cartage: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, Commercial, Legal
Quick answer
What does “cartage” mean?
The act or cost of transporting goods by cart or lorry.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The act or cost of transporting goods by cart or lorry.
The service or business of hauling goods, especially over short distances.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use the term, but it is more commonly associated with historical or specialized commercial contexts in the UK, whereas in the US it remains a standard term in logistics and freight industries.
Connotations
In both regions, it connotes land-based, often short-distance, manual or low-tech transport. Can sound slightly dated outside of business contexts.
Frequency
Low frequency in general language but stable within logistics, freight, and commercial law.
Grammar
How to Use “cartage” in a Sentence
The [noun] includes cartage.We paid for the cartage of the [goods].Cartage is [adjective].Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
A line item on an invoice: 'Total due: £550, including £75 for cartage.'
Academic
Used in economic history texts discussing pre-industrial transport costs.
Everyday
Rare. Might be used when discussing moving house or large purchases: 'The sofa was cheap, but the cartage was expensive.'
Technical
In logistics, specifies the leg of transport from a port or terminal to a final destination.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cartage”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cartage”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cartage”
- Misspelling as 'carthage' (the ancient city).
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'to cartage the goods' is non-standard; use 'cart' or 'transport').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, while it originates from 'cart', modern usage includes transport by lorry or truck, though it often implies shorter, land-based haulage.
No, 'cartage' is only a noun. The verb is 'to cart' (e.g., 'They will cart the delivery to your door').
It is not common in everyday conversation. It is a specialist term used primarily in business, logistics, and law.
'Cartage' often implies the final, local leg of transportation (e.g., from a port to a shop), while 'freight' is a more general term for transported goods or the process itself.
The act or cost of transporting goods by cart or lorry.
Cartage is usually formal, commercial, legal in register.
Cartage: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkɑː.tɪdʒ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkɑːr.tɪdʒ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a CART with a price TAG: the cost (TAGE) of using a CART.
Conceptual Metaphor
MOVEMENT IS A COMMODITY (you pay for the action of moving).
Practice
Quiz
In which document are you most likely to encounter the word 'cartage'?