Legal Definitions - carrier

A carrier is an individual or organization that undertakes to transport people or goods from one place to another in exchange for payment. This transportation can occur through various methods, including land, water, or air.

There are two primary types of carriers:

• A common carrier offers transportation services to the general public as part of its regular business. By law, common carriers are typically obligated to serve anyone who requests and pays for their services, and they are held to a high standard of liability for the safety of the people or property they transport. Their operations are often subject to government regulation.
• A private carrier, in contrast, does not offer its services to the general public. Instead, a private carrier enters into specific, individual agreements to transport people or goods, and it has the discretion to choose whether or not to accept a particular contract.

Here are some examples to illustrate the concept of a carrier:

• Imagine a national logistics company, "Global Freightways," which operates a fleet of trucks and cargo planes. They advertise their services widely and accept packages and shipments from any business or individual willing to pay their published rates to transport goods across the country. If a customer pays Global Freightways to ship a pallet of electronics, and the pallet is damaged during transit due to the carrier's negligence, Global Freightways would be held responsible.

  How it illustrates the term: Global Freightways is a common carrier because it offers its transportation services to the public as a regular business, is obligated to accept shipments from anyone who pays, and is liable for the safe delivery of the goods.

• Consider "Metro Transit," the public bus system in a major city. Metro Transit operates on fixed routes and schedules, and any member of the public can board a bus and travel by paying the fare. If a passenger is injured due to a sudden, unsafe maneuver by the bus driver, Metro Transit, as the carrier, would likely be held accountable.

  How it illustrates the term: Metro Transit functions as a common carrier because it provides passenger transportation services to the general public on a regular basis, accepting anyone who pays the fare, and is responsible for the safety of its passengers.

• A specialized company, "Heavy Haul Solutions," owns trucks designed to transport extremely large and unusual industrial machinery. Heavy Haul Solutions does not advertise general shipping services; instead, it negotiates individual contracts with specific manufacturing plants or construction companies when they need to move a particular piece of oversized equipment. Heavy Haul Solutions can decline a job if it doesn't fit their capabilities or schedule.

  How it illustrates the term: Heavy Haul Solutions is a private carrier because it does not offer its services to the general public but rather enters into specific, negotiated contracts for each transportation job, retaining the right to choose its clients and projects.