A practical freight glossary for customers booking delivery.
Use this glossary to understand common delivery terms before requesting a quote for pallet, courier, residential freight, contractor or Ontario regional shipments. Each term links to a related service page or freight guide for more detail.
Freight terms explained for real deliveries
Accessorial Charge
An added service charge for work outside a basic pickup and delivery. Examples include tailgate service, residential delivery, inside delivery, appointment delivery, wait time and hand-bombing.
Learn more →Appointment Delivery
A delivery that must happen during a specific appointment window rather than a broad delivery day. Appointment requirements can affect routing and price.
Learn more →Curbside Delivery
Delivery to the curb, driveway or accessible exterior receiving point. This usually does not include carrying freight inside a building.
Learn more →Dedicated Direct-Drive
A shipment moved directly on a dedicated vehicle rather than mixed into a courier or LTL network. It is often used for urgent, valuable, awkward or time-sensitive freight.
Learn more →Detention / Wait Time
Time charged when the driver is delayed at pickup or delivery beyond the included loading or unloading window. Dragonfly's rate card includes 30 minutes before hourly wait-time may apply.
Learn more →Hand Bomb
Manual loading, unloading or breakdown of goods when freight cannot simply be moved by pallet jack, dock, forklift or normal handling.
Learn more →Inside Delivery
Delivery beyond the exterior receiving point, dock or curbside location. This may require extra labour, time, building access, elevators or manual handling.
Learn more →LTL Freight
Less-than-truckload freight. A shipment that does not require a full truck but is too large or unsuitable for basic parcel courier handling.
Learn more →Oversize Pallet
A skid or pallet that exceeds standard footprint or handling assumptions. Oversize freight may need special equipment, routing or extra space.
Learn more →Proof of Delivery
Confirmation that a shipment was delivered. This may include a signature, photo or delivery note depending on the shipment and receiving situation.
Learn more →Residential Freight
Freight delivered to a home, condo, driveway, garage or residential address. It often requires more access planning than commercial dock delivery.
Learn more →Skid / Pallet
A platform used to move stacked goods by pallet jack or forklift. Skid count, weight, dimensions and stackability are important for quoting.
Learn more →Tailgate Service
A truck service used to lower freight from truck height to ground level when no loading dock or forklift is available.
Learn more →White Glove Delivery
Higher-touch delivery involving extra care, placement, unpacking or handling expectations. Scope must be defined before quoting.
Learn more →Have a shipment term you are unsure about?
Send the details with your quote request and dispatch will clarify what service level is needed.
Request a Delivery Quote