Road transport

Road transport tends to be cheaper and more direct than rail, especially for the transportation of small consignments. Its advantages include door-to-door service, quick loading and unloading in containers, and the use of roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) facilities on ferry crossings, where the truck can drive onto and off the ferry or a semi-trailer can be driven onto a ferry by one truck and driven off at the destination docks by another.

TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers) vehicles, which are sealed, can go through customs without being searched.

Documentation

A ROAD CONSIGNMENT NOTE (CMR) is the main document used in road transport. It is issued by the carrier and is the CONSIGNOR’S (person sending the goods) RECEIPT. It usually states that the goods are in good condition when the carrier receives them, but if there is something wrong with them, there may be a clause which states what this is. There are three original copies.

A CMR cannot be a DOCUMENT OF TITLE, i.e. it does not give ownership of the goods to the person named on the document.

DELIVERY NOTES are sent with consignments. They can be signed by the CONSIGNEE (person receiving the goods) stating either contents have been examined, which means the consignee has seen the goods and is accepting them in good condition, or contents not examined, as a precaution against receiving damaged goods.

Rail transport

Rail transport tends to be more economical than road transport for BULK CONSIGNMENTS (e.g. oil. grain, and coal). There are often links between road and rail carriers, e.g. man European services which use the Channel Tunnel.

Documentation

Rail transport is covered by a RAIL CONSIGNMENT NOTE Like a ROAD CONSIGNMENT NOTE, it is a receipt and not a document of title.

Air transport

Some goods lose value or deteriorate over a short period of time, e.g. newspapers and flowers. For this kind of consignment air transport is used for speed, particularly over long distances. Insurance tends to be cheaper as consignments spend less time in transit. However, in the case of bulk consignments, air can be much more expensive than other forms of transport as charges are by weight (airfreight tonnes) or volume, whichever is the greater cost.

Documentation

The main document used in air transport is the AIR WAYBILL, which consists of twelve copies: one is sent to the airline, one to the consignor, and one to the consignee, each being accepted as originals. The other copies are sent to customers. Unlike the bill of lading the air waybill is only a receipt and cannot be transferred to another person. It acknowledges that the goods were received in apparent good order. Only the consignee named on the air waybill can claim the goods, and they will need to quote the bill number.

General

Consignment notes and air waybills are obtained from the freight company by the consignor (sender) filling out an instruction for despatch form and paying the freight charges. Charges are calculated by size (volume), weight, or value, and sometimes also risk.

Most freight companies are private carriers, and are responsible for taking proper care of the goods and getting them to their destination on time.

Correspondence in transport is generally between consignors and freight companies, or consignors and forwarding agents, who send goods on behalf of the consignor. Customers are kept informed about consignments by means of advice notes, which can be sent by ordinary mail or email. They give details of packing and when goods will arrive.