SOC / COC
Shipper-Owned Container vs Carrier-Owned Container
Also known as: SOC · COC · Shipper owned container · Carrier owned container
A COC is a container owned (or leased) by the shipping line. A SOC is a container that the shipper owns or leases itself and gives to the line to carry.
In plain words
Most cargo moves in COCs. The line supplies the empty container and takes it back after delivery, and it charges demurrage and detention if you keep it too long. With a SOC, the container is yours, so the line does not charge detention, and you can keep it as long as you need — for example for storage at destination, or on routes where returning empty containers is hard.
But a SOC also brings work: you must buy or lease it, keep it in good condition with a valid CSC plate, and arrange its next use or its return. The line marks SOC bookings specially, and port and terminal charges can differ. SOCs are common on one-way routes to inland or remote destinations, and for project cargo.
Example from real shipping
A company exports machinery to a site far inland, where the line has no depot for empty returns. It buys used containers as SOCs. The machinery travels in them by sea and road, and the containers stay at the site as storage, with no detention charges.
Related terms
- DetentionDetention is a daily fee the shipping line charges when you keep its container outside the port or terminal longer than the free time.
- DemurrageDemurrage is a fee the shipping line charges when a full container stays at the port longer than the free time. The fee is charged per day.
- CSCThe CSC plate is a metal plate on the container door that shows the container is approved as safe under the International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC, 1972).
- Container typesA side-by-side comparison of the common shipping container types: sizes, weights, capacity, pallet places, and typical cargo.
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Request a QuoteThis glossary is general information, not legal or customs advice. Rules, fees, and practice can differ by carrier, port, and country.