Container Transport & Logistics Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the terms used across Brisbane container haulage and South East Queensland wharf cartage.
Container haulage comes with its own vocabulary. Whether you're coordinating an import from the Port of Brisbane or arranging an empty container dehire, understanding the terminology helps you brief your carrier accurately, avoid costly delays, and compare quotes with confidence. This glossary defines the most common terms used across Brisbane container transport and South East Queensland wharf cartage.
TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit)
A standardised measure of container capacity used across the shipping and haulage industry. One 20-foot container equals 1 TEU, while a 40-foot container equals 2 TEU. Carriers, terminals and forwarders use TEU to quote capacity, plan slot allocations and compare freight volumes.
FCL (Full Container Load)
A shipment that fills an entire container and is booked under a single consignee. FCL cartage moves the container intact from wharf to door (or door to wharf) without consolidation, making it the fastest and most secure option for larger import or export consignments.
LCL (Less than Container Load)
A consignment where multiple shippers' goods are consolidated into a single shared container. LCL shipments are unpacked at a container freight station before final road delivery, and are economical for smaller volumes that don't justify a full container.
Wharf Cartage
The road transport of a shipping container between a port terminal — such as the Port of Brisbane's DP World, VICT or Patrick terminals — and a customer's premises, depot or empty container park. Wharf cartage is the core leg of most import and export container movements.
Sideloader (Side Loader)
A truck fitted with hydraulic lifting arms that lift a container on and off the vehicle from the side, enabling ground-level placement without a forklift or crane on site. Sideloaders are ideal for residential deliveries, tight sites and locations with limited overhead clearance.
Tilt Tray
A truck with a tilting tray bed used to slide containers on and off the vehicle. Tilt trays suit sites with firm, level ground and sufficient clearance for the tray to tilt, and are commonly used for both loaded and empty container repositioning.
Skel Trailer (Skeleton Trailer)
A lightweight skeletal trailer purpose-built to carry shipping containers. Skel trailers are the workhorse of wharf cartage and inter-terminal transfers, offering fast twist-lock loading and high payload efficiency.
Demurrage
A charge levied by the shipping line when a full import container is not collected from the terminal within the allotted free time window. Proactive slot booking and prompt wharf cartage are the most effective ways to avoid demurrage costs.
Detention
A charge applied when an empty container is not returned to the nominated empty container park within the agreed timeframe after unpacking. Timely empty container dehire is essential to keep detention fees to zero.
ECP (Empty Container Park)
A designated depot where empty containers are received, stored and released for dehire back to the shipping line. Brisbane's ECP network is concentrated around Acacia Ridge and Hemmant, close to the port and major industrial precincts.
Dehire
The return of an empty container to the nominated ECP, formally closing out the container's hire cycle with the shipping line. A standing dehire arrangement with a haulage carrier ensures empties are returned before detention windows expire.
Slot Booking
A pre-arranged time window allocated by a terminal operator for a truck to collect or deliver a container. Securing a slot is a prerequisite for wharf cartage at the Port of Brisbane and missing a slot can trigger re-booking delays.
Tautliner
A curtain-sided trailer used for transporting palletised or loose freight rather than shipping containers. Tautliners are not used for wharf cartage but appear in broader logistics operations alongside container haulage.
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