Someone must actually move the freight. A carrier is a company or operator that transports goods by road, rail, sea, air, or pipeline under a contract of carriage.

Common carriers offer services to the public under published terms; contract carriers serve specific clients under negotiated agreements. Liability regimes differ by mode and by the terms of the bill of lading or waybill. Performance is measured by on-time delivery, claims ratio, and capacity reliability.

Shippers select carriers based on cost, transit time, geographic coverage, and service quality. Asset-based carriers own their fleets; non-asset carriers orchestrate capacity provided by others. In every case the carrier remains responsible for the safe and timely movement of the cargo entrusted to it.

• Operator that transports goods under contract
• May be common or contract carrier
• Liable according to mode-specific rules
• Selected for cost, speed, and reliability