·3 min read
You find good carriers through your network, job and haulage platforms and social media. The hard part is not finding them but selecting and keeping them: check licence, insurance and registration up front, and then offer clear work, fair rates and on-time payment.
Where to find carriers
- Your own network: ask your current carriers who they know. A recommendation from a carrier who does good work is often the best source.
- Job sites and platforms where self-employed drivers and owner-drivers look for work.
- Social media: LinkedIn and regional groups of drivers and hauliers.
- Freight exchanges such as Timocom and Teleroute, mainly for one-off loads and international transport.
- Agencies that place carriers and owner-drivers, when you need to scale up quickly.
State exactly what you are looking for: region, vehicle type (van, rigid truck, tractor unit), working hours, type of work and how and when you pay. Then the right people respond.
What to check before a carrier drives for you
- Registration with the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) and a valid VAT number.
- A licence for professional goods transport (NIWO) if the vehicle has a payload of more than 500 kg, and a Community licence for international transport.
- Carrier's liability insurance (AVC and, for international transport, CMR).
- The right driving licence and, for truck drivers, Code 95 (professional competence).
- A business bank account in the company's name.
Record these details and ask for a new version when documents expire. That way you always know who is driving for you.
How to keep good carriers
Carriers choose the client that is easiest and fairest to work for. That comes down to a few things:
- Clear work: what the route involves, what it pays and when it needs to be driven.
- Fair distribution: not always the same carriers getting the best routes.
- No hassle afterwards: agreements that are recorded, so there is no argument about what was promised.
- Paying on time, and saying when in advance.
- Little admin: the fewer invoices and paperwork, the more they like driving for you.
Watch out for bogus self-employment
If you work with self-employed drivers, the collaboration has to be a genuine one between two businesses. How to approach that is explained in hiring a self-employed driver: rates, agreements and bogus self-employment.
How Charterportaal helps
With Charterportaal you have all your carriers in one place. You put routes out to your whole network at once, carriers respond themselves, and they can see exactly when they will be paid. That saves you phone calls and makes it more attractive for carriers to keep driving for you.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find carriers for my transport company?
Through your own network and recommendations from current carriers, job and work platforms for self-employed drivers, LinkedIn and regional groups, freight exchanges such as Timocom and Teleroute, and placement agencies.
Which licence does a carrier need in the Netherlands?
Professional goods transport with a vehicle of more than 500 kg payload requires a NIWO licence, and international transport requires a Community licence. Also check the Chamber of Commerce registration and carrier's liability insurance.
How do I keep good carriers?
Offer clear work, distribute routes fairly, record agreements, pay on time and keep the carrier's admin as light as possible.