Common Carrier — 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.