Glossary of Terms
There are 74 entries in this glossary.All
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| EOBR |
An electronic on-board recorder (EOBR) is an electronic device attached to a commercial motor vehicle, which is used to record the amount of time a vehicle is being driven. This is similar to the tachograph, and is the American equivalent of the digital tachograph used in Europe. The driving hours of commercial drivers (truck and bus drivers), are regulated by a set of rules known as the hours of service (HOS). The HOS are rules intended to prevent driver fatigue, by limiting the amount of time drivers spend operating commercial vehicles. |
| Fifth wheel |
A pivoting platform on the rear of a truck tractor, used to support the front end of the trailer being towed which contains locking jaws which engage the trailer kingpin. |
| Flatbed |
A flat trailer with no enclosure or doors. Can be loaded/unloaded from the sides. |
| FMCSA |
The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) was established as a separate administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on January 1, 2000, pursuant to the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999. FMCSA is headquartered in Washington, DC and employs more than 1,000 people in all 50 States and the District of Columbia, all dedicated to improving the safety of commercial motor vehicles (CMV) and saving lives. |
| For-hire carrier |
A licensed carrier that holds itself out to hire under either a public tariff for the general public (for-hire common carrier) or under a contract filed with a specific shipper (contract carrier). |
| Hazmat |
A dangerous good is any solid, liquid, or gas that can harm people, other living organisms, property, or the environment. They are often subject to chemical regulations. An equivalent term, used almost exclusively in the United States, is hazardous material (HAZMAT). Dangerous goods may be radioactive, flammable, explosive, toxic, corrosive, bio hazardous, an oxidizer, an asphyxiant, a pathogen, an allergen, or may have other characteristics that render it hazardous in specific circumstances. Mitigating the risks associated with hazardous materials may require the application of safety precautions during their transport, use, storage and disposal. Most countries regulate hazardous materials by law, and they are subject to several international treaties as well. |
| HOS |
The hours of service (HOS) are regulations issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) governing the working hours of anyone operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) in the United States for the purpose of interstate commerce. This includes truck drivers and bus drivers who operate CMVs for motor carriers (their employers). These rules limit the number of daily and weekly hours spent driving and working, and regulate the minimum amount of time drivers must spend resting between driving shifts. For intrastate commerce, the respective state's regulations apply. |
| ICC bumper |
Bumper on the back of a trailer, usually about 75% of the width of the trailer, suspended half the distance from the trailer floor to the pavement with a strong enough bracing to meet federal regulations governing underride guards. |
| IFTA |
The International Fuel Tax Agreement (or IFTA) is an agreement between the lower 48 states of the United States and the Canadian provinces, to simplify the reporting of fuel use by motor carriers that operate in more than one jurisdiction. An operating carrier with IFTA receives an IFTA license, a set of decals which are applied to qualifying vehicles. The carrier files a quarterly fuel tax report. This report is used to determine the net tax or refund due and to redistribute taxes from collecting states to states that it is due. This tax is required for:
|
| Intermodal |
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in a container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation (rail, ship, and truck), without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, may reduce damages and loss, and may allow freight to be transported faster. Reduced costs versus over road trucking is the key benefit for intra-continental use. |
| Jackknife |
Skidding of an articulated vehicle sometimes results in rotation at the articulation (hitch) point so that the tractor is rotated against the trailer in a manner similar to the closing of a jackknife. |
| Jake brake |
An engine brake is a system used primarily on semi-trucks or other large vehicles that modifies engine valve operation to use engine compression to slow the vehicle. They are also known as compression release engine brakes. The driver controls consist of an on/off switch and, sometimes, a multi-position switch that controls the number of cylinders on which the brake is active. When the compression release engine brake is turned on, it will activate when the driver releases the accelerator. |
| Kingpin |
A large pin, underneath the front of a trailer, which interlocks with the fifth wheel. |
| Landing gear |
A set of retractable, crank-up legs which support the front of a trailer when it is not connected to a tractor. |
| Less-than-truckload (LTL) |
Less than truckload carriers collect freight from various shippers and consolidate that freight onto enclosed trailers for linehaul to the delivering terminal or to a hub terminal where the freight will be further sorted and consolidated for additional linehauls. |