Shipping Abbreviations

Shipping Abbreviations

 AA   = Always Afloat (ship must always be afloat i.e Port must have sufficient Draft)

AARA  = Amsterdam-Antwerp-Rotterdam Area( It’s a Range)

AAAA  = Always Accessible Always Afloat (Vessel must always afloat & always accessible for   loading

ABT  = About

ADCOM  = Address Commission( Commission pass on to Charterers)

AFSPS  = Arrival First Sea Pilot Station (Delivery point)

AFT = Stern or back part of a ship

AGW = All Going Well.

AHL = Australian Hold Ladders(Ladder leads to hold).

ANTHAM = Antwerp-Hamburg Range.

APS = Arrival Pilot Station(First station for delivery or redelivery).

ARAG = Amsterdam-Rotterdam–Antwerp-Ghent Range.

ATDNSHINC = Any Time Day or Night Sundays and Holidays Included.

ATUTC = Actual Times Used to Count.

AFFREIGHTMENT = The hiring of a ship in whole or part.

A/S = Alongside.

BAF = Bunker Adjustment Factor.

BALLAST = Sea water loaded for the stability of a ship when empty(not carrying cargo).

BAREBOAT CHTR = Owners lease a ship for long period and finally pases the ownership after the period is over. 

BBB = Before Breaking Bulk( It means before fully discharge).

BDI = Both Dates Inclusive.

BENDS = Both Ends (Load & Discharge Ports)

BI = Both Inclusive

BIMCO = The Baltic and International Maritime Council.

BL (1) = Bale

BL (2) = (Bill of Lading) Receipt of goods,Document of Title of goods,Evidence of contract of carriage.

 BM = Beam

BEAM = The maximum breadth of a ship (that point is called as Beam).

BOB = Bunker on Board

BOFFER = Best Offer

BROB = Bunkers Remaining on Board.

BSS = Basis

BSS 1/1 = Basis 1 Port to 1 Port

BT = Berth Terms

BUNDLING = Assembly of pieces of cargo, secured into one manageable unit. So that it can be easily handled by fork lifts.

BUNKERS = Fuel  needed to run ship

BWAD = Brackish Water Arrival Draft

CBM = Cubic Meter (unit to measure cargo occupied space).

CBFT (or CFT) = Cubic Feet (unit to measure cargo occupied space).

CFR (or C&F) = Cost and Freight-

CHOPT = Charterers Option

CHTRS = Charterers

CIF = Cost, Insurance & Freight.

COA = Contract of Affreightment (Owners accept a cost per ton for cargo carried on a ship.

COACP = Contract of Affreightment Charter Party(mentioned in c.p)

COB = Close of Business

COD = Cash On Delivery

COGSA = Carriage of Goods by Sea Act

CONS = Consumption(normally refers to fuel consumption)

COP = Custom Of Port

CP (or C/P) = Charter Party

CPD = Charterers Pay Dues

CPT = Carriage Paid To

CQD = Customary Quick Dispatch.

CROB = Cargo Remaining on Board.

CRN = Crane

CST = Centistoke

CTR = Container Fitted

DAPS = Days all Purposes (Total days for loading & discharging)

DDU = Delivered Duty unpaid.

DDP = Delivered Duty Paid.

DEM = Demurrage( penalty in terms of rates given by charterer to owner for its delayed operations of loading/discharging).

DESP = Dispatch( its money received by charterer from owner for finishing loading/discharging before determined time).

DET = Detention

DHDATSBE = Dispatch Half Demurrage on Actual Time Saved Both Ends 

DHDWTSBE = Dispatch Half Demurrage on Working Time Saved Both Ends

DISCH = Discharge(Discharging of cargo)

DK = Deck

DLOSP = Dropping Last Outwards Sea Pilot (for delivery/redelivery)

DO = Diesel Oil

DOP = Dropping Outward Pilot (for delivery/redelivery)

DOT = Department of Transport

DNRSAOCLONL = Discount less and Non-Returnable Ship and/or Cargo Lost or Not Lost

DRAFT = Depth by which a ship is immersed in water.

DRK = Derrick

DUNNAGE = Materials of different types, often timber or matting, placed among the cargo for separation, and hence protecting cargo getting damage from rolling/pitching.

DWAT (or DWT) = Deadweight. Amount of cargo a ship can i.e the difference between lightship and loaded displacement.

EC = East Coast(of any country)

EIU = Even if Used (any machinery even if used)

ELVENT = Electric Ventilation

ETA = Estimated Time of Arrival

ETC = Estimated Time of Completion (cargo completed loading/discharging).

ETD = Estimated Time of Departure(of ship)

ETS = Estimated Time of Sailing(of ship)

EXW = Ex Works

FAS = Free Alongside Ship.

FD = Free of Dispatch

FDD = Freight Demurrage Deadfreight

FDIS = Free Discharge

FEU = Forty foot container equivalency (size of the container)

FHEX = Fridays/Holidays Excluded (port or country holidays implies here).

FHINC = Fridays/Holidays Included(port or country holidays implies here).

FILO = Free In/Liner Out.

FIO = Free In/Out.

FIOS = Free In/Out Stowed. As per FIO,  includes stowage costs.

FIOT = Free In/Out & Trimmed.

FIOSLSD = Free In/Out Stowed, Lashed, Secured and Dunnaged.

FIOST = Free In/Out and Trimmed.

FIT = Free In Trimmed

FIW = Free In Wagon

FIXING = when a  Vessel is fixed for chartering the undergoing process

FLT = Full Liner Terms (Shipowner pays to load and discharge the cargo).

FMC = Federal Maritime Commission US government agency.

FMS = Fathoms = 6 feet

FO ( = Fuel Oil

IFO=Intermediate FO

FOB = Free on Board.

FOFFER = Firm Offer

FOG = For Our Guidance

FOQ = Free On Quay

FOR = Free On Rail

FORCE MAJEURE = It is a term in Rider Clause that says due to nature limits responsibilities of the charterers, shippers and receivers .

FOT = Free On Truck

FOW (1) = First Open Water

FOW (2) = Free On Wharf

FREE OUT = Free of discharge costs to Owners

FWAD = Fresh Water Arrival Draft (Draft of ship).

FWDD = Fresh Water Departure Draft (Draft of ship).

FYG = For Your Guidance

FYI = For Your Information

GA = General Average(mentioned in cp)

GLS = Gearless(crane and grabs)

GNCN = Gencon a standard BIMCO cp form

GN (or GR) = Grain (capacity)

GO = Gas Oil

GRD = Geared(vessel fitted with cranes)

GRT = Gross Registered Tonnage(volume of all spaces on ship)

GSB = Good Safe Berth

GSP = Good Safe Port

GTEE = Guarantee

2H = Second Half(after first half)

HA = Hatch(cover of holds)

HDWTS = Half Dispatch Working Time Saved.

HMS = Heavy Metal Scrap(heavy cargo).

HO = Hold(where cargo are kept)

HW = High Water

IMDG = International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code(under dangerous good category).

IMO = International Maritime Organization(organization monitoring maritime activity).

IND = Indication

INTERMODAL = Carriage of a commodity by different modes of transport, i.e. sea, road, rail and air within a single journey.

ITF = International Transport Federation international body that regulates crewing of ships

IU = If Used (used in laytime calculations)

IUATUTC = If Used, Actual Time Used To Count

IUHATUTC = If Used, Half Actual Time Used To Count

IWL = Institute Warranty Limits

LANE METER =Space capacity of Ro/Ro ships.

LASH (1) = Lashing/using of Ropes, Wires, Chains or Straps etc to secure cargo.

LASH (2) = Lighter Aboard Ship a vessel that loads small barges direct from the water.

LAT = Latitude(latitude and longitude)

LOA = Length Overall (total length of the vessel)

LOW = Last Open Water

LS (or LUMPS) = Lumpsum

LSD = Lashed Secured Dunnaged

LT = Liner Terms

LW = Low Water

LYCN = Laycan (these are the days kept aside for loading/discharging)

MB = Merchant Broker

MDO  = Marine Diesel Oil

MIN/MAX = Minimum/Maximum (it’s the quantity of cargo)

MOLCHOPT = More or Less Charterers Option(to load cargo).

MOLOO = More or Less Owners Option(to load cargo)

MT = Metric Ton (bulk cargo are loaded in metric tonnes).

M/V = Motor Vessel( term used to indicate ship)

NAABSA = Not Always Afloat But Safely Aground(ports to have sufficient draft so that if its gets ground it can reafloat of its own).

NCB = National Cargo Bureau

NESTING = Implies that cargo is presented stacked in the contour of similarly shaped cargo, it may be likened to a stack of plates.

NON-REVERSIBLE = (Detention). If loading completed sooner than expected, then saved days will not be added to discharge time allowed.

NOR = Notice of Readiness

NRT = Net Registered Tonnage

NYPE = New York Produce Exchange

OO = Owners Option(its owner option to load more cago on his ship or not)

OSH = Open Shelter Deck

OWS = Owners(owner of ship)

PASTUS = Past Us

PC = Period of Charter.

PCGO = Part Cargo

PCT = Percent

PDPR = Per Day Pro Rata(use to calculate hire rate or in laytime calculations).

PERDIEM = By the Day

PHPD = Per Hatch Per Day

PRATIQUE = Permission to use a port, given after quarantine.

RCVR = Receivers

 REVERSIBLE (Detention)   = If loading completed sooner than expected at load port, then days saved can be added to discharge operations.

ROB = Remaining On Board

RT = Revenue Ton (i.e. 1.0 metric Ton or 1.0 cubic meter, whichever is greater)..

SATPM = Saturday P.M.

SB = Safe Berth(berth where loading/discharging is happening must be safe in all aspect).

SD (or SID) = Single Decker

SEAFREIGHT = Charges for transporting goods over the sea.

SELFD = Self Discharging

SF = Stowage factor.

SHINC = Sundays/Holidays Included (implies to holidays in port).

SHEX = Sundays/Holidays Excluded (implies to holidays in port)

SOC = Shipper Owned Container

SOF = Statement Of Facts( document where all evidence of loading/discharging is written)

SP = Safe Port (Port where loading/discharging is happening must be safe in all aspect)

SRBL = Signing and Releasing Bill of Lading.

SSHEX  = Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays Excluded (excluded in cp).

SSHINC = Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays Included (included in cp)

STARBOARD = Right side of a ship

STEM = Subject To Enough Merchandise (Availability of Cargo).

STERN = The aft part or back of a ship

SUB = Subject (to)

SUPERCARGO = Person employed by a ship owner to supervise cargo operations. Often called as port captain.

SWAD = Salt Water Arrival Draft (Draft)

SWDD = Salt Water Departure Draft (Draft)

TC = Time Charter Owners agree to hire out his ship for a specific time.

TEU = Twenty Foot Equivalency Unit ( 20 feet Container)

TTL = Total

TW = Tween Decker (double hold)

USC = Unless Sooner Commenced ( Used in laytime calculations)

UU = Unless Used ( Used in laytime calculations).

UUIUATUTC = Unless Used If Used Actual Time Used To Count ( Used in laytime calculations).

VPD = Vessel Pays Dues

WCCON = Whether Customs Cleared Or Not

WIBON = Whether In Berth Or Not (ship)

WIFPON = Whether In Free Pratique or not (state of ship clean bill of health)

WIPON = Whether In Port Or Not (refer to ship)

WLTOHC = Water Line-To-Hatch Coaming (distance from water line to coaming of hatch).

WOG = Without Guarantee

WPD = Weather Permitting Day(weather is clear).

WWD = Weather Working Day

WRIC = Wire Rods In Coils

WWR = When, Where Ready

WWWW = Wibon, Wccon, Wifpon, Wipon

YAR = York Antwerp Rules.

Shipping Abbreviation –ship

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