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Parties, Roles & Instruments

Carrier

Also known as: Ocean Carrier, Air Carrier

A carrier is the party that physically transports goods from one place to another under a contract of carriage — an ocean line, airline, trucking company, or railroad — and that issues the transport document evidencing receipt of the cargo and the terms of transport. Carriers assume defined legal responsibility for the goods in their custody, subject to international conventions that limit their liability, and they set the schedules, rates, and free-time allowances that shape a shipment's cost and transit. A common carrier holds itself out to serve the public generally, distinguishing it from a contract carrier serving specific customers.

The JFS takeLicensed customs broker · Filer 82G

The party actually moving the goods, and the one whose liability limits are far lower than importers expect. The distinction between a vessel-operating carrier and an NVOCC matters at the point you need to make a claim.

Related terms

NVOCCA non-vessel operating common carrier is an entity that acts as a carrier to the shipper — issuing its own bills of lading and taking contractual responsibility for the cargo — while itself buying space from the ocean lines that actually operate the vessels.Bill of LadingA bill of lading is the foundational document of ocean freight, issued by a carrier to a shipper, that serves three distinct functions at once: a receipt confirming the carrier has taken the described goods into its custody, evidence of the contract of carriage setting out the terms of transport, and — when issued in negotiable form — a document of title whose holder controls delivery of the cargo.Freight ForwarderA freight forwarder is a logistics intermediary that arranges the transport of goods on behalf of shippers, booking space with ocean, air, road, and rail carriers, consolidating cargo, preparing shipping and export documentation, and coordinating the many hand-offs of an international shipment.

Reviewed by a licensed customs broker. Definitions are general information, not legal or customs advice for a particular shipment. Duty rates, tariff programs and agency requirements change frequently.