Alert 14-04: Glossary of Transportation Acronyms

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AAPA                  American Association of Port Authorities

AASHTO             American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials

AAR                     Association of American Railroads

ADR                    European Road/Rail Conventions (governs the transport of dangerous goods throughout Europe)

AHS                    Association of Hazmat Shippers, Inc.

AICC                   Association of Independent Corrugated Converters

ANSI                   American National Standards Institute

APHIS                Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA – wood pallets)

API                      American Petroleum Institute

ASTM                 American Society of Testing and Materials

ATA                     American Trucking Associations, Inc. (representing for-hire motor carriers)

BTS                     Bureau of Transportation Statistics, DOT

CDL                    Commercial Driver’s License (issued by states; regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration)

CEFIC                European Chemical Industry Council

CFR                    Code of Federal Regulations

CGA                    Compressed Gas Association

CGSB                Canadian General Standards Board

COE                   Committee of Experts (United Nations panel on the Transport of Dangerous Goods)

COHMED          Cooperative Hazardous Materials Enforcement Development

COSTHA           Council for the Safe Transport of Hazardous Articles

CPC                   Chemical Packaging Committee (of the Institute of Packaging Professionals)

CPSC                Consumer Products Safety Commission

CSB                   Chemical Safety Board

CVSA                 Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance

DEA                    Drug Enforcement Agency

DHS                   Department of Homeland Security

DGAC                Dangerous Goods Advisory Council

DOT                   U.S. Department of Transportation

EC                      European Commission

ECMA                 European Cylinder Makers Association

EDI                     Electronic Data Interchange

EIGA                  European Industrial Gases Association

EMPAC              European Metal Packaging

EPA                     Environmental Protection Agency

EU                       European Union

FAA                     Federal Aviation Administration, DOT

FARS                 Fatal Accident Reporting System

FBA                    Fibre Box Association

FIBCA                 Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container Association

FMC                    Federal Maritime Commission

FMCSA               Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, DOT

FMCSR              Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations

FHWA                 Federal Highway Administration, DOT

FIBC                   Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container

FIBCA                 Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container Association

FRA                     Federal Railroad Administration, DOT

GPS                    Global Positioning System

IAEA                   International Atomic Energy Agency

IANA                   Intermodal Association of North America

IATA                    International Air Transport Association

IBC                     Intermediate Bulk Container

ICAO                   International Civil Aviation Organization

ICCR                  International Confederation of Container Reconditioners

ICDM                  International Confederation of Drum Manufacturers

ICIBCA               International Council of Intermediate Bulk Container Associations

ICPP                   International Confederation of Plastics Packaging Manufacturers

IFDI                     International Fibre Drum Institute

IMDG                  International Maritime Dangerous Goods (as in IMDG Code)

IME                     Institute of Makers of Explosives

IMO                     International Maritime Organization

IoPP                   Institute of Packaging Professionals

IPANA                Industrial Packaging Alliance of North America

ISO                     International Organization for Standardization

LQ                      Limited Quantity

LTL                     Less-Than-Truckload (refers to small shipments aggregated for transport by truck)

MARAD              Maritime Administration, DOT

MPO                   Metropolitan Planning Organization

NAFTA               North American Free Trade Agreement

NCB                   National Cargo Bureau

NHS                   National Highway System

NMFC                 National Motor Freight Classification

NMFTA              National Motor Freight Transit Association

NPTC                 National Private Truck Council (representing private-fleet motor carriers)

NTSB                 National Transportation Safety Board

OHMS                Office of Hazardous Materials Safety, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

PDI                     Plastic Drum Institute

PHMSA              Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, DOT

PSCI                   Plastic Shipping Container Institute

PSSMA              Paper Shipping Sack Manufacturers Association

RIBC                  Rigid Intermediate Bulk Container

RIBCA                Rigid Intermediate Bulk Container Association

RIPA                   Reusable Industrial Packaging Association

RITA                   Research and Innovative Technology Administration, DOT

Ro-Ro                Roll-on, Roll-off (refers to driving motorized vehicles on or off marine vessels)

RTAC                 Road and Transportation Association of Canada

SSCI                  Steel Shipping Container Institute (manufacturers of steel drums and pails)

STB                    Surface Transportation Board (successor agency to the ICC – regulates railroads)

TC                       Transport Canada (Canadian Department of Transportation)

TDG                    Transport of Dangerous Goods

TEU                    Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit (standard measure of marine shipping containers)

TIH                      Toxic Inhalation Hazard

TL                       Truckload (a full trailer shipment of freight)

TRB                    Transportation Research Board (of the National Academies of Science)

TSA                     Transportation Security Administration, DHS

UNTDG              United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods

USCG                 United States Coast Guard, DHS

VOHMA               Vessel Operators Hazardous Materials Association

WHO                   World Health Organization

WSO                   World Safety Organization

 

Issued 01/14

The information above is intended to provide interpretative and authoritative information as a service to our members and has been offered in good faith based on the information provided to us. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any such interpretation or information.