NVOCC
Non-vessel operating common carrier
An NVOCC is a carrier that sells ocean freight under its own bills of lading without operating ships. It buys space from vessel operators instead.
What it is
A non-vessel operating common carrier, or NVOCC, is a company that carries cargo by sea under its own bill of lading without owning or operating the ships. It buys slots from vessel operators, sells that space to shippers and forwarders, and takes carrier responsibility for the cargo toward its customer. Toward the vessel operator it is itself a shipper. Many NVOCCs also own or lease their own container fleet.
How it works in practice
In practice an NVOCC quotes a rate, accepts a booking, releases an empty container, and issues a bill of lading once the box is loaded. The vessel operator issues a separate document to the NVOCC covering the same cargo. At destination the NVOCC's agent collects charges, releases cargo against the bill, and takes the empty container back. Licensing, registration and bonding requirements for NVOCCs differ from country to country.
Why it matters
The model matters because the NVOCC carries two sets of obligations at once: it owes the shipper a carrier's duty of care and owes the vessel operator freight and slot charges. Its margin depends on the gap between buying and selling rates, and on container turnaround, since idle or late equipment costs money. Accurate documents, equipment records and agent accounts are therefore the core of an NVOCC's back office.
In Sailix
How Sailix handles it
Sailix has an NVOCC line of business that follows the carrier cycle: inquiry, rate negotiation with lines, quotation, line booking, release request, B/L draft, export invoice, B/L issue and manifest. The same workspace holds the import side, container inventory and movements, agent statements of account, and the accounting ledgers those documents post to.
- Liner bookingGroup bookings under an export master job for each line and vessel voyage, and book accepted quotations with containers, revenue and cost.
- Bill of ladingTake an export B/L from draft to customer confirmation, gated issue, release to the customer and surrender, with a PDF at draft and issue.
- Container inventoryOne screen for container stock across ports, terminals, CFS, ICD and depots, with masters for containers, types and locations.
Related terms
- Bill of ladingA bill of lading is a carrier's receipt for cargo and evidence of the contract of carriage. It is issued by the carrier and, when negotiable, is also a document of title.
- House bill of ladingA house bill of lading is the bill a freight forwarder or NVOCC issues to the actual shipper. It covers cargo that moves under a carrier's master bill.
- Liner agencyA liner agency is a company that represents a shipping line in a port or country. It handles bookings, documents, collections and equipment on the line's behalf.
Get started
Put your whole shipping desk on one system.
Create your workspace and run your first job from booking to settlement.