| Malpractice |
A carrier
giving a customer illegal preference to attract cargo. This can take the form of a money
refund (rebate); using lower figures than actual for the assessment of freight charges
(undercubing); misdeclaration of the commodity shipped to allow the assessment of a lower
tariff rate; waiving published tariff charges for demurrage, CFS handling or equalization;
providing specialized equipment to a shipper to the detriment of other shippers, etc. |
| Mandamus |
A writ
issued by a court; requires that specific things be done. |
| Manifest |
Document
that lists in detail all the bills of lading issued by a carrier or its agent or master
for a specific voyage. A detailed summary of the total cargo of a vessel. Used principally
for Customs purposes. |
| Marine
Insurance |
Broadly,
insurance covering loss or damage of goods at sea. Marine insurance typically compensates
the owner of merchandise for losses sustained from fire, shipwreck, etc., but excludes
losses that can be recovered from the carrier. |
| Maritime |
Business
pertaining to commerce or navigation transacted upon the sea or in seaports in such
matters as the court of admiralty has jurisdiction. |
| Marking |
Letters,
numbers, and other symbols placed on cargo packages to facilitate identification. Also
known as marks. |
| Marlinespike |
A pointed
metal spike, used to separate strands of rope in splicing. |
| Master
Inbond |
U.S.
Customs' automated program under AMS. It allows for electronic reporting of inbound
(foreign) cargoes in the U.S. |
| Mate's
Receipt |
An archaic
practice. An acknowledgement of cargo receipt signed by a mate of the vessel. The
possessor of the mate's receipt is entitled to the bill of lading, in exchange for that
receipt. |
| MBM |
1,000 board
feet. One MBM equals 2,265 C.M. |
| MCFS |
Abbreviation
for "Master Container Freight Station." See CFS. |
| Measurement
Cargo |
Freight on
which transportation charges are calculated on the basis of volume measurement. |
| Measurement
Ton |
40 cubic
feet. |
| Mechanically
Ventilated Container |
A container
fitted with a means of forced air ventilation. |
| Memorandum
Bill of Lading |
An in-house
bill of lading. A duplicate copy. |
| Memorandum
Freight Bill |
See
Multiple Containerload Shipment. |
| Meter |
39.37
inches (approximately). |
| Metric
Ton |
2,204.6
pounds or 1,000 kilograms. |
| Microbridge |
A cargo
movement in which the water carrier provides a through service between an inland point and
the port of load/discharge. The carrier is responsible for cargo and costs from origin on
to destination. Also known as IPI or Through Service. |
| Mile |
A unit
equal to 5,280 feet on land. A nautical mile is 6076.115. |
| Mini
Landbridge |
An
intermodal system for transporting containers by ocean and then by rail or motor to a port
previously served as an all water move (e.g., Hong Kong to New York over Seattle). |
| Minimum
Bill of Lading |
A clause in
a Bill of lading which specifies the least charge that the carrier will make for issuing a
lading. The charge may be a definite sum or the current charge per ton for any specified
quantity. |
| Minimum
Charge |
The lowest
charge that can be assessed to transport a shipment. |
| Mixed
Container Load |
A
containerload of different articles in a single consignment. |
| MLB |
Abbreviation
for "Mini Landbridge." |
| M.M.F.B. |
Middlewest
Motor Freight Bureau. |
| Modified
Atmosphere |
A blend of
gases tailored to replace the normal atmosphere within a container. |
| MT |
Abbreviation
for "Metric Ton." |
| Multimodal
|
Synonymous
for all practical purposes with "Intermodal." |
| MultiTank
Container |
A container
frame fitted to accommodate two or more separate tanks for liquids. |
