A Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) is an ocean transportation intermediary that issues its own bill of lading (a "house bill") to shippers, takes responsibility for the cargo, but does not actually operate the vessels — instead, it contracts with the underlying ocean carriers (vessel-operating common carriers, or VOCCs).
NVOCCs must be licensed by the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) under the Shipping Act of 1984 and post a $75,000 surety bond. Their primary value-add is consolidation: combining small shipments from multiple shippers into a single full container, allowing each shipper to access LCL (less-than-container-load) pricing instead of paying for a full container.
A typical NVOCC shipment generates two bills of lading:
- Master bill of lading — Issued by the ocean carrier to the NVOCC, showing the NVOCC as the shipper and the destination NVOCC agent as consignee
- House bill of lading — Issued by the NVOCC to the actual shipper, showing the actual shipper and consignee
NVOCCs are often confused with freight forwarders, but the legal distinction is meaningful: an NVOCC is a carrier (it assumes legal liability for the cargo under its house bill), while a freight forwarder is an agent of the shipper. Many companies operate as both — known as Ocean Transportation Intermediaries (OTIs).
For CBP purposes, the house bill of lading is what the importer of record typically references on ISF and entry filings.