What is an NVOCC?

An NVOCC — short for Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier — is a company that arranges ocean freight shipments without owning or operating the ships that actually carry the cargo. Instead, an NVOCC books space on vessels run by ocean carriers, consolidates cargo from multiple shippers into containers, and issues its own bill of lading to the shipper.

In practice, this means an NVOCC acts as the carrier from the shipper's point of view — taking on contractual responsibility for the shipment — while relying on vessel operators to move the freight. This lets smaller or mid-sized shippers access ocean freight rates and container space they might not get on their own, since the NVOCC combines volume across many customers.

In the United States, NVOCCs operating to or from U.S. ports are regulated by the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) and generally must be licensed or properly registered, maintain a bond, and publish tariffs for their services under the Shipping Act.

Companies in this directory tagged under Sea freight include licensed NVOCCs — you can browse them, along with other ocean transportation providers, from the directory.