Work and freight words

The shipping paper listing the freight, its shipper, and its receiver.

It is your receipt, your contract, and your proof of what you loaded. Count the freight and note any damage before you sign at pickup and at delivery. For hazmat, the bill of lading can serve as the shipping paper.

Not the same as: Not the proof of delivery (POD); the POD is the copy signed by the receiver after unloading.

The receiver's signed confirmation that the freight arrived.

Usually it is the bill of lading signed and stamped at delivery. Photograph it and send it to dispatch right away; a lost POD delays everyone's paperwork.

Not on the knowledge test; you will hear it at work from dispatch and brokers.

A paid warehouse worker who unloads or loads your trailer.

Lumpers work for a service company, not for the shipper, carrier, or receiver. The driver often pays the lumper up front and the carrier reimburses it. Unloading it yourself instead is a real injury risk.

Not on the knowledge test; you will hear it at work, mostly at grocery and retail warehouses.

Dock waiting time beyond the free time for loading or unloading.

Detention pay is money for that waiting, when the contract includes it. Waiting counts against your on-duty clock, so long waits also cost you driving time. Record your arrival and departure times.

Not on the knowledge test; you will hear it at work when dock waits run long.

A forced wait between loads, often overnight.

Many carriers pay a flat layover amount for each day you wait, but only if the contract says so. Ask how layover is counted before you sign on.

Not on the knowledge test; you will hear it at work and in job offers.

Driving an empty trailer, or none, to the next load.

Some carriers pay deadhead miles, some pay less for them, some not at all. An empty trailer also handles differently: it bounces more and the wheels lock up more easily.

Not on the knowledge test by name, though questions ask how empty trailers brake; at work dispatch quotes deadhead miles.

A tractor driven without a trailer attached.

Without the trailer's weight on the drive axles, a bobtail has little traction and can take longer to stop than a loaded rig. Brake gently and leave extra room.

Not the same as: Not a short trailer or a kind of truck; it describes the tractor alone.

A refrigerated trailer with its own cooling unit.

The reefer unit runs on its own diesel tank and must be set to the temperature on the paperwork. Hanging meat in a reefer is a high, unstable load; slow down on curves and ramps.

Not named on the test, but questions ask about hanging meat in a refrigerated truck as an unstable load with a high center of gravity.

Not the same as: In trucking it is a trailer, not slang for cannabis.

A closed box trailer without temperature control, for general freight.

The most common trailer on US highways. It protects freight from weather and theft but still needs blocking or bracing inside so cargo cannot shift.

Not named on the test; cargo questions call it a closed van and ask about securing cargo inside it.

An open, flat trailer with no sides or roof.

Everything on a flatbed must be tied down because nothing else holds it. Flatbed loads catch crosswinds and need a minimum number of tie-downs based on length.

Swapping your trailer for another at the customer, with no dock wait.

Fast, because nobody unloads while you wait. You still do a full coupling check and inspect the new trailer, its tires, lights, and brakes before leaving.

Not on the knowledge test by name, but coupling and uncoupling steps are tested in detail; you will hear it in job ads.

Loading or unloading that you wait for at the dock.

The opposite of drop and hook. It can take hours, and waiting time counts as on-duty, so detention rules matter.

Not on the knowledge test; you will hear it at work and in job offers.

The carrier's person who assigns your loads and takes your calls.

Your dispatcher gives you pickup and delivery times and route instructions. Call dispatch when you are delayed, have a breakdown, or find a problem with hazmat papers or placards.

Not the same as: Dispatch cannot authorize you to break a rule, such as hauling placarded hazmat without the endorsement.

A licensed middleman who arranges loads between shippers and carriers.

The broker keeps part of what the shipper pays and passes the rest to the carrier. Owner-operators deal with brokers directly; company drivers usually go through dispatch.

Not on the knowledge test; you will hear it at work, especially if you run your own authority.

Not the same as: Not a dispatcher: a broker represents the shipper's load, not your truck.

An online marketplace where loads and available trucks are posted.

Mostly used by owner-operators and small carriers to find the next load. Rates there change daily with supply and demand.

Not on the knowledge test; you will hear it at work from owner-operators and brokers.

A driver who runs their own truck as a business.

You pay for fuel, repairs, insurance, and taxes yourself. Many owner-operators lease onto a carrier and pay it a share of every load for the use of its authority. Compare your cost per mile, not just the rate per mile.

Not on the knowledge test; the manual mentions independent truckers only in passing, for hazmat route planning.

Not the same as: Not the same as lease-purchase, where the carrier controls the truck lease and deducts payments from your settlements.

Leasing a truck from a carrier, with payments deducted from your settlements.

The payment comes out even in weeks with little freight. Read the whole contract: who controls repairs, what happens if you quit, and whether escrow money is refundable. A researcher who studied these programs did not find a driver who had completed one.

Not on the knowledge test; you will hear it from recruiters, who often pitch it to new drivers.

Not the same as: Not ownership: until the final payment the carrier or its leasing company owns the truck.

A daily allowance for meals and expenses while away from home.

Latin for 'per day'. Some carriers reclassify part of your pay as per diem: more take-home now, but lower taxable wages, which can lower future Social Security benefits. Ask how it is calculated.

Not on the knowledge test; you will see it in job offers and on pay stubs.

Long-haul trucking across many states, away from home for weeks.

Most new drivers start OTR because that is where most entry-level jobs are. You live in the sleeper berth and plan your days around the hours of service (HOS) rules.

Not on the knowledge test; the test's hours of service and fatigue questions describe the OTR life without naming it.

Trucking within one region, with home time every week or two.

A middle option between OTR and local. Routes repeat, so you learn the roads, shippers, and weigh stations.

Not on the knowledge test; you will see it in job ads.

Trucking within one city or area, home every night.

Often paid by the hour, with many stops and more city driving and backing. On the test, 'local' usually means local laws and limits, not this job type.

Not the same as: In test questions, 'local' refers to city or county rules ('federal, state, and local'), not to local driving jobs.

A job hauling for one customer on a set, predictable schedule.

Same shippers, same roads, same days. Less variety, but you know your home time in advance.

Not on the knowledge test; you will see it in job ads.

Two drivers sharing one truck, one driving while the other rests.

Teams cover far more miles than a solo driver, which is why carriers use them for urgent freight. For many new drivers, the first weeks after school with a trainer turn into team driving. Ask who your partner will be and how to change partners.

Not on the knowledge test; the sleeper berth rules you learn there are what make team driving work.

The business that sends the freight and prepares its paperwork.

For hazmat, the shipper packages the material, puts hazard labels on packages, prepares the shipping papers, and supplies placards. The driver checks that work before leaving.

Not the same as: Not the carrier: the shipper owns and prepares the goods; the carrier moves them.

The business or person the freight is delivered to; the consignee.

The receiver signs for the load, and that signature becomes your proof of delivery. For hazardous waste, the manifest is signed at delivery too, and you keep a copy.

A load that takes you back toward home after a delivery.

Headhaul is the busy direction; backhaul is the return trip, so rates are usually lower. A backhaul still beats deadheading home empty.

Not on the knowledge test; you will hear it at work from dispatch and brokers.