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
$5.3B
Total awards
10,733 awards
Active obligations
$105.9M
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.

FY2026 snapshot

Obligations
$82.1M
Awards
165
Average award
$497.5K
Change from FY2025
-42.5%

Recent awards

Search contractors

$24,500

HERC RENTALS INC

US Coast Guard

PIID
70Z02326PSALC0017
PSC
3990 - MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT

$400,000

PORTUS STEVEDORING LLC

Department of the Navy

PIID
M6700426F1006
PSC
V114 - TRANSPORTATION/TRAVEL/RELOCATION- TRANSPORTATION: STEVEDORING

$290,000

EVENT STRATEGIES INC

Department of the Army

PIID
W912DR26PA020
PSC
Z1PZ - MAINTENANCE OF OTHER NON-BUILDING FACILITIES

$1,717,111

COOPER/PORTS AMERICA LLC

US Transportation Command (Ustranscom)

PIID
HTC71126F7420
PSC
V114 - TRANSPORTATION/TRAVEL/RELOCATION- TRANSPORTATION: STEVEDORING

$1,956,503

COOPER/PORTS AMERICA LLC

US Transportation Command (Ustranscom)

PIID
HTC71126F7421
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.

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