| Glossary term | Description |
|---|---|
| UHF |
ultra-high frequency. Portable radio sets capable of sending and receiving signals between different areas on board large steel vessels |
| UKC |
under-keel clearance. Allowance made to ensure a certain clearance between the ship's bottom and the seabed. See also DUKC. |
| ULCC |
ultra-large crude carrier: 320,000+ dwt |
| UNCLOS |
United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea |
| UNCTAD Code | Now known as UN/LOCODE. UNCTAD is the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. |
| unit loads |
Unit loads are parts of a shipment that can be treated as a single unit during cargo handling and transportation. The most common unit loads are pallets and components with bases that resemble pallets. The most important properties of a unit load are that it can be loaded to ensure a tight fit, its modularity and its stability, the last of which ensures that it can be stowed safely and will not be damaged by load securing measures. |
| United Kingdom |
England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and islands governed from the mainland (ie excluding the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) |
| US Gulf | Shipping abbreviation for the Gulf of Mexico. |
| USACE |
US Army Corps of Engineers |
| USCG | United States Coast Guard. |
