Overland Common Point

Overland Common Point (OCP) is a tariff concession mechanism historically developed by transpacific ocean carriers and transcontinental railroads in the United States. It applies to waterborne import cargo moving through US West Coast ports (such as Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle, or Tacoma) destined for inland points situated east of the Rocky Mountains.

The primary purpose of the OCP rate structure is to allow West Coast ports and connecting intermodal rail carriers to compete effectively with all-water ocean routes transiting through the Panama Canal directly to US Gulf and East Coast ports. Ocean carriers and railroads grant lower proportional freight rates on both the ocean and rail legs for shipments designated as OCP.

To qualify for an OCP rate, the ocean bill of lading and customs clearance documentation must clearly indicate the inland final destination beyond the designated overland boundary line, typically defined as states east of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, and New Mexico.