carrier
Carrier is a person or entity that transports people or property for hire by any means of conveyance (land, water, air, or pipeline).
Three principal categories are recognized in U.S. law:
Common carriers offer transportation services to the public as a regular business. They must serve all customers who meet reasonable conditions of carriage and pay the required charges. Common carriers are regulated by statute and administrative agencies such as the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Surface Transportation Board, and the Federal Aviation Administration. They are held to a heightened duty of care and are liable for losses or injuries during carriage except in limited circumstances such as acts of God, acts of public authority, or inherent defects in the goods.
Contract carriers provide transportation services under individual contracts rather than to the general public. They agree to carry goods or passengers for specific shippers or customers on negotiated terms. Contract carriers are regulated, but not as extensively as common carriers. Their obligations are defined primarily by the terms of their contracts, though they remain subject to general safety and liability standards.
Private carriers transport their own goods or passengers, or may selectively contract to carry for others, but they do not hold themselves out to serve the public. They are free to choose which contracts to accept and are not subject to the statutory obligations that bind common carriers. Their liability arises under ordinary principles of contract and tort law.
[Last reviewed in October of 2025 by the Wex Definitions Team]
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