A commercial individual or organization that carries persons or property from
one place to another for payment—for example, a trucker. As contrasted with
contract carriers, a common carrier is one that transports or handles the goods
of the general public. Since enactment of the Interstate Commerce Commission
(ICC) Termination Act of 1995, a carrier can hold operating authority as both a
common carrier and contract carrier, but a separate registration fee is
required for each type of authority.