Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Stevedoring, Lashing and Cargo Securing glossary

The stevedoring and lashing vocabulary: the port operators with in-house stevedoring, ACEP container inspection, longitudinal, transverse, and vertical accelerations as CSS Code Annex 13 lashing inputs, and the cargo-handling and securing terms. Grounds each term in the lashing calculation or the stevedoring operation it belongs to.

234 defined terms.

A

ABP: Associated British Ports, UK port operator running 21 ports including Southampton, Immingham, and Hull with in-house stevedoring.
Acceleration, longitudinal: Fore-and-aft inertial force on stowed cargo arising from pitching and surging, an input to CSS Code Annex 13 lashing calculations.
Acceleration, transverse: Athwartships inertial force from rolling and swaying, generally the dominant lashing load case for on-deck containers.
Acceleration, vertical: Up-and-down inertial force from heaving and pitching, applied as a multiplier on cargo weight in securing calculations.
Acceptance criterion, lashing: Rule requiring calculated load on any securing element to remain at or below its MSL under the design sea state.
Accommodation block shielding: Reduction in wind area on aftmost container stacks behind the deckhouse, sometimes credited in lashing calculations.
ACEP: Approved Continuous Examination Programme for CSC container inspection.
Aft lashing bridge: Transverse structural gantry abaft a container bay providing elevated lashing points for high tiers.
Air draft, container stack: Vertical height from waterline to top of stowed containers, a stability and visibility limit on stack height.
Allowable stack weight: Maximum aggregate mass that may be loaded above a base container, governed by corner post strength and lashing capacity.
Annex 13, CSS Code: Methodology in the IMO Code of Safe Practice for Cargo Stowage and Securing for calculating lashing forces on non-standardized cargo.
Anti-rack lashing: Diagonal rod arrangement intended to resist parallelogram distortion of a container stack.
APL England: Container vessel that lost containers off the Australian coast in May 2020, leading to debris washing ashore in New South Wales.
Approved arrangement: Stowage pattern explicitly accepted by the flag administration or class society in the Cargo Securing Manual.
Approved lashing software: Onboard computer program type-approved by a recognized class society for calculating container securing forces.
Assignment, lashing crew: Allocation of stevedore gangs to specific bays for securing or unsecuring work during port operations.
Auto-twist twistlock: Trade name family for fully automatic twistlocks that engage and release by container weight without manual handle action.
Automatic stacking crane: Rail-mounted yard crane operating without an onboard driver, common in modern container terminals.

B

Bale ring: Steel ring used as a lashing attachment on traditional break-bulk and project cargoes.
Base cone: Stacking cone used between the bottom container and the hatch cover or tank top.
Bay: Transverse slice of a container vessel, numbered from bow to stern in stowage plans.
Bay plan: Stowage diagram showing every container slot on a vessel by bay, row, and tier.
Below-deck lashing: Securing within cargo holds, typically relying on cell guides rather than rods and turnbuckles.
Bending lever twistlock: Manual twistlock operated by a long swinging handle, largely superseded by semi-automatic designs.
Bin, lashing gear: Open-top stillage on deck or quay used to store and transport loose lashing rods, turnbuckles, and twistlocks.
Bitt, mooring: Paired vertical post on deck for belaying mooring lines, distinct from lashing fittings.
Block stowage: Carrying cargo of one shipper or destination in a contiguous block.
BoxCargo: Lashing and stowage planning software used in container terminals and onboard.
Breakbulk gang: Stevedoring team specializing in non-containerized general cargo handling and securing.
Bridge fitting: Steel piece linking the tops of two adjacent containers for athwartship stability on deck.
Bromma: Cargo handling equipment maker founded in Sweden in 1965, now a Cargotec subsidiary supplying spreaders worldwide.
Buffers USA Inc: Lashing equipment manufacturer based in Memphis, Tennessee, supplying twistlocks, lashing rods, and stacking cones.
Bullnose: Towing notch at the AHTS stern aiding wire alignment.
Bundle, lashing rod: Banded set of lashing rods grouped for transport and crane lift.

C

Cage, lashing gear: Mesh or framed box on quayside or vessel for organized storage of securing equipment.
Cargo Securing Manual: Required under SOLAS VI/5 and VII/5.
Cargotec: The Finnish parent corporation of Kalmar, Hiab, and formerly MacGregor, supplying cargo handling equipment to ports and shipyards.
Carl Stahl Group: German engineering group manufacturing lashing systems, wire rope assemblies, and lifting accessories.
Carrix: Holding company controlling SSA Marine and several South American port operators.
CASP: Container Acceleration and Stowage Program, a lashing calculation tool used by some operators and class societies.
CCTV monitoring, lashing: Camera coverage of lashing bridges and exposed stacks used by some lines for damage forensics.
Cell Guide: Vertical structure in container hold positively locating containers without lashings.
Certificate of approval, CSC: Document issued by an administration or its agent confirming a container design or examination programme meets the CSC Convention.
Chain, lashing: Long-link or short-link steel chain used to secure heavy cargoes, project pieces, or vehicles.
Chassis, container: Wheeled trailer for road transport of an ISO container, secured to it by twistlocks at the four corners.
Check sheet, container weight: Documented record reconciling declared weights against stowage planning data.
Class-approved lashing software: Lashing computer accepted by a class society for use in CSM-compliant operations.
Classification society guidance: Lashing rules published by IACS members supplementing the CSS Code for containerships.
CMA CGM Marco Polo class: Large containership family carrying about 16,000 TEU, illustrating the lashing loads on ultra-large designs.
CoG, container: Center of gravity of a loaded container, assumed at half height by default unless declared otherwise.
Cone, stacking: Small fitting located between corner castings to align stacked containers laterally.
Conver-OSR: Swedish manufacturer of twistlocks, lashing gear, and container securing components.
Cooper/T. Smith: US stevedoring firm headquartered in Mobile, Alabama, operating along the Gulf and East Coast.
Corner casting: ISO 1161 corner fitting at each of a container's eight corners for handling and securing.
Corner post: Vertical structural member at each corner of a container.
Crane driver: Operator of a ship-to-shore or yard crane, a key stevedoring role.
CSC Convention: International Convention for Safe Containers 1972, in force 1977, governing structural safety of freight containers.
CSC Plate: Container Safety Convention safety approval plate; verified on container surveys.
CSM: Cargo Securing Manual.
CSS Code: IMO Code of Safe Practice for Cargo Stowage and Securing.

D

D-Ring: Forged ring lashing point welded to deck or structure.
D-ring turnbuckle: Turnbuckle terminating in a D-ring jaw end for direct attachment to deck eyes.
Deadweight, allowable: Cargo carrying capacity that influences how many containers can be stowed and lashed.
Deck container stack: Vertical column of containers loaded above the hatch covers, requiring external lashings.
Deck eye: Lashing eye plate welded to the main deck or hatch top.
Declared gross mass: Container gross mass stated by the shipper, replaced under SOLAS VI/2 by the Verified Gross Mass.
Diagonal lashing: Rod or chain arranged at an angle to resist combined transverse and vertical motion.
DP World London Gateway: Deepwater container terminal east of London, operated by DP World since opening in 2013.
DP World Southampton: Container terminal in Southampton, operated by DP World since 2006 through Southampton Container Terminals.
Dunnage: Disposable wood, mats, or air bags used to protect, separate, and chock cargo.
Dynamic friction coefficient: Reduced friction value applied for cargo subject to vessel motions, used in CSS Annex 13.

E

Effective length, lashing rod: Distance between attachment points used to compute the lashing angle and contribution to securing force.
Eight-foot bay: Container bay sized for a single 20 ft TEU footprint, twin-loaded across each row.
Elme Spreader: Swedish manufacturer of container spreaders for terminal handling equipment.
End wall, container: Corrugated steel panel at the door and blind ends of an ISO container, sized to ISO load criteria.
Engineered securing arrangement: Project-specific stowage plan calculated for over-dimensional or heavy cargo.
Examination, periodic CSC: Recurring inspection regime for containers, either at fixed intervals or under an ACEP.
Eye plate, lashing: Steel plate with a lashing eye welded to deck, hatch cover, or lashing bridge.

F

FATL: Fully Automatic Twistlock, engaging and disengaging by container weight without crew handling at the lock body.
Filler piece: Steel insert used to bridge irregular gaps in non-standard stowages.
Final lashing: Securing pass completed after all containers in a bay have been loaded.
Fitting plan: Stowage drawing showing the type and location of every securing fitting required for a bay.
Fixed cone: Stacking cone permanently bolted to a hatch cover or pedestal.
Flatrack lashing: Securing of cargo on a flatrack container using its corner posts, stake pockets, and lashing rings.
Fore-and-aft lashing: Securing element working longitudinally between container and ship structure.
Forecastle stowage: Container stack on the forward raised deck, exposed to the highest accelerations and green water loads.
Forth Ports: UK port group operating Tilbury and several Scottish ports, including stevedoring services.
Foundation, lashing bridge: Welded base structure transferring lashing reactions into the main hull girder.
Friction element, stowage: Mat or coating used to raise the friction coefficient in non-containerized cargo securing.
Fully automatic twistlock: See FATL.

G

Gang, stevedoring: Working unit of dockworkers assigned to load, discharge, or lash cargo.
Gantry crane: Rail-mounted gantry such as STS, RMG, or RTG.
German Lashing Robert Bock GmbH: Lashing equipment manufacturer based in Bremerhaven, supplying twistlocks, rods, turnbuckles, and lashing services.
GL-VOS: Operational software lineage of older Germanischer Lloyd voyage analysis tools, occasionally referenced in lashing reviews.
Gravity, center of: See CoG, container.
Green water: Solid water on deck, considered when planning weather routing from ECR aware bridge teams.
Gross mass, container: Total mass of a container and its contents, mandatory under SOLAS VI/2 as the Verified Gross Mass.
GTI Twistlock: Twistlock product line associated with Global Twistlocks Inc.

H

Hatch cover lashing pad: Cast or fabricated foundation on a hatch cover for stacking cones or twistlocks.
Hatchless containership: Containership design without hatch covers, relying on extended cell guides and modified lashing patterns.
Heavy lift lashing: Specialized securing arrangement for project cargoes exceeding standard breakbulk loads.
High cube container: Container 9 feet 6 inches tall.
Horizontal Lashing: Lashing parallel to deck.
Hutchison Ports Yantian: Container terminal operator in Shenzhen, China, providing stevedoring for one of the largest container ports.
Hyster top handler: Container handling truck used for empties or single laden boxes in terminal yards.

I

IACS: International Association of Classification Societies, 12 members.
ICTSI: International Container Terminal Services Inc., Philippine-based terminal operator active across multiple continents.
ILA: International Longshoremen's Association, US East and Gulf Coast longshore union.
ILO Convention 152: Convention concerning Occupational Safety and Health in Dock Work, 1979.
ILWU: International Longshore and Warehouse Union, US and Canadian West Coast longshore union.
IMO: International Maritime Organization, UN specialized agency for shipping safety, security, and pollution prevention.
Inspection, ACEP: Container examination under an Approved Continuous Examination Programme.
INTERSCHALT MACS3: Originator of the MACS3 lashing and stowage software, later acquired by Navis.
ISO 1161: Corner fittings standard for series 1 containers.
ISO 1496: ISO standard for container specifications and testing.
ISO 3874: Standard for handling and securing of Series 1 freight containers.

K

Knot, lashing chain: Slack-take-up loop sometimes formed in chain lashings, generally discouraged on container stacks.
Konecranes ELME: Konecranes group company supplying spreaders, formerly trading as Elme Spreader.

L

Lashing bridge: Elevated platform above the hatch covers from which containers are lashed.
Lashing Computer: Onboard software validating container lashing arrangements per class rules.
Lashing crew: Stevedoring team specializing in attaching and removing container lashing gear.
Lashing Eye: Forged or cast loop fitted to deck or cargo.
Lashing pattern: Defined arrangement of rods, turnbuckles, and twistlocks for a given container stack.
Lashing Plate: Welded pad-eye in hold or on deck.
Lashing Pot: Recessed deck fitting accepting twistlock or stacker.
Lashing rod: Steel bar tensioned by a turnbuckle to lash containers.
Lashing rod, 2.2 m: Short lashing rod typically used to secure the first deck tier on low lashing bridges.
Lashing rod, 2.7 m: Mid-length lashing rod commonly used for second-tier securing.
Lashing rod, 3.5 m: Long lashing rod used for higher tiers on tall lashing bridges.
Lashing software, approved: See approved lashing software.
Latch, twistlock: Internal mechanism that holds a twistlock in the locked position.
LEEA: Lifting Equipment Engineers Association, the trade body for lifting equipment inspectors and trainers.
Lever turnbuckle: Turnbuckle tightened by a hinged handle rather than a wrench, common in container lashing.
Lid, lashing pot: Removable cover protecting a recessed lashing pot when not in use.
Liftech Consultants: US engineering consultancy specializing in container cranes and terminal structures.
Load case, lashing: Defined combination of accelerations and external loads applied in a lashing calculation.
Longshoreman: Dockworker engaged in loading and discharging cargo, the US term broadly equivalent to stevedore.
Loose hatch report: Operator notification of containers found unsecured in port or at sea.

M

MacGregor: Common type of folding steel hatch cover.
MacGregor SeaLink: MacGregor product line of container lashing and twistlock equipment.
MACS3: Lashing and stowage planning software originally from INTERSCHALT, now part of Navis.
Manual twistlock: Twistlock locked and unlocked entirely by manual handle operation.
Maximum Securing Load: See MSL.
MBL: Master bill of lading.
Method 1, VGM: Weighing of the entire packed container at a certified scale.
Method 2, VGM: Adding the weights of all contents, packaging, dunnage, and tare to obtain the VGM.
Mi-Jack twistlock: Twistlock pattern associated with Mi-Jack Products of Illinois, a maker of intermodal cranes and related gear.
Minimum Breaking Load: Synonym for Breaking Load.
Mooring deck: Area at bow or stern used for line handling, distinct from container lashing zones.
MSC Zoe: The container ship that lost approximately 342 containers overboard in the North Sea in January 2019, generating significant cargo, environmental, and liability claims.
MSC.1/Circ.1283: IMO circular providing Revised Guidelines for the Stowage and Securing of Cargoes.
MSC.1/Circ.1353: IMO circular providing Revised Guidelines for the Preparation of the Cargo Securing Manual.
MSL: Maximum Securing Load, typically taken as 75 percent of MBL for steel lashing components.

N

NAPA Loading Computer: Onboard NAPA module for stability and strength monitoring approved by class societies.
Navis MACS3: MACS3 product line under Navis ownership.
Negative GM: Stability condition that may amplify roll motion and aggravate lashing loads.
Net tonnage: Vessel measurement representing earning capacity.
Non-standard cargo: Cargo not conforming to ISO container or unit-load patterns, secured under CSS Code Annex 13.

O

On-deck lashing: Securing arrangement applied to deck stacks using rods, turnbuckles, and twistlocks.
On-deck stack: Container column carried above the weather deck and hatch covers.
ONE Apus: Containership that lost a large number of containers in the North Pacific in November 2020, with reported losses around 1,816 boxes.
Open top container: Container with removable tarpaulin roof.

P

Pacific Marine & Industrial Corp: US manufacturer of container twistlocks and lashing equipment based in California.
Parametric rolling: Resonant roll motion in head or following seas that can produce roll angles well beyond design assumptions and trigger lashing failures.
Patent twistlock: Twistlock design protected by patent, often refined incrementally by makers such as MacGregor SeaLink and German Lashing.
PEINER SMAG Lifting Technologies: German maker of grabs, spreaders, and lifting attachments, including container handling devices.
Pendant lashing: Wire or chain pendant used as an intermediate securing element on heavy lifts.
Plate, lashing: See lashing plate.
Plug pin twistlock: Twistlock variant with a plug-style retention pin, used in some terminal handling applications.
Pop-up cone: Spring-loaded stacking cone that retracts into a hatch cover or pedestal when not in use.
Port Captain: Shore-based marine operations role.
Port stevedore: Local stevedoring contractor employed for loading, discharging, and lashing.
Ports America: Largest terminal operator and stevedore in the United States, active at multiple coastal and inland ports.
PSA Singapore: Terminal operator of the Port of Singapore container terminals and a global terminal owner.
PSW: Permissible Stacking Weight on the CSC plate, sometimes shown as the allowable stacking weight for the container.

Q

Quay Crane: Container terminal ship-to-shore crane.
Quay edge fender: Marine fender at the quay face, indirectly relevant to lashing through berthing impact loads.
Quick release twistlock: Twistlock variant designed for rapid manual release in specific terminal operations.

R

RAM Spreaders: Container spreader manufacturer headquartered in Hong Kong, supplying ship-to-shore and yard cranes worldwide.
Recognized organization: RO, delegated to act on behalf of the flag state.
Reefer plug platform: Walkway and lashing platform giving access to refrigerated container plugs and lashings.
Rod (Lashing): See Lashing Rod.
Roll Period: Time for one complete oscillation; approximated by T = 2 pi k / sqrt(g GM).
Row: A transverse position number within a bay on a container vessel, with even numbers to port and odd to starboard from the centerline.

S

SATL: Semi-Automatic Twistlock, deck twistlock that engages automatically on stacking but is released manually.
SEC Bremen: Ship's Equipment Centre, Bremen-based supplier of lashing equipment and twistlocks.
Semi-automatic twistlock: See SATL.
Ship-to-shore crane: STS, dockside container crane, examples include ZPMC, Liebherr, Konecranes, and Mitsui-Paceco.
Sister twistlock: Twistlock designed in pairs to lock two stacked containers together at one corner.
Software, lashing: See lashing computer.
SOLAS: International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974; the IMO treaty setting minimum construction, equipment, and operation standards for merchant ships.
SOLAS VI/2: Regulation requiring verification of container gross mass before loading.
SOLAS VI/5: Regulation requiring vessels carrying cargoes other than solid and liquid bulk to carry an approved Cargo Securing Manual.
Spreader: telescopic frame on STS and yard cranes engaging container corner castings.
SSA Marine: A US-headquartered container terminal operator with facilities across North and South America and equity in international terminals.
Stack height limit: Maximum number of tiers permitted by lashing strength, stack weight, and visibility from the bridge.
Stack weight: Cumulative weight allowable in a single stack of containers.
Stack, container: Vertical column of stacked containers within a bay and row.
Stacking cone: Locating cone aligning corner castings between stacked containers in yards.
Standard tier weight curve: Permissible weight per tier curve published in the Cargo Securing Manual.
Stevedore: Shore-based cargo handler.
Stevedoring company: Commercial enterprise providing stevedoring labor and equipment.
Stinis Holland: Dutch manufacturer of container spreaders for ship-to-shore and yard cranes.
Stowage planner: Shore-based or shipboard role producing the bay plan and lashing arrangement.
Strap, web lashing: Polyester woven strap used for securing breakbulk and rolling cargo, with rated MSL on its label.
Sub-floor lashing: Lashing arrangement below a tween deck or car deck in vehicle carriers, occasionally adapted for project cargo.

T

Tare mass: Empty weight of a container, stenciled on the door and used in VGM Method 2 calculations.
TEU: Twenty foot equivalent unit.
Tier: Horizontal layer of containers in a stack, numbered 02, 04 upward on deck.
Tier weight: Total mass of containers within a single tier across the bay.
Tokio Express: Containership that lost containers off Cornwall in 1997, releasing the cargo behind the long-running Lego beach debris reports.
Top handler: empty container forklift with top spreader.
Trim, vessel: Fore-and-aft inclination, indirectly affecting lashing through acceleration distributions.
Triton: US private equity firm that acquired MacGregor from Cargotec in 2024.
Turnbuckle: Threaded device for tensioning rigging or lashings.
Turnbuckle, D-Ring: Turnbuckle with a D-ring end fitting for attachment to deck eyes.
Turnbuckle, lever-type: Turnbuckle with an integral lever handle to apply tension by hand.
Twistlock: Locking device joining containers at corner castings.
Twistlock, automatic: See FATL.
Twistlock, manual: Twistlock requiring manual operation of a handle to lock and unlock.
Twistlock, semi-automatic: See SATL.

U

Under-deck lashing: Securing of containers within holds, generally relying on cell guides and base twistlocks rather than rods.
Unit load: Standardised handling unit such as a container or pallet.
Universal twistlock: Twistlock designed to fit both 20 ft and 40 ft adjacent container configurations.

V

Verified gross mass: VGM of containers under SOLAS Chapter VI.
VGM: Verified Gross Mass.
Visibility line: Required forward sight line from the bridge over the stowed containers, a stack height constraint.

W

Weight check sheet: Document reconciling declared container weights with planning and crane-measured weights.
Weight, gross: See gross mass, container.
Wind load, container stack: Lateral force on the projected area of a deck stack, included in lashing calculations.
WLL: Working Load Limit of a lashing component for in-service use, typically below the MSL.
World Shipping Council: Container line trade association that publishes the annual Containers Lost at Sea report, which has tracked container losses since 2008.
WP: Gross weight rating stenciled on the CSC plate, sometimes shown as Maximum Gross Mass.
Wrench, turnbuckle: Long handled tool used to tighten or slack lashing turnbuckles by stevedores.