Ocean freight
Roughly two thirds of Alliance member firms hold an FMC OTI licence. Here is what their day-to-day work looks like.
The practical scope of ocean freight
- FCL bookings. 20', 40', 40' HC and 45' equipment across SeaLand, ZIM, ONE, Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM and HMM tariffs.
- LCL consolidation. Weekly direct boxes from CFS partners in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston and Savannah.
- NVOCC operations. Members file tariffs, bond and operate as Non-Vessel-Operating Common Carriers under their own bills of lading.
- Project & break-bulk. Out-of-gauge, ro-ro and chartered tonnage for energy and industrial cargo.
- Detention & demurrage. A members-only working group tracks D&D billing disputes and shares CADRS-ready evidence packages.
The Alliance does not directly broker shipments. Instead, we maintain a peer network where licensed practitioners share documentation templates, regulatory updates and lessons learned — the kind of institutional knowledge that used to travel only between desks in the same office.
Browse member firms
Common questions about ocean freight
What is the difference between an OTI and an NVOCC?
An OTI (Ocean Transportation Intermediary) licence from the FMC covers either Freight Forwarders or NVOCCs. Many of our members hold both endorsements.
Do you publish FMC bond information?
We publish a quarterly guidance memo on bond size and surety requirements, drawing on data shared voluntarily by member firms.
How are sailings tracked?
Members typically subscribe to one of the major visibility platforms. The Alliance does not endorse a single vendor, but our resources library compares the leading options.