Carrier to the customer, shipper to the line
An NVOCC wears two hats. Toward its customer it is the carrier: it issues the house bill, sets the terms and answers for the cargo under them. Toward the vessel operator it is the shipper, booking space under its own contract or the line's rates. That position lets it consolidate LCL cargo, resell full-container space and add trucking at either end.
Licensing and tariffs in US trades
The Federal Maritime Commission regulates NVOCCs as ocean transportation intermediaries. A US-based NVOCC needs an FMC license, and NVOCCs based abroad can obtain one if they have a qualifying US presence or register with the FMC instead. All must show financial responsibility, usually through a bond, and publish a tariff, though rates can also be agreed through negotiated rate arrangements or NVOCC service arrangements.
Due diligence on a new NVOCC
For US trades, the FMC's licensing pages link to its list of licensed and bonded OTIs, which helps confirm an NVOCC's status before cargo moves. The FMC also posts names of NVOCCs it considers non-compliant. Beyond that, ask which carriers the NVOCC books with, who its destination agents are, and which references it will share, such as the MBL and container numbers.
Example
A US importer books an LCL shipment with an NVOCC, pays the NVOCC's rate, receives its house bill and never deals with the vessel operator, even though the cargo travels in ONEU9051279.
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Official sources
Questions
What does NVOCC mean?
An NVOCC (non-vessel-operating common carrier) is a company that sells ocean transportation under its own bills of lading and tariffs without operating ships. It buys space from vessel-operating carriers and appears as the shipper on their master bills.
Is an NVOCC the same as a freight forwarder?
Not quite. An NVOCC acts as a carrier and issues its own bills of lading, while a forwarder acting as agent books space and handles documents for its client. Many companies hold both roles.
Why is an NVOCC named as shipper on my container's master bill?
Because the NVOCC contracted with the ocean carrier in its own name. Your company appears on the NVOCC's house bill instead, which is the document that governs your shipment.