What does truckage mean?
Truckage is a noun for the carriage of goods by road in trucks and, by extension, the charge or rate assessed for that service. Its use is especially associated with American commercial and transport English, while British speakers often use haulage for the same business. The word is most often encountered in freight-cost discussions, contracts, invoices, and logistics: a company may compare truckage rates, add truckage charges to a delivery price, or arrange for a load to move by truckage from a warehouse to a retailer. It is practical and transactional rather than literary, and it normally carries neutral business connotations. Unlike the broader word freight, truckage specifies movement by road vehicle; unlike shipping, it does not suggest sea or rail transport. The term also reflects the central role of the truck in modern distribution networks, where vehicles move goods between factories, depots, stores, and customers. Though uncommon in everyday conversation, truckage remains useful in transportation, freight, insurance, and commercial contexts because it names both the movement itself and its price.
nounThe transportation of goods by truck or a similar road vehicle; also, the charge or rate for such transportation.
- The transportation of goods by truck or a similar road vehicle.
- A charge or rate for transporting goods by truck.
"The retailer negotiated a lower rate for truckage across the region."
"Daily truckage keeps the warehouse supplied with inventory."
"The freight was delivered by truckage, with the transportation charge added to the invoice."
Rare and usually restricted to countable references to separate transportation services or charges; truckage is normally used as a mass noun.
"The broker itemized the truckages for each route."
One word covers both the movement of goods by truck and the bill for moving them.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does truckage come from?
Truckage was formed in English during the 19th century from truck, used for a vehicle that carries goods, and the suffix -age, which forms nouns denoting an action, process, or charge. The wider English family includes trucking, trucker, and truckload, all reflecting the established sense of a road vehicle used to carry freight.
How truckage is actually used
Used in British and American English, though it is especially associated with North American freight terminology; British English more commonly uses haulage. The term is practical, commercial, and normally neutral in tone.
Easily confused with truckage
Truckage refers specifically to carrying goods by truck, whereas haulage can more broadly include the transportation of goods by road.
Freight denotes the goods being transported, while truckage denotes the transport service or the charge for it.