Glossary
Air bag
Paper or polywoven dunnage air bags secure your palletized product within a truck, railcar or container by exerting continuous pressure between the products or against the sidewalls of the container.
Association of American railroads (AAR)
The AAR is an organization committed to keeping railroads safe, fast, efficient, clean, technologically advanced, and secure. The AAR must approve dunnage products before use in rail transit.
Blocking and bracing
Methods used to keep shipments in place on railcars or within containers and trailers with the help of dunnage materials.
Bulkhead
A vertical or horizontal wall set up to prevent the longitudinal movement of cargo in transit.
Cardboard pallet (see honeycomb pallet)
Cargo
Any products carried by a vehicle in transit.
Cargo securement (see load securement)
Corrugated pad
Made from cardboard, can be used as buffer pads, separators for layered products, or as longitudinal void fillers to protect your products in transit.
Drum-to-drum contact
When two 55-gallon drums hit each other during shipping, causing damage to the drums and/or product spillage and a ruined shipment.
Dunnage
Products used to secure shipments in transit or fill the voids in a truck, railcar or container.
Dunnage air bag (see air bag)
End-to-end movement (see longitudinal movement)
Fill-M3 Void Filler
Designed for placement between stacks of palletized products to prevent lateral (side-to-side) movement during shipping.
Fill-M4 Void Filler
Fills the void from the bottom up, designed to prevent lateral (side-to-side) movement between two stacks of products during shipping.
Fill-M5 Void Filler
The DPC Fill-M5 void filler is twice as big as a Fill-M3 void filler, with two strengthening bodies that hang from the top of the pallet to provide extra load strength.
Fill-M6 Void Filler
The DPC Fill-M6 void filler provides even more load strength with three strengthening bodies that hang from the top of the pallet.
Freight (see cargo)
Honeycomb pallet
Constructed from small-cell honeycomb, these pallets offer a strong, lightweight, reusable and safer transportation alternative to wooden pallets.
Honeycomb panel
Constructed from small-cell honeycomb, paper and in some cases, wood, these are versatile products that minimize load shifting and prevent product damage in transit. Examples include: Protecto-Cell Panels, Protecto-Wood Panels and Tier 55 Panels.
Intermodal container
Container that can be shipped and utilized throughout different transportation methods including: over-the-road, rail, and ocean transit.
Intermodal shipping
Shipping where more than one of the following transportation sources is utilized: over-the-road, rail, and ocean transit, and where the contents of the container are handled on a limited basis when changing shipping methods.
In-transit damage
Caused by the load shifting of unsecured products in transit. Costs of in-transit damage can include damaged product, lost time, added freight, injury and dissatisfied customers.
Lateral movement
This side-to-side movement of products in transit takes place when the load is not properly secured.
Load securement
The process of protecting your products in transit, ensuring that they make it to their destination safely and damage free.
Load securement process
The actual loading and securing of palletized products before transit, using damage prevention products.
Load securement specialists
Experts in shipping and damage prevention who can ensure that your products make it to their destination safely and you avoid the high costs of damage.
Longitudinal fillers
Dunnage products that prevent side-to-side product shifting in transit.
Longitudinal movement
This end-to-end movement of products in transit takes place when load is not properly secured.
Over-the-road shipping
Shipping that takes place by semi-trailer truck.
Overseas shipping
Shipping that takes place by ocean cargo container.
Pallet
Flat transport structure made of wood, plastic or cardboard, which can support a variety of goods in a stable fashion while being lifted with any mobile forklift device.
Pallet overhang
When part of the product hangs over the edge of the pallet.
Pallet underhang
When product on a pallet does not reach the edge of a pallet, creating a void even after two pallets are pressed together.
Piggyback
A container or highway trailer riding on the top of a rail car.
Protecto-Cell Panel
Created with a layer of honeycomb, Protecto-Cell Panels act as buffer pads, absorbing impact and preventing product shift in all modes of shipping. These panels are also ideal for filling longitudinal voids.
Protecto-Wood Panel
Created with a layer of honeycomb, paper and wood, Protecto-Wood Panels offer an excellent solution when your shipment requires additional load restraint for absorbing end-to-end impacts and stabilizing step-down loads.
Rail shipping
Shipping that takes place by open-top car, boxcar, spine car, cradle car, gondola car, flatcar, or any other type of railcar.
Side-to-side movement (see lateral movement)
Skid (see pallet)
Step-down loads
This describes a load where palletized products are uneven in height. To prevent product from the taller pallet from falling onto the shorter pallet through longitudinal shifting, dunnage products are required to fill the void and achieve stability in transit.
Tier 55™
Tier 55 is a stronger honeycomb panel, designed to prevent double-stacked 55-gallon steel drums from tipping over during shipping, and provide up to a 50% cost savings over traditional plywood.
Truck shipping (see Over-the-road shipping)
Void filler
Fill the gaps between pallets, between pallets and products, or between products and the shipping container wall — protecting products from shifting or falling in transit.
Contact Us
Learn more about how DPC dunnage products can become a part of your load securement solution. Set up a free damage prevention consultation today!
