An NVOCC, or non-vessel-operating common carrier, is a company that moves ocean freight as a carrier without owning ships. It buys space from the vessel lines in volume, issues its own bills of lading, and consolidates many shippers’ cargo to get better rates than a single small shipper could. To the customer it acts as the carrier, while the actual sailing runs on another line’s vessel.
The difference from a plain forwarder is that an NVOCC takes carrier responsibility and issues its own transport document. Many forwarders operate as NVOCCs, which gives shippers buying power and flexible routing. Texas International Freight provides international freight forwarding and ocean freight across the major trade lanes.
