Glossary

The term Transhipment (also spelt Transshipment) can be used in a general sense to mean transportation of goods to an intermediate point and handover from one carrier to another. In global trade, transhipment is an important concept, because there may be letters of credit provided by banks related to goods in transit. In some cases, a letter of credit may ban transhipment. However, banks do not usually intend to ban normal hub-and-spoke operations.

A transistor is a semiconductor device used to switch and control electricity in a circuit. Transistors can be built both as individual components and as components in integrated circuits.

A Transport Management Systems (TMS) is a software tool which helps a shipper see what options at what cost are available to the shipper. A TMS will handle timings associated with each route; the order in which to load transport; optimisation of multi-segment deliveries; and compliance with documentation required for customs and shippers.

In general discussion, Transportation Planning relates to roads, railways, public transport and so on. For manufacturers and logistics organizations, it covers strategic and operational business processes to develop, optimize and use the transport links in their supply and distribution networks. Examples include choice of warehouse locations, decisions about logistics providers, matching transport and warehousing equipment to product and package profiles, delivery service levels such as out of hours and pallet unloading as well as operational processes such as load and route planning.