S

Safe Working Load
Abbreviation: SWL
The maximum load any lifting appliance may handle.

Safety Stock

1. In general, a quantity of stock planned to be in inventory to protect against fluctuations in demand and/or supply.
2. In the context of master production scheduling, safety stock can refer to additional inventory and/or capacity planned as protection against forecast errors and/or short terms changes in the backlog. Also referred to as 'overplanning' or a 'market hedge'.

Said to Contain
Abbreviation: STC
Term in a Bill of Lading signifying that the master and the carrier are unaware of the nature or quantity of the contents of e.g. a carton, crate, container or bundle and are relying on the description furnished by the shipper.

Salvage
The saving or rescue of a vessel and/or the cargo from loss and/or damage at sea.

Scale Ton
Freighting measurement used in certain trades for various commodities.

Schedule
A timetable including arrival/departure times of ocean- and feeder vessels and also inland transportation.
It refers to named ports in a specific voyage (journey) within a certain trade indicating the voyage number(s).
In general: The plan of times for starting and/or finishing activities.

SCP Simplified Clearance Procedure
A procedure covering non-restricted goods which enables approved exporters or agents to export goods on presentation of minimum information. The full statistical information is supplied within 14 days of shipment.

SCR
See Specific Commodity Rate.

SDR
See Special Drawing Rights.

Seal
A device used for containers, lockers, trucks or lorries to proof relevant parties that they have remained closed during transport.

Seal Log
A document used to record seal numbers.

Seasonal Inventory
Inventory built up in anticipation of a seasonal peak of demand in order to smooth production.

Seaworthiness
Fitness of a vessel to travel in open sea mostly related to a particular voyage with a particular cargo.

Sectional Rate
The rate established by scheduled air carrier(s) for a section of a through route (aircargo).

SED
See Shipper's Export Declaration.

Segregation
Distance required by the rules of IMDG or BC codes between the various commodities of dangerous and or bulk cargoes.

Seller's Market
A 'seller's market' is considered to exist when goods cannot easily be secured and when the economic forces of business tend to be priced at the vendor's estimate of value. In other words, a state of trade favourable to the seller, with relatively great demand and high prices of something for sale.

Semi Trailer
A vehicle without motive power and with one or more axles designed to be drawn by a truck tractor and constructed in such way that a portion of its weight and that of its load rest upon e.g. the fifth wheel of the towing vehicle.

Sender
See Shipper.

Service Bill
A service Bill (of Lading) is a contract of carriage issued by one carrier to another for documentary and internal control purposes (e.g. in case P&O Nedlloyd cargo is carried on a non P&O Nedlloyd vessel. Synonym Memo Bill of Lading).
-For internal documentary and control purposes a so-called participating agent in a consortium uses some kind of document which, depending on the trade, is referred to as 'Memo Bill' which will among others state:
-Name of Carrier on whose behalf the original document (Way Bill, Bill of Lading, etc.) was issued.
The original document number.
The agent who issued the original document and his opponent at the discharging side.
The number of packages, weight and measurement, marks and numbers and goods description.
Further mandatory details in case of special cargo.
No freight details will be mentioned and the Memo Bill is not a contract of carriage.
See Bill of Lading.

Service Level
A measure for the extent to which the customer orders can be executed at delivery conditions normally accepted in the market.

Setting/Air Delivery Temperature
An indication in the documents (B/L) stating the air supply temperature to the container.
Note: No other details than this temperature shall be included in the Bill of Lading.

Settlement Office
The institution to issue billing to and receive remittances from agents and to distribute the monies to CASS airlines, Billing Participants and Part Participants (aircargo).

Shed
See Warehouse.

Shelf Life
The specified length of time prior to use for which items which are inherently subject to deterioration are deemed to remain fit for use under prescribed conditions.
Synonym: Storage life.

Shift
Part of the work-programm of a stevedoring company (a working day can have up to 3 shifts (24 hours)).

Ship
See Vessel.

Ship Broker
Acts as intermediary between shipowners or carriers by sea on the one hand and cargo interests on the other. The functions are to act as forwarding agent or custom broker, fixing of charters, and acting as chartering agent.

Ship's Protest
Statement of the master of a vessel before (in the presence of) competent authorities, concerning exceptional events which occurred during a voyage.

Shipment
A separately identifiable collection of goods to be carried.
See Consignment.
Note: In the United States of America the word shipment is used instead of the word consignment.

Shipoperator
A ship operator is either the shipowner or the (legal) person responsible for the actual management of the vessel and its crew.

Shipowner
The (legal) person officially registered as such in the certificate of registry where the following particulars are contained.
Name of vessel and port of registry.
Details contained in surveyors certificate.
The particulars respecting the origin stated in the declaration of ownership.
The name and description of the registered owner, if more than one owner the proportionate share of each.

Shipper
The merchant (person) by whom, in whose name or on whose behalf a contract of carriage of goods has been concluded with a carrier or any party by whom, in whose name or on whose behalf the goods are actually delivered to the carrier in relation to the contract of carriage.
Synonym: Consignor, Sender.

Shipper's Export Declaration
Abbreviation: SED
A United States customs form to be completed for all exports to assist the government in compiling export statistics.

Shipper's Letter of Instruction
Abbreviation: SLI
A document containing instructions given by the shipper or the shipper's agent for preparing documents and forwarding (aircargo).

Shipping Documents
Documents required for the carriage of goods.
Synonym: Transport Documents.

Shipping Instruction
Document advising details of cargo and exporter's requirements of its physical movement.

Shipping Label
A label attached to a shipping unit, containing certain data.

Shipping Marks
The identification shown on individual packages in order to help in moving it without delay or confusion to its final destination and to enable the checking of cargo against documents.
Synonym: Marks.

Shipping Note
Document provided by the shipper or his agent to the carrier, multimodal transport operator, terminal or other receiving authority, giving information about export consignments offered for transport, and providing for the necessary receipts and declarations of liability.

Shortage
The negative difference between actual available or delivered quantity and the required quantity.

Shrink Wrapping
Heat treatment that shrinks an envelope of poly-ethylene or similar substance around several units, thus forming one unit. It is used e.g. to secure packages on a pallet.

Shut-out
Containers not carried on intended vessel.

Shuttle Service
The carriage back and forth over an often short route between two points.

SIC
See Standard Industrial Classification.

Siding
A short railroad track connected with a main track by a switch to serve a warehouse or an industrial area.

Simulation
The imitation of the reality for studying the effect of changing parameters in a model as a means of preparing a decision.

Single Administrative Document
Abbreviation: SAD
A set of documents, replacing the various (national) forms for customs declaration within European Community, implemented on January 1st, 1988. The introduction of the SAD constitutes an intermediate stage in the abolition of all administrative documentation in intra European Community trade in goods between member states.

Single Market
In which the twelve member states of the European Community form a Single Market in which there is free movement of goods, persons, services and capital. Came into being 01 01 1993, when export and import Custom entries were abolished for intra-community trade.

SITPRO
National organization for the Simplification of International Trade PROcedures in the United Kingdom (e.g. in The Netherlands SITPRO is called 'Sitproneth', in France 'Simprofrance' and in Japan 'Jastpro').

Skeleton Trailer
Road trailer consisting of a frame and wheels, specially designed to carry containers.
See chassis.

Skids
Battens fitted underneath frames, boxes or packages to raise them off the floor and allow easy access for fork lift trucks, slings or other handling equipment.

SLI
See Shipper's Letter of Instruction.

Sliding Tandem
An undercarriage with a subframe having provision for convenient fore and aft adjustment of its position on the chassis/semi-trailer. The purpose being to be able to shift part of the load to either the king pin or the suspension to maximize legally permitted axle loads (road cargo).

Sling
Special chain, wire rope, synthetic fibre strap or ropes used for cargo handling purposes.

Slot
The space on board a vessel, required by one TEU, mainly used for administrative purposes.

Slot Charter
A voyage charter whereby the shipowner agrees to place a certain number of container slots (TEU and/or FEU) at the charterer's disposal.

SOB - Shipped on board
An endorsment on a B/L confirming loading of goods on the vessel. See also Cell Position.

Sourcing

1. The management on purpose of the various origins of products or materials on behalf of the recipient of these products or materials.
   
2. In some industries sourcing is seen as the change from push to pull delivery for a number of fast moving items.
3. Within P&O Nedlloyd sourcing is specially dedicated to the retail industry acting as an intermediary between suppliers and the market with an integrated service for e.g. supermarkets or large department stores.

Special Drawing Rights
Abbreviation: SDR
Unit of account from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), i.a. used to express the amount of the limitations of a carrier's liability.

Special Rate
A rate other than a normal rate (aircargo).

Specific Commodity Rate
Abbreviation: SCR
A rate applicable to carriage of specifically designated commodities (aircargo).

Specified Rate
A rate specified in an IATA Cargo Tariff Coordination Conference resolution (aircargo).

Spoke
The stretch between a hub and one of the group of consignees and/or consignors being served by the hub.
Spontaneous Ignition Temperature
The lowest temperature at which a substance will start burning spontaneously without an external source of ignition.

Spreader

1. Device used for lifting containers and unitized cargo.
2. Beam or frame that holds the slings vertical when hoisting a load, to prevent damage to cargo.

Stack
An identifiable amount of containers stowed in a orderly way in one specified place on an (ocean) terminal, container freight station, container yard or depot (see container stack).

Stacking
To pile boxes, bags, containers etc. on top of each other.

Stackweight
The total weight of the containers and cargo in a certain row.

Standard Costs
A carefully prepared estimate of the cost of performing a given operation under specified conditions.
In P&O Nedlloyd, standard costs are determined for operations called 'standard Work Orders'.
Note: A standard work order describes a standard operation for which a standard cost is to be established.

Standard Industrial Classification
Abbreviation: SIC
A method, used in the United States, to categorize companies into different industrial groupings.

Standard Product Module
Abbreviation: SPM
The building blocks used by business management to define services (shipment products) which can be offered to customers. They describe a more or less isolated set of activities with a standard cost attached to it. For operations management each module defines a combination of standard operations that needs to be carried out for a customer.
Note: SPM's can be regarded as the interface between business and operations management.

Starboard
Right side of a vessel when facing towards the front or forward end.

State of Origin
The state in the territory in which the cargo was first loaded on board of an aircraft (aircargo).

State of the Operator
The state in which the operator has his principal place of business or, if he has no such place of business, his permanent residence (aircargo).

STC
See Said To Contain.

Steering of Containers
The function, with the aid of specific software for tracking and forecasting (IRMA, MINKA), to direct empty containers to demanding areas at minimum costs.

Stem
The foremost part of a vessel.

Stern
The aftermost part of a vessel.

Stevedore
A party running a business of which the functions are loading, stowing and discharging vessels.

Stock
The materials in a supply chain or in a segment of a supply chain, expressed in quantities, locations and or values.
Synonym: Inventory when used as a generic term, common in the USA and extensive in the UK.

Stock Control
The systematic administration of stocklevels with respect to quantity at all times.

Stock Keeping Unit
The description of the unit of measurement by which the stock items are recorded on the stock record.

Stock Locator System
A system in which all places within a warehouse are named or numbered.

Stock Point
A point in the supply chain meant to keep materials available.

Stock Record
A record of the quantity of stock of a single item, often containing a history of recent transactions and information for controlling the replenishment of stock.

Storage
The activity of placing goods into a store or the state of being in store (e.g. a warehouse).

Storage Charge
The fee for keeping goods in a warehouse.

Stores
Provisions and supplies on board required for running a vessel.

Stowage
The placing and securing of cargo or containers on board a vessel or an aircraft or of cargo in a container.

Stowage Factor
Ratio of a cargo's cubic measurement to its weight, expressed in cubic feet to the ton or cubic metres to the tonne, used in order to determine the total quantity of cargo which can be loaded in a certain space.

Stowage Instructions
Imperative details about the way certain cargo is to be stowed, given by the shipper or his agent.

Stowage Plan
A plan indicating the locations on the vessel of all the consignments for the benefit of stevedores and vessel's officers.

Stowaway
An unwanted person who hides on board of a vessel or an aircraft to get free passage, to evade port officials etc.

Straddle Carrier
Wheeled vehicle designed to lift and carry shipping containers within its own framework. It is used for moving, and sometimes stacking, shipping containers at a container terminal.

Straddle Crane
A crane usually running on rails and spanning an open area such as rail-tracks or roadways.

Strap
A band of metal, plastic or other flexible material used to hold cargo or cases together.

Stretch

1. P&O Nedlloyd: Part of the total transport chain (trade route) including overland transport identified by place of receipt, ports of call and place of delivery i.e. it has one location or an address as a starting and or ending point.
2. The leg between two points.

Stuffing
The loading of cargo into a container.
Synonym: Vanning, Packing.

Suboptimizing
Striving for optimum performance in one element of an organization disregarding the effects this may cause to the performance of the other elements. In other words, a solution for a problem that is best from a narrow point of view but not from a higher or overall company point of view.

Substretch
Part of a stretch. This term is used if it is necessary to distinguish between a stretch and a part thereof.

Supercargo
Experienced officer assigned by the charterer of a vessel to advise the management of the vessel and protect the interests of the charterer.

Supply Chain
A sequence of events in a goods flow which adds to the value of a specific good. These events may include:
-conversion
-assembling and/or disassembling
-movements and placements

Supply Vessel
Vessel which carries stock and stores to offshore drilling rigs, platforms.

Surcharge
An additional charge added to the usual or customary freight.

Survey
An inspection of a certain item or object by a recognized specialist.

Surveyor
A specialist who carries out surveys.
Note: A surveyor is quite representing a classification bureau or a governmental body.

SWL
See Safe Working Load.

Swop Body
Separate unit without wheels to carry cargo via road sometimes equipped with legs to be used to carry cargo intermodal within Europe.
The advantage being that this unit can be left behind to load or discharge whilst the driver with the truck/chassis can change to another unit.
These units are not used for sea transport.

Synergy
The simultaneous joint action of separate parties which, together, have greater total effect than the sum of their individual effects.

System
A whole body of connected elements which influence each other and have specific relations with the environment.