Federal NAICS Codes

NAICS 488320: Marine Cargo Handling

Explore obligations, trends, recent awards, and incumbent contractors for NAICS 488320.

NAICS 488320 federal market metrics

Total obligations
$2.5B
Total awards
4,984 awards
Active obligations
$49.6M
Size standard
$47,000,000 receipts

What this NAICS covers

NAICS 488320 covers marine cargo handling services, including shipboard stevedoring, terminal cargo loading and unloading, lashing and securing, on-dock transfer, short-term storage, and cargo handling equipment operation at ports and intermodal terminals.

Federal opportunities under 488320 typically involve providing labor, equipment, and terminal operations to move military, humanitarian, or commercial cargo through ports, ensuring safe stowage, timely ship turnaround, documentation, and short-term on-site cargo control.

FY2025 snapshot

Obligations
$142.3M
Awards
281
Average award
$506.5K
Change from FY2024
-45%

Recent awards

Search contractors

$30,000

OFFSHORE SYSTEMS, INC.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

PIID
1333MK26P0071
PSC
M2BZ - HUSBANDING SERVICES—OTHER PORT SERVICES

$324,373

HAWAII STEVEDORES, INC

Department of the Navy

PIID
N0060426P4015
PSC
V114 - TRANSPORTATION/TRAVEL/RELOCATION- TRANSPORTATION: STEVEDORING

$56,386

JONES STEVEDORING COMPANY

US Transportation Command (Ustranscom)

PIID
HTC71126F7162
PSC
V114 - TRANSPORTATION/TRAVEL/RELOCATION- TRANSPORTATION: STEVEDORING

FAQ

What work fits NAICS 488320?
  • Stevedoring and vessel cargo operations for breakbulk, palletized, and containerized freight with berth support, lashing, and manifest reconciliation.
  • On-terminal container stuffing, unstuffing, staging, and yard management with equipment operators, chassis handling, and yard planning.
  • Short-distance barge or lightering transfers between vessels and terminal with coordinated vessel scheduling and cargo tallying.
  • Handling and storage of hazardous or sensitive cargo requiring specialized procedures, placarding, segregation, and chain-of-custody documentation.
When is NAICS 488320 a weak fit?
  • Ocean freight carriage and vessel chartering: procurement concerns ship operation, voyage logistics, and carriage contracts rather than terminal cargo handling activities.
  • Port infrastructure construction or dredging: scope requires heavy civil works, engineering, and construction management outside terminal operations and labor gangs.
  • Rail yard switching and terminal-to-rail services: procurement centers on train assembly, locomotive operations, and railcar routing rather than ship-to-shore cargo handling processes.
What solicitation language points to NAICS 488320?
  • Line items that enumerate stevedore labor gangs, crane hours, per-move charges, and a required list of cargo handling equipment and capacities.
  • Performance metrics that specify moves per hour, berth productivity, safe man-hour rates, and allowable cargo damage incident thresholds.
  • Scope language requiring coordination with vessel manifests, customs inspections, cargo tallying procedures, and secured chain-of-custody documentation.

Put this market knowledge to work

Now that you know about NAICS 488320 - Marine Cargo Handling, let Sweetspot help you find and win relevant government contracts with AI-powered tools.

Schedule a Demo
Track awards in this NAICS Find contractors winning here Get alerts for new awards Analyze recompete timing