Ask a Librarian & FAQs

Here are some glossaries and guides to acronyms for a variety of transportation-related topics:

USDOT Sources:

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)

• Acronyms and Initialisms
• Airline Data Glossary
• Freight Data Dictionary
• Pocket Guide to Transportation Glossary
• Transportation Statistics Annual Report (TSAR) Glossary

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

• Acronyms and Abbreviations
• Air Traffic Management Glossary
• Airport Acronyms and Abbreviations
• Aviation Glossary
• Pilot/Controller Glossary

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

• Active Transportation and Demand Management Glossary
• Freight Glossary and Acronyms
• Highway Rail Crossing Glossary
• Highway Safety Plan Glossary
• Innovative Finance Support Glossary
• Lighting and Nighttime Visibility Glossary
• State Size and Weight Regulations Glossary
• Systems Engineering for ITS Glossary
• Transportation Cybersecurity Glossary

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)

• Unified Registration System Glossary
• Protect Your Move Glossary
• MCMIS Inspection File Glossary

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)

• Safety Data and Reporting Definitions

Federal Transit Administration (FTA)

• National Transit Database Glossary

Maritime Administration (MARAD)

• Glossary of Maritime Terms
• Glossary of Shipping Terms

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

• Glossary of Highway Traffic Safety Terms

• Highway Safety Grants Glossary

Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST)

• Electric Vehicle Glossary of Abbreviations
• Glossary of Terms and Acronyms

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)

• Inspection Activity Glossary
• Pipeline Glossary

Non-USDOT Sources:

Air Forwarders Association

• Air Forwarder Glossary

American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA)

• Glossary of Maritime Terms

American Public Transportation Association (APTA)

• Fact Book Glossary
• Glossary of Transit Terminology (1994)

American Trucking Association (ATA)

• Glossary of Trucking Terms (2019)

Asphalt Institute

• Glossary of Terms

California Air Resources Board

• Pollution glossary

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Transportation Recommendations Glossary

Digital Container Shipping Association

• Container Shipping Glossary

European Union

• Glossary for Transport Statistics (2019)
• Terminology on Combined Transport

Los Angeles Department of Transportation

• Bilingual Glossary of Transportation Terms

Metropolitan Planning Commission

• Glossary of Transportation Planning Acronyms & Terms

National Rural Transportation Access Program (RTAP)

• Transit Acronym Dictionary
• Transit Manager’s Toolkit Glossary

Small Urban and Rural Center on Mobility (NDSU)

• Transportation Glossary

Transportation Research Board (TRB)

• Glossary of Transportation Construction Quality Assurance (2018)
• Glossary of Regional Transportation Systems Management and Operations Terms (2nd Edition)
• Taxonomy and Terms for Stakeholders of Older Adult Mobility (2nd edition)
• Transportation Research Thesaurus (TRT)

Washington State DOT

• Glossary and Abbreviations & Acronyms List