Glossary of Terms - B

B/L

See Bill of Lading

Back Haul

The return movement of a means of transport which has already provided a transport service in one direction.

Bill of Health

The Bill of Health is the certificate issued by local medical authorities indicating the general health conditions in the port of departure or in the ports of call. The Bill of Health must be visited before departure by the Consul of the country of destination.

When a vessel has free pratique, this means that the vessel has a clean Bill of Health certifying that there is no question of contagious disease and that all quarantine regulations have been complied with, so that people may embark and disembark.

Bill of Lading

A Bill of Lading is a receipt for goods shipped, evidence of the contract of carriage and a document of title i.e. it represents the goods and facilities transfer from one party to another.

Bill of Lading Clause

A particular article, stipulation or single proviso in a Bill of Lading. A clause can be standard and can be pre-printed on the B/L.

Block Train

A number of railway wagons (loaded with containers), departing from a certain place and running straight to a place of destination, without marshalling, transhipping or any coupling or de-coupling of wagons.

Bonded

The storage of certain goods under charge of customs, i.e. customs seal until the import duties are paid or until the goods are taken out of the country.

Bonded warehouse (place where goods can be placed under bond).

Bonded store (place on a vessel where goods are placed behind seal until the time that the vessel leaves the port or country again).

Bonded goods (dutiable goods upon which duties have not been paid i.e. goods in transit or warehoused pending customs clearance).

Bordereau

Document used in road transport, listing the cargo carried on a road vehicle, often referring to appended copies of the road consignment note.

Box

Colloquial name for container

Box Pallet

Pallet with at least three fixed, removable or collapsible, vertical sides.

Break Bulk

To commence discharge.

To strip unitised cargo.

Break Bulk Cargo

General cargo conventionally stowed as opposed to unitised, containerised and Roll On-Roll Off cargo.

Break-even Weight

The weight at which it is cheaper to charge the lower rate for the next higher weight-break multiplied by the minimum weight indicated, than to charge the higher rate for the actual weight of the shipment.

Broken Stowage

The cargo space which is unavoidably lost when stowing cargo. The percentage of wasted space depends upon e.g. the kind of cargo, the packing and the used spaces.

Broker

Person who acts as an intermediary in negotiating contracts.

Brussels Tariff Nomenclature

The old Customs Co-operation Council Nomenclature for the classification of goods. Now replaced by the Harmonised System.

Buffer Stock

A quantity of goods or articles kept in store to safeguard against unforeseen shortages or demands.

Bulk Carrier

Single deck vessel designed to carry homogeneous unpacked dry cargoes such as grain, iron ore and coal.

Bulk Container

A container designed for the carriage of free-flowing dry cargoes, which are loaded through hatchways in the roof of the container and discharged through hatchways at one end of the container.

Bunker

(Tank) spaces on board a vessel to store fuel.

Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF)

Adjustment applied by liner conferences to offset the effect of fluctuations in the cost of bunkers.

Bunkers

Quantity of fuel onboard a vessel.