What does Free on Truck (FOT) mean?

FOT is a trade term - most common in European domestic coffee movements - meaning the seller loads the coffee onto a truck and that's where their responsibility ends. Once it's on the vehicle, risk and any further costs are yours.

You'll encounter it most often when coffee is moving from an import warehouse to your roastery by road. It's functionally similar to FCA but specifically references truck transport rather than any carrier.

Unlike the formal Incoterms (FOB, CIF, CPT), FOT isn't defined by the International Chamber of Commerce - it's established trade usage rather than a standardised term. If it appears in a contract, make sure the named handover point is spelled out clearly, because "on the truck" can be interpreted differently depending on whether loading is complete or just started.