Is cargo the same as freight?

In everyday logistics language, yes — the two terms are frequently interchangeable. The technical distinction: cargo is the goods themselves in transit. Freight is the conveyance — the commercial act of transporting goods at a freight rate. "Cargo is on the truck" names the goods. "Freight has been arranged" names the transport act. The CMR convention reinforces this: it governs the freight movement (the carriage contract) and sets liability for loss or damage to the cargo (the goods) under Article 23.