About the Author
Background
I have spent 12 years working in international freight and trade documentation - first as an export documentation clerk at a mid-sized freight forwarder, then in ocean operations, and later in customs brokerage where I filed daily declarations and argued HS classifications with inspectors. I have issued hundreds of bills of lading, negotiated letters of credit with banks, and sat on the operations side of demurrage and detention disputes.
TermCompass is the reference site I wish I had when I started: a place where a term like "demurrage" is not just defined, but explained the way an operations manager would explain it to a client on the phone - with the numbers, the deadlines and the paperwork.
Qualifications and standards
- Practical certification in dangerous goods (IMDG) and customs brokerage procedures.
- Daily working knowledge of Incoterms® 2020, UCP 600 (letters of credit), the Hague-Visby Rules and U.S. / EU customs regimes.
- Every entry cites primary sources internally: ICC rule books, IMO conventions, UN/CEFACT recommendations and carrier tariff manuals.
- We never accept payment to influence definitions, and no entry is written by AI without a human fact-check pass.
Editorial standards statement
Every entry on this site must pass three gates before publication:
- Accuracy: the technical statement must match the governing rule or document (verified against primary sources).
- Plain language: the top-of-page answer must be understandable by someone who has never seen the term.
- Practicality: examples and errors must reflect what actually happens in cargo operations - including the mistakes that cost people money.
When a term is jurisdiction-specific or disputed, the entry says so instead of pretending there is one universal answer.
Contact
I read every message myself: contact@termcompass.com. Corrections and challengeable entries are handled with priority.
Disclaimer
Content on TermCompass is general reference information based on my experience and on published rules. It is not legal, tax or customs advice. For decisions about real shipments, contracts or disputes, consult a licensed professional.