Paper & shipping logistics glossary
Plain-English definitions of the paper-industry and shipping-document terms that show up on supplier manifests, bills of lading, and invoices.
Basis weight
Basis weight is the standard measure of paper weight in the U.S., expressed in pounds per 3,000 square feet of a grade's parent sheet. Elsewhere it is reported as grams per square metre (gsm).
Read the full entryBill of lading vs. shipping manifest
A bill of lading is a legal contract between a shipper and a carrier for a single shipment. A manifest is an operational document listing all cargo on a vehicle, vessel, or container, often covering many bills of lading.
Read the full entryBleached paper
Bleached paper is paper that has been chemically processed after pulping to remove the brown colour of residual lignin and produce a white surface. Modern bleaching is ECF (elemental chlorine free) or TCF (totally chlorine free).
Read the full entryBooking number
A booking number is the unique reference assigned by an ocean carrier or freight forwarder when space is reserved on a vessel for a shipment. It is the earliest persistent identifier for the shipment, predating the BOL.
Read the full entryBoxcar
A boxcar is an enclosed railway freight car used for general merchandise: paper rolls, packaged goods, lumber, machinery. A modern boxcar typically holds 200,000 lb or more of payload.
Read the full entryBrightness (paper)
Paper brightness is the percentage of blue light a paper sample reflects under standardised conditions, measured on the TAPPI or ISO scale. White copy paper is typically 80 to 95 brightness; high-bright papers exceed 96.
Read the full entryBurst strength (Mullen)
Burst strength is the pressure required to rupture a paper or board sample, applied through a rubber diaphragm by a Mullen tester. It is reported in psi or kPa and is one of the oldest standardised paper strength tests.
Read the full entryCaliper (paper)
Caliper is the measure of a paper or board's thickness, typically expressed in thousandths of an inch (points or 'pt') in North America and in micrometres elsewhere. A 12-point board is 0.012 inches thick.
Read the full entryCertificate of origin
A certificate of origin is a document certifying the country in which the goods were manufactured. It is used for preferential tariff treatment under trade agreements (USMCA, EU FTAs, others) and for general customs clearance.
Read the full entryCommercial invoice
A commercial invoice is the seller's bill to the buyer for an international shipment, listing goods, quantities, prices, and terms. It is the central document for customs valuation in most jurisdictions.
Read the full entryContainerboard
Containerboard is the umbrella term for paper products used to make corrugated boxes: specifically linerboard and corrugating medium. North American containerboard production is one of the largest paper categories by tonnage.
Read the full entryCorrugating medium
Corrugating medium is the fluted middle layer of a corrugated board, sandwiched between two layers of linerboard. The flutes provide compressive cushioning and stack strength; the medium itself does not need the surface qualities of a liner.
Read the full entryCustoms declaration
A customs declaration is the formal filing with a country's customs authority to declare imported goods. In the U.S. it is CBP Form 7501 (Entry Summary); in the EU, the Single Administrative Document (SAD).
Read the full entryDelivery order
A delivery order is a written instruction from the consignee (or their freight forwarder) to the carrier or terminal authorising release of the goods. It is the operational handoff from terminal possession to the consignee.
Read the full entryDemurrage
Demurrage is the fee charged by a carrier or port terminal when cargo (typically a container) stays at a port or terminal beyond the agreed free time. It applies to the cargo, not the equipment.
Read the full entryDetention
Detention is the fee charged by a carrier when its equipment (the container, plus chassis where applicable) is held by the shipper or consignee beyond agreed free time. It applies to the equipment, not the cargo.
Read the full entryDock (loading dock)
A loading dock is a raised platform at a warehouse or distribution centre where trucks back up to load or unload. Dock height typically matches trailer floor height (48-52 inches), allowing forklifts to drive directly into a trailer.
Read the full entryDock receipt
A dock receipt is the document issued by a steamship line (or its terminal) when cargo is delivered to the dock for export shipment. It confirms quantity, condition, and any apparent damage before the cargo is loaded.
Read the full entryDrayage
Drayage is short-haul trucking of containers, typically from a port or rail yard to a nearby warehouse or vice versa. It is one of the most expensive per-mile legs in a container's journey.
Read the full entryDunnage
Dunnage is the loose material used to brace, separate, and secure cargo inside a container, rail car, or trailer. Common examples are wood blocks, inflatable airbags, paper void fill, and reusable bracing systems.
Read the full entryEdge crush test (ECT)
ECT measures the edgewise compressive strength of a corrugated board, reported in pounds per inch or kN/m. It is the standard predictor of stacking strength and has largely replaced burst strength as the spec for box certification.
Read the full entryETA / ETD (estimated time of arrival / departure)
ETA and ETD are estimated transit times: ETA is when cargo is expected to arrive at a destination; ETD is when it is expected to leave an origin. Both are estimates, revised continuously as the journey progresses.
Read the full entryFCL vs. LCL (full container load vs. less than container load)
FCL means the shipper has booked a full container exclusive to their cargo. LCL means the cargo shares a container with other shippers' cargo, consolidated by a freight forwarder and deconsolidated at destination.
Read the full entryFlatcar
A flatcar is an open railway car with a flat deck and no sides or top, used for outsized loads — machinery, lumber, military equipment, and shipping containers in intermodal service.
Read the full entryFluting
Fluting refers to the wave pattern formed in corrugating medium between two layers of linerboard. The flute profile — A, B, C, E, and F being the common standards — determines compression strength, cushioning, and printability.
Read the full entryGrams per square metre (gsm)
Grams per square metre is the metric system's unit of paper weight — the mass in grams of one square metre of paper. Unlike basis weight, gsm is the same unit across all grades, making cross-grade comparison straightforward.
Read the full entryHTS code (Harmonized Tariff Schedule)
An HTS code is the standardised classification number assigned to a commodity for customs purposes. The first six digits are globally harmonised under the WCO Harmonized System; further digits are country-specific.
Read the full entryHundredweight (CWT)
Hundredweight (abbreviated CWT) is a weight unit equal to 100 pounds in the U.S. and 112 pounds in the U.K. Most paper and pulp pricing in North America is quoted per hundredweight, not per pound or per ton.
Read the full entryIntermodal
Intermodal shipping uses a standard container moved by two or more transport modes — typically ship, rail, and truck — without unloading the cargo at the transfer points. The container is the persistent unit of movement.
Read the full entryKraft paper
Kraft paper is strong, typically brown paper produced by the kraft pulping process — a chemical method that preserves long cellulose fibres. It is the dominant fibre source for linerboard, shipping sacks, and packaging.
Read the full entryLead time
Lead time is the elapsed time between placing an order and receiving the goods. It includes supplier production, shipping, customs, and inland transit — every step from order entry to dock arrival.
Read the full entryLetter of credit
A letter of credit is a bank-issued promise to pay the seller upon presentation of specified documents — typically a bill of lading, commercial invoice, and inspection certificate. It is the standard payment instrument for international trade where buyer and seller don't fully trust each other.
Read the full entryLinerboard
Linerboard is the flat, smooth paper layer bonded to either side of a corrugated medium to form a corrugated board. It provides the strength, printability, and outer surface of a cardboard box.
Read the full entryLTL vs. FTL (less than truckload vs. full truckload)
FTL means a shipper has booked an entire truck for their cargo. LTL means the cargo shares a truck with other shippers' cargo, picked up and dropped off via terminal hubs. LTL is the trucking analogue of LCL.
Read the full entryMechanical pulp
Mechanical pulp is pulp produced by grinding or refining wood physically rather than dissolving the lignin with chemicals. It retains nearly all of the wood's mass — high yield, low cost — at the price of shorter fibres and remaining lignin.
Read the full entryMill broke
Mill broke is paper waste produced inside a paper mill: off-spec runs, edge trim, sheet breaks. Mills repulp their own broke and feed it back into the wet end, recovering nearly all the fibre.
Read the full entryNewsprint
Newsprint is a lightweight, low-cost paper made primarily from mechanical pulp, used for newspapers, freebie publications, and increasingly as protective packaging void fill. It is typically 40 to 52 gsm.
Read the full entryNMFC freight class
NMFC (National Motor Freight Classification) freight class is a 1-to-500 scale used to price LTL shipments, based on density, stowability, handling, and liability. Lower class = denser, easier to handle = cheaper.
Read the full entryPacking list
A packing list is a per-package itemisation of a shipment — usually accompanying a commercial invoice — that lists the contents, weights, and dimensions of each carton or pallet for the receiving party and customs.
Read the full entryPallet
A pallet is a flat transport structure that supports goods in a stable fashion while they are lifted by a forklift, pallet jack, or stacker. The two most common standards are the 48×40 inch GMA pallet (North America) and the 1200×800 mm EUR-pallet (Europe).
Read the full entryReam
A ream is the standard unit count for sheet paper sales: 500 sheets in the modern definition, though historically variable (480 or 516 sheets depending on grade and region).
Read the full entryRecycled fibre
Recycled fibre is pulp derived from recovered paper: old corrugated containers (OCC), old newspapers (ONP), and mixed paper grades. It is a major input to containerboard, especially for medium and lighter linerboard grades.
Read the full entryRoll paper
Roll paper is paper sold in continuous rolls rather than cut sheets — the standard form for containerboard, newsprint, kraft, and most large-volume paper purchases. Rolls are specified by width, diameter, weight, and grade.
Read the full entrySkid
A skid is a flat platform similar to a pallet but without the bottom deck — only the top surface and the support runners. It cannot be lifted by a pallet jack as cleanly as a pallet but is lighter and cheaper.
Read the full entryStuffing (container)
Stuffing is the act of loading cargo into a shipping container. The operation includes placing cargo, bracing with dunnage, sealing the container, and producing the stuffing report that documents what went in.
Read the full entryTensile strength (paper)
Tensile strength is the maximum stretching force a paper or board can withstand before breaking, measured in machine direction and cross direction. It is reported as kN/m or as breaking length in metres.
Read the full entryTEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit)
TEU is the standard measure of container shipping capacity: one TEU equals a single 20-foot ISO container. A 40-foot container is two TEU; vessel and port capacity are reported in TEU.
Read the full entryTransit time
Transit time is the duration a shipment spends moving — from when the carrier picks it up to when it reaches the destination. It is a subset of lead time, excluding order processing and customs handling.
Read the full entryVoyage number
A voyage number is the unique identifier assigned by an ocean carrier to a specific journey of a specific vessel. It combines vessel ID with a sequential or coded voyage segment.
Read the full entryWaybill
A waybill is a non-negotiable transport document that names the carrier, shipper, consignee, and goods. Unlike a bill of lading, it is not a document of title — the consignee can take delivery without presenting an original.
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