Pre-Carriage, Carriage

Difference between Pre-Carriage, Carriage and On-Carriage

  • Pre-Carriage – The movement that happens BEFORE the container is loaded on the ship
  • Carriage – The movement that happens while the container is ON BOARD the ship
  • On-Carriage – The movement that happens AFTER the container is discharged from the ship

Pre-Carriage – is the term given to any inland movement that takes place prior to the container being loaded at a port of loading? Such activity can take place at the same location as the port of loading, or at a location close to the port of loading. Example: Empty container is released in Johannesburg and moved to Pretoria for packing and then moved by road or rail to Durban port. This activity is known as PRE-CARRIAGE.

If the activity is performed by the shipping line on behalf of the client, that is called Carrier Haulage.  In this case, normally the bill of lading shows place of origin as Pretoria. If the activity is performed by the client or their transporter, that is called Merchant Haulage. This activity can be performed using rail, or road transport.

Carriage – is the term given to the actual movement of the cargo on sea from the port of load to the port of discharge? Example: When the container is moved from Durban to say Felixstowe by sea. This activity is known as CARRIAGE.

This activity can be performed only by the shipping line/vessel operator who is undertaking to carry the cargo from point A to point B and the bill of lading issued by the ship owner/shipping line is the evidence of the contract of such carriage.

On-Carriage – is the term given to any inland movement that takes place after the container is discharged at a port of discharge. Such activity can take place at the same location as the port of discharge, or at a location close to the port of discharge. Example: Full container is discharged at Durban and then moved by rail to Johannesburg City Deep terminal and then further moved by road to Sasolburg for unpacking. This activity is known as ON-CARRIAGE.

If the activity is performed by the shipping line on behalf of the client, that is called Carrier Haulage.. In this case, normally the bill of lading shows final destination as Sasolburg. If the activity is performed by the client or their transporter, that is called Merchant Haulage. This activity can be performed using rail or road transport.