A Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) is a company that provides ocean freight transportation services to customers without operating its own vessels. Instead, an NVOCC leases cargo space from Vessel Operating Common Carriers (VOCCs), which are shipping lines that own and operate their own fleet of vessels.
An NVOCC is a freight consolidator in the ocean shipping industry. It acts as an intermediary between shippers and VOCCs, purchasing cargo space in bulk from shipping lines and then reselling that space to smaller shippers. This allows the NVOCC to offer competitive rates and more flexible shipping options to its customers.
NVOCCs issue their own house bills of lading, publish tariffs, and otherwise conduct themselves as ocean common carriers, even though they do not provide the actual ocean transportation. They may also offer additional services such as cargo consolidation, deconsolidation, and door-to-door delivery.