The difference between pre-carriage and on-carriage needs to be understood very clearly by the
- exporter
- importer
- shipping line
- forwarder
- clearing agent
- insurance and
- everyone else involved
in order to ensure that the relevant roles, responsibilities, costs and risks are clearly defined..
A very basic differentiation would be
- Pre-Carriage – Any inland movement BEFORE the container is delivered to the port/terminal
- On-Carriage – Any inland movement AFTER the container is picked up from the port/terminal
To explain further :
Pre Carriage vs On Carriage MacAndrews Example Murcia to Helsingborg.Pre-Carriage – is the term given to any inland movement that takes place prior to the container being delivered to the port/terminal..
Example : Empty container is moved to Murcia for packing and then moved by road or rail to Bilbao port..
If the pre-carriage is performed by the shipping line on behalf of the client, it is called Carrier Haulage and in such cases, the bill of lading will show place of receipt as Murcia.
If the activity is performed by the client or their transporter, it is called Merchant Haulage and in such cases, the bill of lading will not show any place of receipt..
On-Carriage – is the term given to any inland movement that takes place after the container is picked up from the port/terminal..
Example : Full container is discharged at Helsingborg and then moved by rail or road to final place of delivery.
If this on-carriage is performed by the shipping line on behalf of the client, it is called Carrier Haulage and in such cases, the bill of lading will show place of delivery as the FPOD (final place of delivery).
If the activity is performed by the client or their transporter, it is called Merchant Haulage and in such cases, the bill of lading will not show any place of delivery.
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