The A to Z Dictionary of Indian Road Logistics (2026 Edition)

A

Advance Shipping Notice (ASN)
A pre-shipment notification shared before arrival, detailing SKUs, quantities, and expected delivery time to prepare receiving operations.

Asset Utilization
Measurement of how effectively vehicles, drivers, and infrastructure are used across operating hours.

B

Backhaul
Return movement of a vehicle carrying freight instead of running empty, improving fleet utilization.

Bill of Lading (BOL)
Legal document acknowledging receipt of goods and defining shipment ownership and liability.

Break-Bulk Cargo
Goods handled as individual units rather than containers.

C

Carrier
The entity responsible for physically transporting goods.

Consignor
The party dispatching goods and initiating shipment.

Consignee
The party receiving goods at destination.

Control Tower
A centralized logistics monitoring layer providing real-time visibility across orders, inventory, vehicles, and exceptions.

Cross-Docking
Direct transfer of inbound goods to outbound vehicles with minimal or no storage.

D

Deadhead / Empty Miles
Distance traveled without cargo, increasing operational cost.

Delivery Exception
Any deviation from planned delivery such as delay, damage, or refusal.

Demurrage
Charges applied for holding containers or equipment beyond free time.

Detention
Charges applied when vehicles wait beyond free loading or unloading time.

Dispatch Planning
Process of scheduling vehicles, assigning loads, and sequencing deliveries to meet cut-offs.

Docket
Transport document issued by road carriers containing shipment and routing details.

E

e-Way Bill
Mandatory electronic document for goods movement beyond specified value thresholds.

ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival)
Predicted arrival time based on route, traffic, and real-time tracking.

Exception Management
Process of identifying and resolving logistics deviations.

F

Fleet Management System (FMS)
Software managing vehicles, drivers, fuel usage, maintenance, and compliance.

Freight Audit
Verification of freight invoices against contracted rates and services.

Full Truck Load (FTL)
Shipment occupying an entire vehicle.

G

Gate-In / Gate-Out Time
Vehicle entry and exit timestamps at logistics facilities.

GPS Tracking
Real-time vehicle location monitoring.

Goods Receipt Note (GRN)
Confirmation of goods received at destination.

H

Hub-and-Spoke Model
Network design where freight moves through central hubs before regional distribution.

Hazardous Cargo
Goods requiring special handling due to safety risks.

I

Inbound Logistics
Movement of goods from suppliers to warehouses or plants.

Inventory Accuracy
Match between system stock records and physical inventory.

Inventory Turnover
Measure of how frequently inventory is dispatched over a period.

J

Just-in-Time (JIT)
Inventory strategy minimizing holding by precise replenishment.

Just-in-Case (JIC)
Inventory strategy holding buffer stock to absorb uncertainty.

K

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
Metrics such as OTIF, TAT, utilization, and cost per km used to measure logistics performance.

Kitting
Warehouse process of assembling multiple SKUs into a single dispatch unit.

L

Lane Management
Performance monitoring and optimization of fixed transport routes.

Last-Mile Delivery
Final delivery leg from hub or warehouse to end customer.

Line Haul
Long-distance freight movement between major hubs.

Load Factor
Percentage of vehicle capacity utilized.

Logistics Management System (LMS)
End-to-end platform integrating OMS, WMS, TMS, and FMS for unified control.

M

Milk Run
Single vehicle route serving multiple pickup or drop points.

MIS Reporting
Operational performance reporting for decision-making.

Material Handling Equipment (MHE)
Forklifts, conveyors, pallet jacks used in warehouses.

N

Network Design
Strategic planning of hubs, routes, and fleet deployment.

NDR (Non-Delivery Report)
Reason logged when delivery fails.

O

OMS (Order Management System)
Software managing order capture, allocation, routing, fulfillment, and delivery confirmation.

OTIF (On-Time In-Full)
Delivery performance metric measuring on-time and complete order fulfillment.

Outbound Logistics
Movement of goods from warehouses to customers.

Out-for-Delivery (OFD)
Shipment status indicating final delivery attempt.

P

POD (Proof of Delivery)
Confirmation that goods were delivered successfully.

PTL (Part Truck Load)
Shared vehicle shipment model.

Pick-Up SLA
Committed time for vehicle arrival at shipper location.

Putaway
Movement of received goods from inbound dock to storage locations.

Q

Queue Time
Waiting time for vehicles at docks or yards.

Quick Commerce (Q-Commerce)
Ultra-fast delivery model using micro-fulfillment centers.

R

Rate Card
Predefined pricing structure for freight lanes and services.

Reverse Logistics
Movement of goods from customer back to warehouse or origin.

Route Optimization
Algorithm-driven route planning to reduce cost and transit time.

RTO (Return to Origin)
Shipment returned due to failed delivery.

S

Safety Stock
Buffer inventory held to prevent stockouts.

Service Level Agreement (SLA)
Contractually defined performance commitments.

Shipment Visibility
Real-time view of shipment status across transit stages.

Slotting Optimization
Strategic SKU placement within warehouses based on velocity.

T

TMS (Transportation Management System)
Platform used to plan, execute, optimize, and track transportation activities.

Telematics
Vehicle data covering fuel usage, speed, idling, and driver behavior.

Transshipment
Transfer of cargo between vehicles or hubs.

Turnaround Time (TAT)
Time spent by a vehicle at a facility.

U

Utilization Rate
Extent to which vehicle or warehouse capacity is used.

Unit Load
Single shipping unit such as pallet or carton.

V

Vehicle Downtime
Time vehicle is unavailable due to maintenance or delays.

Volume-Based Pricing
Freight pricing based on cubic volume.

W

WMS (Warehouse Management System)
Software controlling receiving, putaway, inventory, picking, packing, and dispatch.

Waybill
Transport document accompanying goods during transit.

X

X-Dock / Express Dock
Fast cargo transfer with minimal dwell time.

Y

YMS (Yard Management System)
System managing vehicle movement, dock allocation, and yard congestion.

Z

Zone-Based Pricing
Freight pricing structured by geographic zones.