Transport and logistics contracts

Many transport relationships run for years on a quotation, an exchange of emails and a set of general conditions nobody has read side by side. That works while volumes are steady and nothing goes wrong. It stops working when fuel prices jump, when a large customer changes the way it orders, or when a subcontractor further down the chain causes a loss, and each side discovers that the paperwork supports a different version of the deal.

A logistics contract often bundles several services under a single price, and each of them may be governed by different rules. A well-drafted agreement settles in advance what the law would otherwise decide for you:

• the rules on framework agreements, and on the individual orders placed under them;
• the rules on contracts that mix carriage, handling and other services, and on which regime governs each part;
• the rules on the sector’s standard trading conditions, and on when they have validly become part of the contract;
• the rules on rates and surcharges for fuel, tolls and similar costs, and on adjusting prices during the term;
• the rules on service levels, performance indicators and the penalties for missing them;
• the rules on subcontracting, and on approving and controlling the chain of carriers below you;
• the rules on exclusivity, volume commitments and what happens when forecasts are not met;
• the rules on shipment data, tracking and confidentiality, and on who owns the information exchanged.

Our lawyers can support you with this.