the Ministry of Transport, exceeds the authorized gross vehicle weight or axle weight limits, according to the regulations in force for normal transit on public roads.
Container-carrying chassis: Semi-trailer and platform-type trailer for the transport of containers.
Car Crane: Automotive chassis with swivel superstructure coupled and boom-crane mounted on the structure.
Container: Container used to consolidate cargo and that is easily transported by truck, railroad or ship, without having to move the contents.
Declaration: Document in which a customs destination is formalized, indicating the type or modality of the destination in question.
Single axle: Assembly of two or four tires joined together by a rotation line.
Packaging: Everything that wraps, contains and protects packaged products, and that facilitates, protects and resists transportation and handling operations. The most commonly used materials for packaging products are: wood, cardboard, aluminum, plastic, etc.
Stakes: Trucks for general cargo transport.
Gondola: Drag units, its construction is very sophisticated, its use is for transporting new cars without rolling, in its two levels, contains folding ramps for easy loading and unloading of vehicles.
Towing crane: These are two- and three-axle trucks used for towing and rescuing vehicles with faults or accidents.
Intermodal (transport): Carriage of products by various means of transport (air, sea, road or rail), with a single person responsible for the operation.
Pallet: This Semi-Trailer is based on the trestle principle, in order to improve stability and increase loading capacity, in addition to faster loading and unloading.
Gross vehicle weight: Weight of a vehicle provided with fuel, habitual auxiliary equipment and to the maximum of load.
Axle weight: Total weight transmitted to the road by the tires of an axle of a vehicle.
Modular platform: Semi-trailers and trailers that are used in the case of very heavy and/or bulky loads, which have directional axles and pneumatic suspension.
Trailer: Vehicle with front and rear axle not equipped with means of propulsion and intended to be pulled by a motor vehicle, or coupled to a Semi-Trailer.
Tank: Truck, semi-trailer and trailer with a horizontal cylindrical structure used for the transport of liquids.
Hopper: Drag unit for bulk products, preferably minerals. Box in the shape of a pyramid or inverted cone.
Tractor: Motor vehicle designed to support and tow semi-trailers and trailers.
Articulated tractor truck: Vehicle used for the transport of cargo, consisting of a tractor truck and a semi-trailer, coupled by articulation mechanisms.
Double articulated tractor: Vehicle intended for the transport of cargo, consisting of a tractor truck, a semi-trailer and a trailer, coupled by articulation mechanisms.
Tractor truck: A motor vehicle which slides on wheels of particularly robust construction, with a short wheelbase, with a driving cab and built exclusively or essentially for towing, with a device for towing semi-trailers (fifth wheel).
Towing unit: Vehicle used for the transport of goods, which requires for its mobilization to be coupled to a driving unit.