# NVOCC ocean freight software that holds the bond, the tariff and the house bill together

> NVOCC ocean freight is the business of issuing your own house bills of lading and buying ocean carriage underneath them, as a non vessel operating common carrier. The Federal Maritime Commission requires evidence of financial responsibility of $75,000 for an NVOCC, or $150,000 for a registered NVOCC, under 46 CFR 515.21. Neurobird keeps the licence, the bond, the tariff and every house bill on one record.

- URL: https://neurobird.com/nvoccocean/
- Product: Neurobird NVOCC Ocean Freight Compliance Platform
- Niche: NVOCC ocean freight
- Buyer: ocean transport intermediaries
- Status: in development, open for early access
- Updated: 2026-08-21

## What Neurobird NVOCC Ocean Freight does

- Hold licence and bond evidence with their renewal dates, visible before a booking is accepted
- Tie every house bill to the master bill underneath it and the tariff rule that priced it
- Keep the tariff current and referenced, so a quoted rate can be shown to match what is on file
- Produce the shipment file a claim or an FMC enquiry asks for without assembling it

## How it works

1. **Book against the tariff** A rate is quoted from a tariff rule that is recorded, so the quote and the filing agree at the moment the booking is taken.
2. **Issue the house bill** The house bill is issued against the master bill it rides on, and both stay attached to the same shipment record.
3. **Keep the licence live** Licence and bond evidence carry their own expiry, and the system says so before a booking rather than after a renewal lapses.

## From the source material

> The shipper party (NVOCC) must certify on the signature page its shipper status.

Source: Federal Maritime Commission, ocean transport intermediaries, https://www.fmc.gov/resources-services/ocean-transportation-intermediaries/

## Industry context

- **$75,000** Evidence of financial responsibility any person acting as an NVOCC in the United States must furnish under the Commission's rules. (source: eCFR, 46 CFR 515.21, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/46/515.21)
- **$150,000** The higher amount required of a registered NVOCC, which is also strictly responsible for the acts and omissions of its employees and agents wherever located. (source: eCFR, 46 CFR 515.21, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/46/515.21)
- **$3,000,000** The ceiling for a group or association establishing financial responsibility collectively, the lesser of the per member total or this figure. (source: eCFR, 46 CFR 515.21, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/46/515.21)
- **515.2** The definitions that separate an ocean freight forwarder from an NVOCC, which decides which obligations attach to a given shipment. (source: eCFR, 46 CFR 515.2, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/46/515.2)
- **1 name** Where more than one person operates under a common trade name, separate proof of financial responsibility is required for each corporation or person. (source: eCFR, 46 CFR 515.21, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/46/515.21)

## Pricing

- Desk: $249 per month
- Operator: $699 per month
- Group: $1,600 per month

## Questions

### What is an NVOCC?

A non vessel operating common carrier holds itself out as a carrier and issues its own house bills of lading, but buys the actual ocean carriage from a vessel operator. It is a carrier to its customer and a shipper to the vessel operator, which is why it carries its own bonding and tariff duties.

### What is the difference between an NVOCC and a freight forwarder?

A forwarder arranges carriage as an agent. An NVOCC contracts as a carrier in its own name. The Commission defines both at 46 CFR 515.2, and the financial responsibility required differs: $75,000 for an NVOCC against a lower figure for a forwarder.

### Does this replace our forwarding system?

No. It sits beside it. The forwarding system moves the shipment. This holds the regulatory position: the licence, the bond, the tariff rule and the house bill that together make the movement lawful.

### How does it handle bond renewal?

Bond and licence evidence carry their expiry in the record, and the booking screen shows the status. A lapse should stop a booking rather than surface in an enquiry months later.

## Sources

- [eCFR, 46 CFR 515.21, financial responsibility](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/46/515.21)
- [eCFR, 46 CFR 515.2, definitions](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/46/515.2)
- [Federal Maritime Commission, ocean transport intermediaries](https://www.fmc.gov/resources-services/ocean-transportation-intermediaries/)
- [eCFR, 46 CFR Part 520, tariffs](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/46/part-520)

## Contact

- office@neurobird.com
- https://neurobird.com/