Glossary

Shipping terms, in plain English

NDR, RTO, AWB, volumetric weight, COD remittance — the vocabulary of Indian ecommerce shipping, defined clearly.

A–Z

Every term, defined

AWB (Air Waybill / tracking number)

An AWB is the unique tracking number assigned to a shipment when its label is generated. It is how the courier, the seller, and the buyer all reference the same parcel across pickup, transit, and delivery.

COD Remittance

COD remittance is the process by which a courier collects cash-on-delivery money from buyers and pays it back to the seller, minus applicable COD fees, on a fixed cycle.

E-Way Bill

An e-way bill is a mandatory electronic document under GST for moving goods worth more than ₹50,000 between locations in India. It is generated on the government portal and carries a unique EWB number that must accompany the consignment.

ePOD (Electronic Proof of Delivery)

ePOD is the digital evidence that a shipment was delivered — typically a timestamp, GPS location, the recipient's name or signature, an OTP, and sometimes a delivery photo captured on the rider's app.

First Mile

First mile is the first leg of the shipping journey — from the seller's warehouse or pickup point to the courier's origin hub. Reliable first-mile pickup keeps promised dispatch SLAs from slipping on day one.

FTL (Full Truck Load)

FTL is a freight mode where a single shipper books an entire truck for their consignment. It offers faster, direct point-to-point transit with no consolidation stops — ideal for large or time-sensitive B2B loads.

Last Mile

Last mile is the final leg — from the destination hub to the buyer's doorstep. It is the most expensive and failure-prone stretch of the journey, and where NDR, RTO, and the delivery experience are decided.

Manifest

A manifest is the consolidated list of shipments handed over to a courier in a single pickup. Generating and closing a manifest confirms which AWBs the courier has taken responsibility for.

NDR (Non-Delivery Report)

NDR is the status a courier raises when a shipment could not be delivered on a delivery attempt — common reasons in India include customer not reachable, address incomplete, or a COD amount not ready.

ODA (Out of Delivery Area)

ODA refers to pincodes that fall outside a courier's regular delivery network — typically remote, rural, or hard-to-reach locations. Shipments to ODA pincodes often attract extra charges and longer transit times.

PTL (Part Truck Load)

PTL, also called LTL (less-than-truckload), is a freight mode where your consignment shares truck space with other shippers' goods. You pay only for the portion you use, making it economical for mid-sized B2B shipments that do not fill a whole vehicle.

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