Legal Definitions - common carrier

A common carrier is a person or business that transports passengers or goods for a fee and makes their service available to the general public. This means that anyone can use their service as long as they pay the fee. Examples of common carriers include:

• Shipowners who transport goods across the ocean
• Railroads that transport goods and passengers by train
• Airlines that transport passengers by plane
• Taxi services that transport passengers by car

These examples illustrate the definition of a common carrier because they all provide transportation services to the general public for a fee. They don't discriminate against customers and don't require a special agreement to use their services.

On the other hand, a private carrier is a person or business that only transports passengers or goods in specific circumstances. They don't make their services available to the general public. Instead, they enter into a contract with each customer individually. For example, a private courier service that delivers packages for a specific company is a private carrier.