Trucking Terms Glossary: 50 Terms Every Owner-Operator Should Know (2026)

Quick Answer

A trucking terms glossary defines the words owner-operators hear on load boards, rate confirmations and at roadside inspections. Business terms such as TONU, detention, lumper fee and dispatch fee are set by your contract or rate confirmation. Regulatory terms such as broker, BOC-3, MCS-150, HOS, ELD and DVIR have fixed legal definitions in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Key Takeaways

• A broker is "a person who, for compensation, arranges, or offers to arrange, the transportation of property by an authorized motor carrier" (49 CFR 371.2).
• FMCSA says "double brokering" is not defined by statute or regulation; it usually means acting as a broker without broker authority (88 FR 39368, June 16, 2023).
• The MCS-150 must be updated every 24 months, on a month set by the last digit of your USDOT number (49 CFR 390.19T).
• Property-carrying drivers get 11 hours of driving inside a 14-hour window after 10 consecutive hours off duty (49 CFR 395.3).
• The IRS special transportation-industry meal rate is $80 per day in the continental U.S. from October 1, 2026 (Notice 2026-60).
• Pay terms like TONU, detention and layover have no federal dollar amount. Whatever your rate confirmation says is what you can collect.

Acronyms at a Glance

Freight & Loads Terms

Shipper and Consignee

The shipper is the party that tenders freight to a carrier, and the consignee (receiver) is the party that takes delivery. FMCSA defines both in 49 CFR 390.5, and the bill of lading must name the consignor (shipper) and consignee.

PU/DEL (Pickup/Delivery)

PU/DEL is shorthand for pickup and delivery on load boards and rate confirmations. A listing like "PU Dallas 0800, DEL Memphis FCFS" gives the pickup city and time, then the delivery city and appointment type (FCFS means first come, first served).

FTL (Full Truckload) / Truckload

FTL, or truckload, means one shipper's freight fills or claims a whole trailer and moves from origin to destination without being combined with other freight. You are paid for the whole trailer, whether the freight cubes out or weighs out.

LTL (Less Than Truckload)

LTL freight is a shipment too small to need a full trailer, so the carrier combines several shippers' freight on one trailer. LTL usually moves through terminals with multiple handling stops, and is priced by weight, freight class and distance.

Live Load / Live Unload

A live load or live unload means the shipper or receiver loads or unloads the trailer while you wait at the dock. Your time at the dock counts as on-duty time under hours-of-service rules, which is why the free-time and detention terms in your rate confirmation matter.

Drop and Hook

Drop and hook means you drop a trailer at the facility and hook to a different trailer that is already loaded or empty, instead of waiting for a live load. It usually saves dock time, but only works when the facility has a trailer pool.

Deadhead

Deadhead is driving with an empty trailer, or bobtailing with no trailer, to get to your next pickup. Deadhead miles burn fuel and hours but usually pay nothing, so count them when you judge a load.

Backhaul

A backhaul is a load that brings you back toward your home base or a strong freight market after you deliver your outbound load. A backhaul at a lower rate can still beat deadheading empty.

Money & Paperwork Terms

Rate Confirmation

A rate confirmation (rate con) is the load-specific agreement between a broker and a carrier that states the pay, pickup and delivery details, and accessorial terms. Read it before you dispatch, because detention, TONU, layover and lumper reimbursement are usually only payable if they are in it. Under 49 CFR 371.3, each party to a brokered transaction has the right to review the broker's record of that transaction.

Accessorials

Accessorials are charges for work beyond the basic line-haul move, such as detention, layover, lumper fees, TONU, extra stops, tarping and driver assist. No federal schedule sets these amounts; the rate confirmation or carrier contract does.

Detention Pay

Detention pay compensates you when a shipper or receiver holds your truck past the agreed free time. Federal leasing rules define detention as "the holding by a consignor or consignee of a trailer... beyond the free time allocated for the shipment, under circumstances not attributable to the performance of the carrier" (49 CFR 376.2). The free time and hourly rate vary and are set by the rate confirmation.

Layover Pay

Layover pay compensates you when a load cannot be picked up or delivered on the scheduled day and you must wait overnight or longer. The amount and the conditions that trigger it vary by broker and are set by the rate confirmation.

Lumper Fee

A lumper fee is what a third-party unloading crew (a lumper) charges to load or unload a trailer. Federal law makes the shipper or receiver responsible for providing that help or paying its cost, and makes it unlawful to coerce a carrier into paying lumpers (49 U.S.C. 14103). In practice, carriers often pay at the dock and get reimbursed with a receipt, per the rate confirmation.

TONU (Truck Ordered Not Used)

TONU (truck ordered not used) is a fee paid to a carrier when a load is cancelled after the truck was dispatched or arrived at the shipper. There is no federal TONU amount; whether you get paid, and how much, depends on the rate confirmation.

Bill of Lading (BOL)

A bill of lading is the receipt and shipping contract for freight a carrier accepts. For general freight, 49 CFR 373.101 requires names of consignor and consignee, origin and destination, number of packages, description of freight, and weight or volume if used for rating. For household goods moves, 49 CFR 375.103 defines it as "both the receipt and the contract for the transportation of the individual shipper's household goods."

Transport Documents

Transport documents are the papers that describe, authorize and prove a shipment, such as the bill of lading, rate confirmation, proof of delivery, lumper receipts, permits and, for hazmat, shipping papers. Brokers and factoring companies usually need copies of them before they pay.

POD (Proof of Delivery)

A POD is the delivery receipt, usually the bill of lading signed by the consignee, showing the freight arrived and noting any shortages or damage. You normally submit the POD with your invoice to get paid.

Factoring

Factoring is selling your freight invoices to a factoring company, which pays you most of the invoice value quickly and collects from the broker or shipper later. The factor keeps a fee, which varies by contract, volume and whether the deal is recourse or non-recourse.

NOA (Notice of Assignment)

A notice of assignment (NOA) is the letter your factoring company sends a broker or shipper telling them to pay the factor, not you, for your invoices. Once a broker has the NOA, paying you directly can mean the broker has to pay twice.

RPM (Rate Per Mile)

RPM (rate per mile) is the total pay for a load divided by its miles. Figure it on loaded plus deadhead miles to see what the load really pays.

Cost Per Mile

Cost per mile (CPM) is your total operating cost, fixed (truck payment, insurance) plus variable (fuel, maintenance), divided by total miles driven. A load paying less than your CPM loses money. See our trucking cost per mile guide to calculate yours.

Per Diem

Per diem is a daily meal and incidental expense allowance for days you are away from home overnight. From October 1, 2026, the IRS special transportation-industry rate is $80 per day in the continental U.S. and $86 outside it (Notice 2026-60), and drivers subject to DOT hours-of-service limits can generally deduct 80% of meal expenses instead of 50% (IRS Publication 463).

Regulations & Compliance Terms

USDOT Number

A USDOT number is the identifier FMCSA assigns when a carrier files Form MCS-150, which 49 CFR 390.19T requires before an interstate carrier begins operations. Inspectors use it to pull your safety record.

MC Number

An MC number is the docket number FMCSA has historically issued with for-hire operating authority. As of October 2026, FMCSA's registration FAQ says the agency has proposed no longer assigning MC numbers so the USDOT number becomes the sole identifier, a change that would go through rulemaking (FMCSA). Read DOT number vs. MC number for what you need now.

BOC-3

A BOC-3 is the form that designates a process agent in each state who can accept legal papers for your company. Under 49 CFR 366.2T and 366.4T, a motor carrier must designate an agent for each state it is authorized to operate in and each state it travels through, and only one current form may be on file.

UCR (Unified Carrier Registration)

UCR is an annual federal-state registration with a fee. All interstate motor carriers (for-hire, private and exempt), brokers, freight forwarders and leasing companies are subject to it (UCR Plan). No UCR credential has to be carried in the truck; officers verify it electronically.

IRP (International Registration Plan)

IRP is the agreement among U.S. states and Canadian provinces that lets you register a truck once with apportioned plates and split the fees by distance driven in each jurisdiction. It applies to power units used in two or more member jurisdictions that have two axles and over 26,000 lbs, three or more axles regardless of weight, or a combination over 26,000 lbs (IRP).

IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement)

IFTA lets interstate carriers file one fuel tax return with their base jurisdiction, which redistributes the tax to the other states and provinces. It covers qualified motor vehicles: two axles and over 26,000 lbs, three or more axles regardless of weight, or a combination over 26,000 lbs (IFTA R245). Our IFTA reporting guide covers the quarterly filing.

MCS-150

The MCS-150 is the Motor Carrier Identification Report that creates and updates your USDOT registration. You must file it before you start operating and update it every 24 months, by the last day of the month matching your USDOT number's last digit (49 CFR 390.19T). See the MCS-150 biennial update guide.

MCS-90

The MCS-90 is the federal endorsement attached to a for-hire carrier's liability policy showing it meets FMCSA's minimum financial responsibility (49 CFR 387.15). For for-hire interstate carriers hauling nonhazardous property in vehicles of 10,001 lbs GVWR or more, the minimum is $750,000 (49 CFR 387.9). More in our MCS-90 guide.

HOS (Hours of Service)

Hours of service are the federal limits on how long CMV drivers may drive and work. Property carriers get 11 hours of driving within 14 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, with a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving and a 60/70-hour weekly limit (49 CFR 395.3). Full detail is in our hours of service rules guide.

ELD (Electronic Logging Device)

An ELD is "a device or technology that automatically records a driver's driving time and facilitates the accurate recording of the driver's hours of service" and meets FMCSA's technical specifications (49 CFR 395.2). Exceptions include drivers who keep logs 8 days or fewer in any 30-day period and vehicles built before model year 2000 (49 CFR 395.8). See what an ELD is.

DVIR (Driver Vehicle Inspection Report)

A DVIR is the written report a driver prepares at the end of each day's work on each vehicle, covering brakes, steering, lights, tires, horn, wipers, mirrors, coupling devices, wheels and emergency equipment (49 CFR 396.11). No report is required if no defect is found or reported, and the rule does not apply to a carrier operating only one CMV. Read what a DVIR is.

CDL (Commercial Driver's License)

A CDL is the state-issued license required to drive a commercial motor vehicle as defined in 49 CFR 383.5. Class A covers combinations of 26,001 lbs or more GCWR towing over 10,000 lbs, Class B covers single vehicles of 26,001 lbs or more, and Class C covers smaller vehicles carrying 16+ passengers or placarded hazmat. Compare them in Class A vs. Class B CDL.

Clearinghouse

The Clearinghouse is "the FMCSA database that... requires employers and service agents to report information to and to query regarding drivers who are subject to the DOT controlled substance and alcohol testing regulations" (49 CFR 382.107). Employers must run a pre-employment query and an annual query on every driver (49 CFR 382.701). See our Clearinghouse guide.

CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability)

CSA is FMCSA's enforcement program that uses the Safety Measurement System to rank carriers in seven BASICs: Unsafe Driving, Crash Indicator, HOS Compliance, Vehicle Maintenance, Controlled Substances/Alcohol, Hazardous Materials Compliance and Driver Fitness (FMCSA). Percentiles run 0 to 100, and higher is worse. More in CSA scores explained.

OOS (Out of Service)

An out-of-service order is "a declaration by an authorized enforcement officer... that a driver, a commercial motor vehicle, or a motor carrier operation is out of service" (49 CFR 390.5). An OOS driver or truck cannot move until the problem is fixed; officers apply the CVSA North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria. See DOT inspection levels.

DataQs

DataQs is FMCSA's online system for requesting and tracking a review of federal and state safety data you believe is incomplete or incorrect, such as an inspection violation or crash report (DataQs). Here's how to challenge a violation in DataQs.

Equipment Terms

Dry Van

A dry van is an enclosed trailer without temperature control, commonly 53 feet long, used for general freight that only needs protection from weather.

Reefer

A reefer is a refrigerated trailer with its own diesel or electric cooling unit, used for food, produce, pharmaceuticals and other temperature-sensitive freight. Reefer loads often carry set temperature and pre-cooling requirements.

Flatbed

A flatbed is an open trailer with no sides or roof, loaded from the top or sides, used for steel, lumber, machinery and building materials. Flatbed freight must be secured under FMCSA cargo securement rules, and tarping is often a paid accessorial.

Hotshot

Hotshot trucking means hauling time-sensitive loads with a medium- or heavy-duty pickup towing a flatbed or gooseneck trailer, rather than a semi tractor. Hotshot rigs can still be CMVs needing a USDOT number, authority and an ELD; see hot shot trucking requirements.

Power Only

Power only means the carrier supplies the tractor and driver, and the shipper or broker supplies the trailer. You hook to their trailer, often a pre-loaded drop trailer, and deliver it.

Brokers & Dispatch Terms

Transportation Broker

A transportation broker (freight broker) is "a person who, for compensation, arranges, or offers to arrange, the transportation of property by an authorized motor carrier" (49 CFR 371.2). Under 49 U.S.C. 14916, only someone registered as a broker who meets the financial security requirement may provide interstate brokerage.

Bona Fide Agent

A bona fide agent is someone who is "part of the normal organization of a motor carrier" and works under the carrier's direction through a preexisting, continuing agreement, without discretion to allocate traffic between that carrier and others (49 CFR 371.2). Bona fide agents of a carrier are not brokers.

Dispatch Fee

A dispatch fee is what an independent dispatch service charges a carrier to find and book loads, often a percentage of each load's pay or a flat weekly fee, set by a written agreement. FMCSA's 2023 guidance says a dispatcher can be a bona fide agent or a broker depending on the facts: one that solicits shippers, takes payment from brokers, or picks which of several carriers gets a load may need broker authority (88 FR 39368).

Carrier Packet

A carrier packet is the set of documents a broker requires before giving you a load, typically your operating authority, W-9, certificate of insurance, signed broker-carrier agreement and, if you factor, your NOA.

Double Brokering

Double brokering commonly means a party accepts a load as a carrier and then re-brokers it to another carrier without broker authority or the shipper's knowledge. FMCSA says the term "is not defined by statute or regulation," but that most commenters using it were describing ways "entities act as brokers without proper authority" (88 FR 39368). Unauthorized brokerage carries civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation, plus liability to the injured party (49 U.S.C. 14916). In its 2023 notice, FMCSA said it could pursue those penalties only through the Department of Justice in federal court.

Owner-Operator

An owner-operator is a driver who owns or leases the truck they drive. They either run under their own USDOT number and authority or lease on to another carrier. Federal leasing rules define an owner as the person with title, exclusive-use rights, or lawful possession of registered equipment (49 CFR 376.2).

Lease-On

Lease-on means an owner-operator leases their truck, with driver, to an authorized carrier and hauls under that carrier's authority. The written lease must give the carrier exclusive possession, control and use of the equipment for the lease term and require payment within 15 days after you submit delivery documents (49 CFR 376.12). Compare options in lease-on vs. own authority.

Need an FMCSA-registered ELD for your trucks? See Lucid ELD plans

Educational content, not legal advice. Confirm requirements against current FMCSA regulations and your state's rules.

FAQ

What does TONU mean in trucking?

TONU stands for truck ordered not used. It is a fee paid to the carrier when a load is cancelled after the truck was dispatched or arrived, and the amount is whatever the rate confirmation states.

What is the difference between a broker and a dispatcher?

A broker arranges transportation for compensation and needs broker authority and financial security. A dispatcher under a written carrier agreement can be a bona fide agent, but one that solicits shippers or allocates loads among carriers may be acting as a broker.

Is double brokering illegal?

The term isn't defined in law, but brokering freight without broker registration and financial security violates 49 U.S.C. 14916, with civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation.

Do I need both a USDOT number and an MC number?

For-hire interstate carriers currently need a USDOT number plus operating authority, which FMCSA has historically issued as an MC number. As of October 2026, FMCSA has proposed retiring MC numbers through rulemaking, so check FMCSA's registration pages before you apply.

How often do I update my MCS-150?

Every 24 months, and before you begin operations. Your filing month comes from the last digit of your USDOT number, and the year (odd or even) from the next-to-last digit.