Dangerous Goods – Articles or substances capable of posing a significant risk to health, safety, or property, and that ordinarily require special attention when being transported.
DAT – Dangerous Articles Tariff.
Date Draft – A draft that matures in a specified number of days after issuance without regard to date of acceptance.
DCA (Department of Civil Aviation) – Denotes the government department of any foreign country that is responsible for aviation regulation and granting traffic rights.
DDC – Destination Delivery Charge.
DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) – Also known as “free domicile.”
DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid) – This reflects the emergence of “door-to-door” intermodal or courier contracts or carriage where only the destination customs duty and taxes (if any) are paid by consignee.
Dead Leg – A sector flown without payload.
Dead Freight – Freight charges paid by the charterer of a vessel for the contracted space which is left partially unoccupied.
Deck Cargo – Cargo carried on deck rather than stowed under deck. On-deck carriage is required for certain commodities, such as explosives.
Deferred Rebate – The return of a portion of the freight charges by a carrier or a conference shipper in exchange for the shipper giving all or most of his shipments to the carrier or conference over a specified period of time (usually six months). Payment of the rate is deferred for a further similar period, during which the shipper must continue to give all or most of his shipments to the rebating carrier or conference. The shipper thus earns a further rebate which will not, however, be paid without an additional period of exclusive or almost exclusive patronage with the carrier of conference. In this way, the shipper becomes tied to the rebating carrier or conference. Although the deferred rebate system is illegal in U.S. foreign commerce, it generally is accepted in the ocean trade between other countries.
Demurrage – A penalty for exceeding free time allowed for loading or unloading at a pier or freight terminal. Also a charge for undue detention of transportation equipment or carriers in port while loading or unloading.
Density – Density means pounds per cubic foot. The cubage of loose articles or pieces, or packaged articles of a rectangular, elliptical, or square shape on one plane, shall be determined by multiplying the greatest straight line dimensions of length, width, and depth in inches, including all projections, and dividing the total by 1728 (to obtain cubic feet). The density is the weight of the article divided by the cubic feet thus obtained.
DEQ – Delivered Ex Quay (duty paid).
DF– Dead Freight.
DGR – Dangerous Goods Requirement.
Dim Weight (Dimensionalized Weight) – An international airfreight formula determined by calculating length x width x height and dividing by 166. It is charged when the actual weight is less than the dimensionalized weight.
DO – Delivery Order.
Dock Receipt – When cargo is delivered to a steamship company at the pier, the receiving clerk issues a dock receipt.
DOT – U.S. Department of Transportation.
Draft – An unconditional order in writing from one person (the Drawer) to another (the Drawee), directing the drawee to pay a specified amount to a named drawer on a fixed date. Also known as a Bill of Exchange.
Drawback – A remission of duty or charges paid, in whole or in part, when imported goods are re-exported or used in the manufacture of exported goods.
Drawee – The individual or firm on whom a draft is drawn and who owes the stated amount to the drawer.
Dry Lease – The rental of a “clean” aircraft without crew, ground staff, or supporting equipment.
DST (Double Stack Train) – The transport by rail between two points of a trainload of containers with two containers per chassis, one on top of the other.
d.w. (deadweight) – The maximum carrying capacity of a ship expressed in tons of cargo, stores, provisions, and bunker fuel.
d.w.c. (deadweight cargo) – Cargo of such weight and volume that a long ton (2,240 lbs) is stowed in an area of less than 70 cubic feet.