Which types of corporations are classified as common carriers by the Constitution?

The classification of corporations as common carriers by the Constitution encompasses all entities engaged in the transportation of goods and services to the public for compensation. This designation is significant because it places certain legal obligations and responsibilities on these carriers, such as ensuring the safety and timely delivery of goods.

Transportation corporations include a wide range of entities that provide services such as airlines, trucking companies, and shipping lines, in addition to railroads. The legal framework recognizes that these companies operate as vital links in commerce and must adhere to regulations that protect the interests of the public.

Television and radio companies, while they do transmit information to the public, do not fit within the definition of common carriers as they do not transport goods. Warehouse and storage companies, on the other hand, do not carry goods in a transportation sense; they merely store them. Thus, the distinction among these choices clarifies that the correct classification as common carriers refers broadly to all transportation-related corporations.