F/A: Free astray.
F.A.A.: Free of all averages.
F.A.K.: Freight of all kinds. The broadest of the generic class rates published by carriers. FAK rates allow shippers to mix loads that under other rate category agreements would have to be shipped under separate rates.
F.A.S.: Free along side. The seller fulfills his obligation to deliver when the goods have been placed alongside the vessel, on the quay, or inlighters at the named port of shipment.
F/B: Freight bill.
F.C.I.A.: Foreign Credit Insurance Association. An association of leading insurance companies operating in cooperation with, and as agent of, the Export-Import Bank of the United States. It offers insurance policies protecting U.S. exporters against the risk of nonpayment by foreign debtors.
F.C.S.: Free of capture and seizure.
F.D.: Free discharge.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMIN.: The Federal Aviation Agency charged with the responsibility of promulgating operational standards and procedures for all classes of aviation in the United States
F.F.A.: Free from average.
F.I.A.: Full interest admitted.
F.I.F.O.: First in, first out. A method of inventory rotation in which the oldest items are shipped out before the newer arrivals.
FILL RATE: A measurement of how well a given inventory is meeting service objectives. It is calculated commonly by dividing the number of orders filled by the total orders within a given period.
FIRE CURTAIN: Curtain made of fire-resistant material to prevent a fire from spreading from one side of the curtain to the other.
FIRE PALLET: Portable platform designed to hold fire extinguishers and other fire-fighting equipment to be moved by lift truck to the scene of a fire.
FIRE WALL: A wall made of fire-retardant material to prevent the spreading of a fire.
FIRING POINT: The temperature required for the vapor of a liquid to be in sufficient quantity to provide a continuous flame.
F.I.W.: Free in wagon.
FIXED BEAM SCANNER: A bar code scanner that is stationary and which reads codes as items pass by it.
FIXED INVENTORY SYSTEM: An inventory reordering system in which goods are supplied at fixed intervals. The size of the lot varies according to replenishment needs.
FIXED LOCATION SYSTEM: An inventory system in which the location of a product never varies.
FIXED ORDER QUANTITY: An inventory reordering system where the order size is constant, but the time interval between orders vary.
FLASH POINT. The minimum temperature at which, the vapors of a volatile liquid or solid will ignite.
FLOATING SLOT SYSTEM: A merchandise locator and storage system in which stock locations are assigned on a random basis according to space availability.
FLOOR LOAD: Goods are stacked just one pallet or container high in a warehouse.
FLOOR LOAD RATING: The maximum weight that can safely be supported by a warehouse floor (pounds per square foot).
F.M.: Fine measurement.
F.O.B.: Free on board. Seller is obligated to have the goods packaged and ready for shipment from the agreed point. The buyer normally assumes the burden of all inland transportation costs and risks in the exporting country, as well as all subsequent transportation costs, including the costs of loading the merchandise on the vessel. Seller fulfills his obligation to deliver when the goods have passed over the ship's rail at the named port of shipment.
FOREIGN BUYING OFFICE: a separate buying office reporting to the headquarters' purchasing department. This department buys all foreign-purchased items, for all the company's operations, direct form the foreign suppliers.
FOREIGN SALES AGENT: An agent in a foreign country who acts as a salesman for a domestic manufacturer.
FOREIGN TRADE ZONES: An isolated, enclosed, and policed area, operated as a public utility in or adjacent to a port of entry. It is furnished with facilities for loading, unloading, handling, sorting, manipulating, manufacturing, and exhibiting goods and for reshipping them by land, sea, or air. Any foreign and domestic merchandise, except those prohibited by law, may be brought into a zone without being subject to U.S. custom law.
FORK POCKETS: Space under containers to allow entry of the forks of a forklift truck.
FORKLIFT TRUCK: A motorized load carrying device which can raise and lower freight for stacking and move freight to different locations.
FORKS: The flat metal appendages mounted on lift trucks to facilitate the movement of merchandise on pallets.
FOUL BILL OF LADING: A receipt for goods issued by a carrier bearing a notation that the outward containers or goods have been damaged.
F.O.W.: First open water.
F.R.&C.C.: Free of riot and civil commotion.
FREE CARRIER: The seller fulfills his obligation to deliver when he has handed over the goods, cleared for export, into the charge of the carrier named by the buyer at the named place or point.
FREE DOMICILE: A term used in international transportation where the shipper pays all transportation charges and any applicable duties and/or taxes.
FREE IN AND OUT: Cost of loading and unloading a vessel is born by the shipper.
FREE OF CAPTURE AND SEIZURE: An insurance clause providing that loss is not insured if due to capture, seizure, confiscation and like actions, whether legal or not, or from such acts as piracy, civil war, rebellion, and civil strife.
FREE OF PARTICULAR AVERAGE: A marine insurance clause providing that partial loss or damage is not insured.
FREE OUT: The cost of unloading a vessel is borne by the shipper.
FREE TRADE ZONE: A predetermined area or region declared and secured by or under governmental authority where certain operations may be performed with respect to articles without such articles having entered into the commerce of the country maintaining the free trade zone. (19CFR10.175)
FREIGHT: Property, commodities of all kinds, including small package service tendered for transportation. Does not include mail, express, or passenger baggage.
FREIGHT BROKER: A person or company licensed by the ICC that arranges for the transportation of goods between points in interstate commerce by motor carrier.
FREIGHT FORWARDER: One who engages in the business of dispatching shipments on behalf of other persons, for consideration in foreign or domestic commerce between the U.S., its territories or possessions, and foreign countries, and of handling the formalities incident to such shipments, and who is authorized to so operate by any agency of the U.S.. (19CFR112.1)
FT: Foot.
F.T.Z.: Free trade zone.
FUNGIBLE MERCHANDISE: Merchandise, which, for commercial purposes,
FURTHER REVIEW: A request for review of the decision which is the subject of the protest by Customs officers on a higher level than the district, and in Region II by Customs officers who did not participate directly in the decision which is the subject of the protest. (19CFR174.1)