General
NVOCC
Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier — a freight forwarder that issues its own bills of lading and consolidates cargo like a carrier without owning ships. Common in ocean freight.
In depth
An NVOCC is a non-vessel-operating common carrier: a company that acts as a carrier to the shipper and as a shipper to the vessel operator, without owning ships. It buys space from ocean carriers in volume, issues its own house bill of lading, and takes on carrier liability for the cargo it accepts. That is the substantive difference from a plain freight forwarder, which arranges transport as an agent and does not usually assume carrier liability. In practice most large forwarders operate an NVOCC arm, and NVOCCs are typically required to register with regulators — in the United States, with the Federal Maritime Commission.
Key points
- Acts as carrier to the shipper, as shipper to the vessel operator
- Issues its own house bill of lading and assumes carrier liability
- Owns no vessels; buys and resells space in volume
- Registration with regulators such as the FMC is generally required