How to guide to transport freight and road haulage

It is not overly difficult to transport freight haulage, but it does require some planning ahead and choosing the right freight transport company for your needs.

Service Type

As far as freight transport is concerned, there are two common types of service offered by haulage transporters:

- Part-load: your freight goods share space with other goods in a truck. This is a common choice as it is less expensive since you share the delivery cost with other customers. However, the availability of part-load depends on whether the spare space the freight transport has can accommodate your freight which can also possibly lead to delay in transport.
- Full-load: this is obviously a better choice if cost is not of concern as you will have the whole truck for your freight shipment. Besides, it is also faster to find a freight transporter if you require this service, as long as they have suitable vehicles to accommodate your freight.

Selecting a freight transport company

When looking for a freight transport company, there are a number of factors that you need to consider: price, service type, insurance, payment terms and conditions, trustworthiness / reputation and the small print.

Price

Prices vary from company to company, so it pays off to shop around for quotes and compare prices of different hauliers. If using Shiply, our online marketplace offers you the ability to receive competitive, no obligation quotes from thousands of rated freight transporters.

Service type

Although haulage companies normally ask about the type of service required, make sure you decide and confirm with them in advance. In describing the freight, try to provide as accurate dimensions/weight as possible. Haulage companies need this information to assign appropriate vehicles for the job.

Insurance

Always check whether the levels of insurance offered by the freight company cover the value of your freight and also the types of insurance they provide. Request copies for yourself and your own records. For extra peace of mind, it can be advisable to insure your freight with your own insurer.

Payment Terms and Conditions

Payment terms and conditions must be discussed and agreed in advance to avoid potential conflicts once the job is being carried out. Normally, a deposit of up to 25% is standard when booking road haulage transport.

Trustworthiness and Reputation

Checking the freight delivery company back-records, reviews, and references is utterly important as you are giving them very valuable goods which you obviously do not want to get damaged or lost.

Therefore, always ask the freight transporter to provide you with a previous shipment record, references (if any). And then, follow these up.

If you are using Shiply, our feedback system provides allows a reassuring insight into haulage transporters trustworthiness based on unbiased past user experiences.

Read The Small Print

It is important to make sure that any promises, payment terms or what happens if it goes wrong details are written down and signed, so they can be enforced as a contract if need be. If you are unhappy with any of the terms in the contract, or they are inconsistent, ask for them to be changed.

Preparing your freight for transport

Although the freight transport company normally offers tips and guidance, there are important things that should be done in preparation for transportation.

• Pack your goods carefully to minimise potential damages in transit. Pallets, boxes and bubble wrapping paper can provide good protection.

• Number and document each package with amount and item descriptions to make sure the quantity is correct.

• Take note of existing damages/lack of damages to your goods with dated photographs as condition proofs.

Upon freight pickup

When the freight transporter comes to pickup the shipment, there are a number of things you need to get done before they start the delivery:

Ask for the freight delivery company insurance documents to compare with the information you were provided.
Ask the driver the sign the notes of existing damages/lack of damages.
Get the driver’s mobile phone number in case of emergency.

Upon freight delivery

Upon, receiving the freight, it is important to carry out the following:

Check the quantity and item descriptions to make sure they match the list you have prepared.
Check rigorously for any new damage to the freight. If your items were boxed or packaged with pallets, check the condition of the packages.

Should any damage have occurred, ask the delivery driver to sign the damage record paper immediately to acknowledge the damage. After that, contact the transport company as soon as possible to resolve any issues