Crossword Genius

Freight left on time (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

portage

'freight' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)

'left on time' is the wordplay.
'left' becomes 'port' (left side of a ship - opposite of starboard).
'on' means one lot of letters go next to another (in a down clue, letters appear on others).
'time' becomes 'age' (an age is a period of time).
'port'+'age'='PORTAGE'

(Other definitions for portage that I've seen before include "Carriage" , "Transport between waterways" , "Carrying boat overland" , "Cost of carrying or transporting" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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