Legal Definitions - shipper

A shipper is the person or company that arranges for goods to be transported from one place to another. This typically involves contracting with a transportation company, known as a carrier, to move the cargo. It's important to note that the shipper is not always the owner of the goods; they might be an agent or a logistics company acting on behalf of the owner.

• Example 1: A Manufacturer Sending Products

  A company that manufactures electronics in Oregon sells a large shipment of laptops to a distributor in Florida. The electronics manufacturer then contracts with a freight company to pick up the boxed laptops from their factory and deliver them to the distributor's warehouse.

  How this illustrates the term: In this scenario, the electronics manufacturer is the shipper. They are the entity that initiated the transportation process and entered into an agreement with the freight company (the carrier) to move their products across the country.

• Example 2: A Freight Forwarder Managing Shipments for Clients

  An import-export business regularly brings goods into the country for various clients. Instead of each client arranging their own transport, the import-export business uses a freight forwarder to consolidate shipments and handle all the logistics. The freight forwarder then contracts with different ocean liners and trucking companies to move the goods from the port to the clients' warehouses.

  How this illustrates the term: Here, the freight forwarder acts as the shipper. Even though they do not own the imported goods, they are the entity that contracts with the various carriers (ocean liners, trucking companies) to transport the cargo on behalf of their clients. This highlights that the shipper doesn't always have to be the owner of the cargo.

• Example 3: An Individual Sending a Package

  A student living away from home wants to send a box of books and personal items back to their parents. They take the package to a postal service office, pay for the shipping, and receive a tracking number.

  How this illustrates the term: The student is the shipper in this instance. They are the individual who contracted with the postal service (the carrier) to transport their personal goods from one location to another.