Glossary

See Global Positioning System (GPS).

Can provide an exemption from new regulations or allow a business to continue operating under old regulations.

Regulations passed by the US states of Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota in the 1860s & 1870s to curb the cost of rail transport and grain elevator storage.

Water carriers that transport cargo on the five Great Lakes – Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie, and Ontario.

A quantitative technique to determine the lowest cost center for locating a plant or warehouse, considering inbound supplies and outbound shipments.

Equals the net sales minus the cost of goods sold. Also called the gross profit margin, which is gross profit divided by net sales.

The estimated total value of all the final products and services turned out in a given period by the means of production owned by a country's residents.

The total weight of a vehicle/trailer, railcar, or container and its cargo. Also, the weight of goods including packaging.

A worldwide barcode standards body. https://www.gs1.org/about/how-we-got-here

European Guidelines for Trade Data Interchange.

Global Trade Item Number. Used to uniquely identify trade items, and essentially an umbrella term used for identifiers previously called UPCs, EANs or JANs.

In U.S. railroading, loans backed by the federal government to finance development of railroad infrastructure.

Graphical User Interface. A way to communicate with electronic devices through graphical icons, menu options, etc.

A broad category that includes the costs associated with moving, transferring, preparing, and otherwise handling inventory.

Electronic information that is printed on paper.

International standardized system of names and numbers to classify traded products. Ensures consistency in classification for documentation and duty assessment.

The transportation of goods by truck. Also, used interchangeably with cartage and drayage.

See House Air Waybill (HAWB).

When subjects of an experimental study attempt to change or improve their behavior simply because it is being evaluated or studied. First observed in the 1920's.

See Dangerous Goods.

A substance the DOT has determined to be capable of posing a risk to health, safety, and property when stored or transported in commerce.

Leveling. Refers to the leveling of production, aimed at improving the flow of a process to better match customer demand and improve efficiency.

In accounting, an approach to group activity costs at the organizational level where they are incurred, or can be directly related to such as unit, batch, and process.

U.S. government program funded by taxes on motor fuels, tires, and trucks. Used for the construction and maintenance of highways and bridges and mass transit.

Taxes, such as the fuel tax, assessed by the federal and state governments that are designed to pay for the construction, maintenance, and policing of highways.