embarque

Embarque is a term used in Spanish and Portuguese with related meanings in transportation and logistics. It generally refers to the act of boarding people onto a vehicle (such as an airplane, ship, or train) and the act of loading goods onto a transport mode. The word derives from the French embarquer, and in practice the concept encompasses both passenger and cargo movements as well as the formal documentation associated with shipment.

In passenger transport, embarque describes the process of admitting travelers and their belongings onto a vehicle. This includes procedures at the gate or platform, the assignment of seating or berths, and the sequencing of boarding groups. The term is often used together with desembarque (disembarkation), which denotes leaving the vehicle at the destination.

In cargo and maritime or air logistics, embarque also denotes the loading of goods onto a vessel or aircraft. It is closely linked to the administrative and legal aspects of shipping, such as the creation of a transport document known as the bill of lading. In Spanish, this document is commonly referred to as the conocimiento de embarque, and in Portuguese as o conhecimento de embarque or similar terms. These documents serve as a receipt and contract of carriage, detailing consignor, consignee, goods, and terms of shipment.

Overall, embarque covers both the practical action of placing people or goods on board and the related paperwork that formalizes the act within modes of transport and international trade.