HK chartering guarantees precise tracking of your goods
Road chartering is a mode of operation in which express freight transport operations are carried out on behalf of a customer, commonly referred to as the shipper, by a carrier using its own resources: vehicle and driver, with whom a chartering contract is signed. The person in charge of the precise follow-up and execution of these transport missions is called a charterer, as opposed to the employees in charge of managing the flows with the company's own resources, called operators.
The customer who pays for the transport of his goods (freight) entrusts responsibility for this service to a transport company which, by taking a margin on the price paid, then selects, controls and executes the charter contract, this company is legally responsible from A to Z, for thetransport of the goods.
Almost all transport companies and the majority of shippers use this organizational method. There are tools for sharing information on the availability of vehicles and goods, with which charterers, shippers and carriers can exchange information useful for trade, known as freight exchanges.
Why use freight forwarders?
For shippers: flow managers, buyers, transport and logistics managers, shipping or supply chain managers, can more easily find solutions to their transport needs, which can vary considerably depending on the season, delivery or supply problems, by calling on forwarding agents than on transport companies working exclusively with their own resources (fleet).
Carriers, managing vehicles and drivers , also call on forwarding agents, even when they operate primarily with their own fleets to cover peaks incustomer activity that they cannot meet directly, or last-minute requirements for which they have no vehicles available.
Specialized chartering companies, known as freight forwarders, are on the other hand specialized in chartering operations, often with geographical (European Union, France, Germany, etc...) or business specializations (full loads, partial loads, temperature-controlled goods, ADR, etc...). Charterers are capable of finding solutions to flow imbalances, enabling the client to benefit from a fair transport cost despite the margin charged, while ensuring that the selected carrier earns a return by minimizing empty mileage, when he has no solution in the loading region to return to a place where the next load, or his base, awaits.
The carriers with the most competitive rates and costs are often those located close to the point of delivery, not the point of departure. One of the advantages of road freight chartering is that it's easier for freight forwarders to identify and solicit transport companies based hundreds of kilometers from the loading point. Special language skills in languages such as Spanish and Portuguese on the one hand, and Central European languages on the other, make charterers' work much easier. At HK, 8 languages are spoken by the chartering department.
HK COURSES charter service
From 8.00 am to 6.00 pm, our multilingual teams are at your service to draw up a free estimate. We manage the road chartering of your merchandise all over Europe, via our road hauliers who are referenced for their reliability and competitiveness.
Our charterers know their strengths: speciality routes, geographical areas, short-haul vehicles (light vehicles) to long-haul vehicles (trailer trucks and heavy goods vehicles).
Whatever the type of goods, on pallets or not, HK manages your freight transport from A to Z, including packaging, loading, collection and unloading.
We are committed to offering you quality service at the best possible price, and deliver within 24, 48 or 72 hours, depending on your destination.
A direct contact coordinates the logistics solution best suited to your needs, whether for full or partial loads. He or she ensures rigorous tracking of your goods frompick-up to delivery , in real time.
Our ability to offer you fixed costs throughout the year for certain flows means that we can manage difficult periods thanks to our regular volumes.
We are also able to give you the best market price, depending on circumstances and SPOT requirements. This means we can find the right solution for you, depending on the circumstances at the time.
HK Courses is also at your side for the management of complicated technical charters, involving resources such as articulated arms, flatbeds, temperature-controlled vehicles or assemblies for handling ADR-classified dangerous goods.
HK operates to and from all over Europe and to all destinations, including the European Union, CEEC, Scandinavia, Turkey and beyond.
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Example and practical application of chartering
As part of the management of truckload shipments throughout Europe and beyond, a large industrial company, which will later become the shipper (or principal) with production sites throughout Europe, organizes invitations to tender once a year. Volumes, seasonality, delivery and collection points are all listed, as well as specific strapping and safety requirements (wedges, straps, etc.).
This Request For Quote (RFQ) is sent to the main road hauliers in France and Europe, typically located close to the point of origin of these shipments; these hauliers identify their local resources and any empty kilometers to be covered, enabling them to respond on a few routes according to their own fleet, and submit rates.
This invitation to tender is also sent to freight forwarders, who, based on their knowledge of the market of dozens of transport companies, also identify imbalances, available resources, and according to kilometers and seasons, and submit a tariff including operating costs (margin).
Shippers choose their transport service providers on the basis of the rates they charge, and the responsiveness they demonstrate in managing changes and variations in demand, as well as supplying the quantities of trucks required, and meeting loading and delivery schedules. The number of service providers selected varies greatly according to the volume and complexity of the supply chain problem.
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