Operations Vocabulary
Shipping Terms
Complete maritime shipping vocabulary reference with searchable terms used in operations, compliance, and port logistics.
Showing 25 of 392 terms
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| OPEN RATES | Pricing systems that are flexible and not subject to conference approval. Usually applied to products in which tramps are substituted for liners. |
| OPEN REGISTRY | A term used in place of 'flag of convenience' or 'flag of necessity' to denote registry in a country which offers favorable tax, regulatory, and other incentives to ship owners from other nations. |
| ORDINARY SEAMAN | A deck crew member who is subordinate to the Able Bodied Seamen. |
| ORE | OIL CARRIER - A ship designed to carry either ore or oil in bulk |
| ORE CARRIER | A large ship designed to be used for the carnage of ore. Because of the high density of ore, ore carriers have a relatively high center of gravity to prevent them being still when at sea, that is, rolling heavily with possible stress to the hull. |
| OUARTERMASTER/HELMSMAN | An able-bodied seamen entrusted with the steering of a vessel. |
| OVERTONNAGING | A situation where there are too many ships generally or in a particular trade for the level of available cargoes. |
| P & I | Protection and indemnity insurance |
| P.L. 480 | Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954. |
| P.L. 664 | Mandates that 50 percent of government impelled cargoes be carried under U.S. flag. Known as the 50/50 shipping law. |
| P&I | Protection and Indemnity( Insurance ) |
| PALLET | flat tray, generally made of wood but occasionally of steel, on which goods particularly those in boxes, cartons or bags, can be stacked. Its purpose is to facilitate the movement of such goods, mainly by the use of forklift trucks. |
| PANAMAX | A vessel designed to be just small enough to transit the Panama Canal |
| PASSENGER SHIP | A passenger ship that its authorized to carry over twelve passengers. |
| PER CONTAINER RATE | Rates and/or changes on shipments transported in containers or trailers and rated on the basis of the category of the container or trailer. |
| PERSONAL FLOATATION DEVICE | Approved floats meant as life preservers and carried on board American ships. |
| PILOT | A person who is qualified to assist the master of a ship to navigate when entering or leaving a port. |
| PILOT HOUSE | The enclosed space on the navigating bridge from which a ship is controlled when under way. |
| PILOTAGE | The act carried out by a pilot of assisting the master of a ship in navigation when entering or leaving a port. Sometimes used to define the fee payable for the services of a pilot. |
| PILOTAGE DUES | A fee payable by the owner or operator of a ship for the services of a pilot. This fee is normally based on the ship's tonnage. |
| PMA | Pacific Maritime Association. |
| POOLING | The sharing of cargo or the profit or loss from freight by member lines of a liner conference. Pooling arrangements do not exist in all conferences. |
| PORT CIP | Contracts with berth CIP. NOR can be given when within commercial limits of the port |
| POST | PANAMAX - A vessel to wide to pass through the Panama Canal. |
| PR | 17 - Public Resolution which requires that U.S. Government financed cargoes (Eximbank) must be shipped 100% in U.S. flag ships, but that the requirement may be waived up to 50% in some cases. |