Resources
Logistics & equipment glossary
Plain-English definitions of the freight, customs, crane and equipment terms you will meet when moving and lifting cargo in the UAE.
- Air waybill (AWB)
- The transport document for air cargo, issued by the airline or its agent. Unlike most bills of lading, it is not a document of title. Learn more →
- All-terrain crane
- A multi-axle mobile crane that can travel on public roads and also manoeuvre on rough site ground. Learn more →
- Backhoe loader (JCB)
- A machine with a loader bucket at the front and a digging arm at the back. Commonly called a JCB in the UAE. Learn more →
- Bill of lading (B/L)
- The carrier's document for sea cargo: a receipt, evidence of the contract of carriage and often a document of title. Learn more →
- Boom truck / HIAB
- A flatbed truck with its own knuckle-boom loader crane that can load, deliver and place cargo. Learn more →
- Breakbulk
- Cargo shipped as individual pieces rather than in containers — typically large machinery or project cargo. Learn more →
- Chargeable weight
- The weight air freight is billed on: the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight. Learn more →
- Container de-stuffing
- Unloading cargo from a shipping container, usually at a warehouse. Learn more →
- Crawler crane
- A crane on tracks, usually with a lattice boom, used for heavy lifts and long projects. Learn more →
- Cross-docking
- Transferring cargo directly from inbound to outbound vehicles with little or no storage time. Learn more →
- Customs clearance
- Declaring goods to customs, paying any duties and obtaining release. Learn more →
- Demurrage
- A shipping-line charge generally applied while a full container stays at the port beyond its free time. Learn more →
- Detention
- A shipping-line charge generally applied while a container is kept outside the port beyond its free time. Learn more →
- FCL / LCL
- Full container load (a container for one shipper) and less-than-container load (shared container). Learn more →
- Free zone
- An economic zone generally outside the UAE customs territory for duty purposes; goods moving to the mainland usually need an import declaration. Learn more →
- HS code
- The Harmonized System product code used by customs to classify goods and apply duty and controls. Learn more →
- Incoterms
- Standard trade terms (such as EXW, FOB, CIF, DAP, DDP) that define who pays for and carries risk on each leg. Learn more →
- Lift plan
- A written plan for a crane lift covering load, crane configuration, rigging, ground and safety controls. Learn more →
- Load centre
- The distance from a forklift's fork face to the load's centre of gravity, which affects safe capacity. Learn more →
- Lowbed trailer
- A trailer with a low deck for transporting tall or heavy machinery within height limits. Learn more →
- Man lift
- An aerial work platform that raises people and tools to work safely at height. Learn more →
- Mobile crane
- A self-propelled crane with a telescopic boom on a wheeled carrier. Ferry Global's fleet covers 25 to 130 ton. Learn more →
- Outriggers
- Extendable legs that stabilise a crane or machine by spreading its load over a wider base. Learn more →
- Pick-and-carry crane
- A crane that can lift a load and travel with it around a yard or plant. Learn more →
- Project cargo
- Large, heavy or complex cargo for a specific project that needs special transport and lifting planning. Learn more →
- Radius (crane)
- The horizontal distance from the crane's centre of rotation to the load — capacity falls as radius increases. Learn more →
- Rough-terrain crane
- A big-tyred four-wheel-drive crane built for unpaved and uneven sites. Learn more →
- Shovel (wheel loader)
- A wheeled machine with a large front bucket for loading and moving material. Called a shovel in the UAE. Learn more →
- Telehandler (boom loader)
- A lifting machine with a telescopic boom that places loads at height and reach. Called a boom loader in the UAE. Learn more →
- Tower crane
- A crane fixed to a foundation that rises with a building, used for long-term high-rise construction. Learn more →
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