Freight modes and business roles
English terms follow common international logistics usage. Platform, logistics service provider and carrier describe different roles.
Intelligent logistics platform · 智能物流平台
A platform that uses systems and controlled data to support rate search, comparison and service coordination; it does not imply that the platform performs every transport event.
Logistics service provider · 物流服务商
An organisation providing freight or related logistics services.
Carrier · 承运人
The party that actually carries out a transport leg; it is not interchangeable with the platform role.
Freight forwarder · 货运代理／货代
An industry role that arranges, coordinates or acts as an agent for freight and related services; responsibility depends on the agreement and service scope.
International express · 国际快递
A service commonly used for door-to-door or otherwise agreed transport of documents, parcels and small shipments.
Dedicated cross-border service · 国际专线
A cross-border service organised for a particular country, region or cargo use case; special line is not the standard English term.
Air freight · 空运
Cargo transport primarily by air; eligibility depends on airports, flights, capacity, security and cargo attributes.
Full container load (FCL) / Less than container load (LCL) · 海运整箱／海运拼箱
FCL generally uses a container for one shipment, while LCL consolidates multiple shipments. Actual handling and responsibility follow the option.
Multimodal transport · 多式联运
An option combining two or more modes of transport; scope and responsibility for each leg must be clear.
Last-mile delivery · 末端派送
The delivery leg from a destination operating point to the final recipient address; coverage and delivery standard depend on the service.
Quotes, weight and charges
The same cargo may be subject to different charging rules according to mode, service rules and actual measurements.
Actual weight · 实际重量
The weight obtained by valid physical weighing.
Volumetric weight · 体积重量
Weight calculated from package dimensions and the service-specific volumetric divisor; there is no universal site-wide divisor.
Chargeable weight · 计费重量
The weight used to calculate charges, which may depend on actual weight, volumetric weight, minimum units or other service rules.
Freight rate / Quote · 运价／报价
A freight rate is a pricing basis for transport; a quote is an option price produced for stated conditions, normally with a currency and validity period.
Fee breakdown · 费用明细
An itemised view of base freight, handling, surcharges, duties, taxes or other displayable charges.
Surcharge · 附加费
A charge applied in addition to base freight when relevant, such as fuel, remote-area, residential, overlength or peak-season surcharge.
Quote validity · 报价有效期
The period during which a quote may be confirmed. A new query or confirmation is required after expiry or when conditions change.
Estimated transit time · 预计时效
A reference transport time under current conditions, not a guaranteed delivery time. The option should define start and end events and excluded time.
Inclusions / Exclusions · 包含项／不包含项
Items expressly included in or excluded from the option's charges and service scope.
Declaration, customs and operations
Regulatory decisions, duties, taxes and document requirements may vary by country/region, cargo and service.
Export customs declaration · 出口报关
The process of submitting an export goods declaration and supporting documents under origin requirements.
Import customs clearance · 进口清关
The process covering import declaration, document review, duties and taxes, and release under destination requirements.
HS code · 商品编码
The Harmonized System code used for customs classification; the applicable code must be confirmed from the actual goods and relevant rules.
Safety Data Sheet (SDS) · 材料安全数据表
A document describing composition, hazards and safe handling of a chemical or related substance; older material may call it MSDS.
Commercial invoice / Packing list · 商业发票／装箱单
Common trade and declaration documents describing transaction or declared value and packaging, pieces and cargo details respectively.
Duties and taxes · 关税与税费
Government charges determined by applicable law, declaration data and relevant authorities; check whether the quote includes them.
Proof of delivery (POD) · 签收证明
Evidence recording delivery completion. POD may also mean port of discharge in ocean-freight contexts, so context matters.
Tracking, claims and APIs
Statuses, responsibility and API behaviour should come from the business system, approved policy or versioned documentation, not from page wording alone.
Tracking number / Waybill number · 运单号
An identifier used to retrieve shipment records; the exact term varies by mode and service.
Shipment tracking / Tracking events · 物流轨迹
Status events returned by a data source during transport; updates may have a reasonable delay.
Exception · 异常
A shipment, document, customs, address or delivery condition requiring attention; it is not the same as a system error.
Claim submission / Claim assessment · 索赔申请／理赔审核
The submission of evidence for review and the assessment of liability, evidence and amount under applicable terms. Submission does not establish payment.
Rates API · 运价 API
An interface returning currently available rate or option data from authorised request parameters; charges retain the source currency and validity.
Request ID · 请求编号
A unique or correlatable identifier used to trace an API request and investigate issues.
Webhook notification · 回调通知
A mechanism for sending events to a registered endpoint; production use should define signature verification, replay protection and retry rules.