Common Carrier Authority permits a company to transport property (or passengers) for the general public — meaning it must be willing to serve any shipper willing to pay its rates, for the type of freight and routes it's authorized to serve, without discrimination. This is the traditional, broadest form of for-hire operating authority and is what most general-freight trucking companies hold. Holding common authority carries certain public-facing expectations that don't apply to contract carriers, though in practice modern trucking has moved heavily toward negotiated, contract-style relationships even among carriers that hold common authority. Many carriers hold both Common and Contract authority simultaneously, since the two aren't mutually exclusive and having both maximizes the range of freight arrangements a carrier can legally accept. FMCSA grants common authority based on the carrier demonstrating it's fit, willing, and able to comply with applicable safety and financial responsibility requirements, including minimum insurance levels — and can suspend it if those requirements lapse.
A dry van carrier with Common Carrier Authority can legally accept a load from any shipper, not just customers it has a standing contract with.
Shown as 'Common' within the Operating Authority field, and as an authority chip, on carrier profiles that hold it.