Freight Brokerage Domain Glossary
Quick reference for freight brokerage terminology used throughout laneweaverTMS.
Core Entities
Entity Description ID Format
Load A shipment transaction between shipper and carrier L-XXXXXX
Tender Customer request for freight capacity (often from EDI 204) T-XXXXXX
Carrier Motor carrier transporting freight (has MC#, DOT#, SCAC) UUID
Account Customer organization (not individual contacts) UUID
Facility Physical location: warehouse, shipper, consignee, or distribution center UUID
Stop Pickup or delivery point on a load; loads have 2+ stops UUID
Entity Relationships
Account (customer) -> Tender (request) -> Load (shipment) -> Carrier (transporter) | v Stops (pickup/delivery at Facilities)
Carrier Identifiers
Identifier Issuing Authority Format Example
MC Number FMCSA MC-XXXXXX MC-123456
DOT Number USDOT Numeric 1234567
SCAC Code NMFTA 2-4 alpha chars ABCD
Financial Terms
Term Definition
Customer Rate What the customer pays the broker for the shipment
Carrier Rate What the broker pays the carrier
Gross Profit customer_rate - carrier_rate
Net Profit Gross profit adjusted for accessorials and fees
Accessorials Additional charges beyond base linehaul rate
Factoring Third-party purchase of carrier invoices for immediate payment
Common Accessorials
Accessorial Description
Detention Charge for driver wait time exceeding free time
Lumper Fee for third-party loading/unloading services
TONU Truck Ordered Not Used - cancellation fee when carrier arrives but load cancelled
Layover Compensation for overnight wait between pickup and delivery
Fuel Surcharge Variable charge tied to diesel fuel prices
Deadhead Miles driven empty to reach pickup location
Status Workflows
Load Status Lifecycle
uncovered -> assigned -> dispatched -> at_origin -> in_transit -> at_destination -> delivered
Status Description
uncovered
No carrier assigned
assigned
Carrier committed, not yet dispatched
dispatched
Driver confirmed and en route to pickup
at_origin
Driver arrived at pickup facility
in_transit
Loaded and moving to destination
at_destination
Driver arrived at delivery facility
delivered
Freight delivered, awaiting POD
Tender Status
Status Description
pending
Awaiting broker acceptance
accepted
Broker accepted, capacity search in progress
planned
Load created from tender
cancelled
Customer cancelled request
Invoice Status
Status Description
draft
Invoice created, not sent
sent
Invoice sent to customer
partial_payment
Partial payment received
paid
Fully paid
void
Invoice cancelled/voided
Equipment Types
Type Description Common Cargo
Dry Van Enclosed trailer, no temp control General freight, palletized goods
Reefer Refrigerated trailer Produce, meat, pharmaceuticals
Flatbed Open platform, no sides Steel, lumber, machinery
Step Deck Lower deck height, easier loading Tall equipment, vehicles
Conestoga Flatbed with retractable tarp system Weather-sensitive flatbed freight
Operational Terms
Term Definition
POD Proof of Delivery - signed document confirming receipt
BOL Bill of Lading - shipping document with freight details
Drop and Hook Driver drops loaded trailer, hooks to pre-loaded trailer
Live Load/Unload Driver waits while freight is loaded/unloaded
Deadhead Miles driven with empty trailer
Bounce Carrier backing out of a committed load
Hot Load Urgent shipment requiring immediate capacity
Regulatory Terms
Term Definition
FMCSA Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
USDOT United States Department of Transportation
CSA Score Carrier Safety Administration score (safety rating)
HOS Hours of Service - driver work time regulations
ELD Electronic Logging Device - tracks driver hours
Common Abbreviations
Abbreviation Full Term
TMS Transportation Management System
TONU Truck Ordered Not Used
POD Proof of Delivery
BOL Bill of Lading
A/R Accounts Receivable (customer invoices)
A/P Accounts Payable (carrier bills)
LTL Less Than Truckload
FTL Full Truckload
OTR Over The Road (long-haul)
P&D Pickup and Delivery
RPM Revenue Per Mile
CPM Cost Per Mile
Database Conventions in laneweaverTMS
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Load numbers: L-XXXXXX format (generated via trigger)
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Tender numbers: T-XXXXXX format (generated via trigger)
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All monetary values: NUMERIC(10,2) type
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All status fields: PostgreSQL ENUM types
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Carrier identifiers stored as TEXT (MC#, DOT#, SCAC)