Glossary/
Freight Forwarder

Freight Forwarder

A freight forwarder is a company that arranges the transport of goods for shippers, booking space with carriers across ocean, air, road and rail and handling the documents for each leg. In the US, an ocean freight forwarder needs a Federal Maritime Commission license, as does a US-based NVOCC, which issues its own bills of lading.

Choosing a forwarder? Freight forwarder in the USA: why Airlift โ†’

Reviewed September 2026.

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All glossary terms|Freight Forwarder

Freight forwarder vs NVOCC: an ocean freight forwarder books space and prepares export documents as the shipper's agent; an NVOCC becomes the carrier to its customer and issues its own house bill of lading.

What is a Freight Forwarder?

A freight forwarder is a logistics company that arranges the storage and shipping of goods on behalf of shippers. It sits between you and the carriers and coordinates each leg of the move, so you deal with one company instead of several.

US law defines the ocean roles narrowly. The Shipping Act calls an ocean freight forwarder a person in the United States that dispatches shipments from the US by common carrier, books space for them on behalf of shippers and processes the documentation (46 U.S.C. 40102). The FMC licenses ocean freight forwarders and NVOCCs together as ocean transportation intermediaries under 46 CFR part 515. Neither license makes a company a customs broker.

Working with Airlift as your forwarder

Airlift is a freight forwarder and FMC-licensed NVOCC (OTI license 016162). See Airlift as your US freight forwarder, the ocean freight and air freight services, or request an ocean quote through rate search.

Related terms

  • Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) โ€” A common carrier that issues its own bills of lading and tariff to shippers but does not operate the ships the cargo sails on.
  • Customs Broker โ€” A person or company licensed by CBP to classify goods, file import entries and pay duties for the importer.
  • House Bill of Lading โ€” The bill of lading a freight forwarder or NVOCC issues to its own customer, for example on a consolidated shipment.
  • Consolidation โ€” Combining smaller shipments from several shippers into one container, so each pays only for the space it uses.
  • Indirect Air Carrier (IAC) โ€” A US company, typically a forwarder, that arranges air cargo without operating aircraft and must run a TSA-approved security program.
  • Shipper โ€” The party named as shipper on the bill of lading, which contracts with the carrier and hands over the cargo. Often the exporter or seller, but not always; also called the consignor.

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More shipping terms

General Average
A maritime law principle under which everyone in a sea venture shares, in proportion, the loss when part of the ship or cargo is voluntarily sacrificed to save the whole.
Read definition
Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS)
The US import tariff: the schedule, maintained by the USITC, that classifies every imported product under a 10-digit number and sets its duty rate.
Read definition
House Bill of Lading
The bill of lading a freight forwarder or NVOCC issues to its own customer, for example on a consolidated shipment.
Read definition

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