The A–Z of Logistics & Shipping Terms
New to shipping? This glossary breaks down every logistics term you'll come across, in plain language, from AWB to Zone Mapping.
Browse key terms below, or download the complete glossary as a PDF to keep on hand.
A unique tracking number assigned to a shipment by the courier, used to track its movement from pickup to delivery.
The weight used to calculate shipping cost — the higher of the actual (dead) weight or the volumetric weight.
A payment mode where the customer pays for the order in cash or digitally at the time of delivery, rather than online at checkout.
The actual physical weight of a package, as measured on a weighing scale.
A shipment moving from the seller to the customer, as opposed to a return or RTO shipment.
The final leg of a shipment's journey, from the local courier hub to the customer's doorstep.
A status raised by the courier when a delivery attempt fails, along with the reason (e.g. customer unavailable, address issue).
The pincode from which a shipment is collected, usually the seller's warehouse or store location.
The process of managing shipments moving backward through the supply chain, such as returns and RTOs.
A shipment that could not be delivered and is returned to the seller's origin location.
Whether a courier partner is able to deliver to a specific pincode.
The expected time taken for a shipment to move from pickup to delivery, usually measured in business days.
A weight calculated from a package's dimensions (length × width × height), used by couriers to charge for bulky, lightweight packages.
The classification of shipping routes into zones (e.g. Zone A–E) based on the distance and region between pickup and delivery pincodes, which determines the shipping rate.