GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jul 23, 2026
Shipping company
Shipping companies conclude contracts of carriage, operate vessels, and bear responsibility to shippers for the safe and contractual delivery of cargo or passengers.
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Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reederei
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Definition & Explanation
Shipping companies conclude contracts of carriage, operate vessels, and bear responsibility to shippers for the safe and contractual delivery of cargo or passengers. They may own their fleet outright, charter vessels on a bareboat or time-charter basis, or secure capacity as a slot charterer on another carrier's service. Liner operators run scheduled services on fixed trade lanes and issue bills of lading; tramp operators arrange voyage or time charters for individual cargo lots without fixed routes. To manage capacity, liner operators also occasionally cancel entire departures (blank sailing) or omit individual port calls – for instance when overcapacity meets weak demand. For freight forwarders and customs authorities, the shipping company is the pivotal party because it issues the bill of lading or sea waybill – the documents governing title transfer and customs clearance. It should not be confused with the shipbroker, who acts as intermediary only and carries no contractual carriage obligation.
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