What is a transportation company?
Transportation companies transport people or goods using road, rail, water or air traffic. In the commercial transportation of goods, transportation companies are usually referred to as carriers. The carrier transports and delivers freight commercially for a fee by truck, rail vehicle, inland waterway vessel or airplane. Its activities are based on a freight contract in accordance with § 407 HGB. This stipulates that the carrier must transport the accepted goods to the destination and hand them over to the recipient there. Should any obstacles arise, the carrier must request instructions from the client in accordance with Section 419 HGB.
In everyday language, the terms transportatio or transport company, road haulage company or carrier are often rendered as freight forwarder, but this is not correct. In contrast to the carrier, road haulage company or freight forwarder, the freight forwarder is a business agent in accordance with Section 453 HGB. Accordingly, a freight forwarder organizes the shipment of goods and commissions carriers or shipping companies to do so. If a freight forwarder also carries out transports with its own fleet of vehicles, this is self-entry in accordance with Section 458 HGB. In the case of self-entry, the freight forwarder is liable as a carrier.
Transport companies and the respective means of transportation used:
- Road haulage company (truck)
- Rail transport companies (freight train, passenger train)
- Air transport company (airplane, helicopter, airship)
- Shipping company (ship, ferry)
- Car rental, passenger cars, vans, cabs
- Transport company (bus, streetcar)
