Abc analysis: a classification of items in an inventory according to importance defined in terms of criteria such as sales volume and purchase volume. Abc classification

Micro-Land Bridge: An intermodal movement in which the shipment is moved from a foreign country to the U.S. by water and then moved across the U.S. by railroad to an interior, non-port city, or vice versa for exports from a non-port city.
Mileage Allowance: An allowance, based upon distance, that railroads give to shippers using private railcars.
Mileage Rate: A rate based upon the number of miles the commodity is shipped.
Mini-Land bridge: An intermodal movement in which the shipment is moved from a foreign country to the U.S. by water and then moved across the U.S. by railroad to a destination that is a port city, or vice versa for exports from a U.S. port city.
Minimum Weight: The shipment weight the carrier's tariff specifies as the minimum weight required to use the TL or CL rate; the rate discount volume.
Mixed Loads: The movement of both regulated and exempt commodities in the same vehicle at the same time.
Mode: See Transportation Mode.
Modal Split: The relative use that companies make of transportation modes; the statistics include ton-miles, passenger-miles, and revenue.
Motor Carrier: An enterprise that offers service via motor carriage.
Movement of Goods: The transfer of goods from one location to another.
MRO: See Maintenance, Repair, and Operating Supplies (MRO).
MRO items: Maintenance, repair, and operating items--office supplies, for example.
MRP: See Material Requirements Planning (MRP).
MRP-II: See Manufacturing Resource Planning.
MSDS: See Material Safety Data Sheet.
Multi-Currency: The ability to process orders using a variety of currencies for pricing and billing.
Multi-Language: Pertaining to the ability to process orders in many different country-specific languages using voice and text.
Multinational Company: A company that both produces and markets products in different countries.
Multiple-Car Rate: A railroad rate that is lower for shipping more than one carload at a time.
Multi-Skilled: Pertaining to individuals who are certified to perform a variety of tasks.
N
NAFTA: *See North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
National Carrier: A for-hire certificated air carrier that has annual operating revenues of $75 million to $1 billion; the carrier usually operates between major population centers and areas of lesser population.
National Industrial Transportation League: An association representing shippers' and receivers' interests in matters of transportation policy and regulation.
Nationalization: Public ownership, financing, and operation of a business entity.
National Motor Bus Operators Organization: An industry association representing common and charter bus firms; now known as the American Bus Association.
National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC): A tariff, which contains descriptions and classifications of commodities and rules for domestic movement by motor carriers in the US.
National Railroad Corporation: Also known as Amtrak, the corporation established by the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970 to operate most of the United States' rail passenger service.
Negotiable BOL: Provides for the delivery of goods to a named enterprise or to their order (anyone they may designate), but only upon surrender of proper endorsement and the bill of lading to the carrier or the carrier's agents. Also known as an order bill of lading.
Negotiations: A set of discussions between two or more enterprises to determine the business relationship.
Net Assets: Total net assets are calculated as Total Assets - Total Liabilities; where the total assets are made up of fixed assets (plant, machinery, and equipment) and current assets which is the total of stock, debtors, and cash (also includes A/R, inventory, prepaid assets, deferred assets, intangibles, and goodwill). The total liabilities are made up in much the same way as long-term liabilities and current liabilities (includes A/P, accrued expenses, deferred liabilities).
Net Weight: The weight of the merchandise, unpacked, exclusive of any containers.
New Product Introduction (NPI): The process used to develop products that are new to the sales portfolio of a company.
NITL: *See National Industrial Transportation League (NITL)
NMFC: *See National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC)