Win more freight by subcontracting specialist haulage. See 12 services, from ADR to temperature-controlled, and what to check before you book a carrier.
Written by Tristan Bacon — Reviewed by Billy Gardner — Updated 1 October 2026
A regular customer calls about a pallet of aerosols. Another needs a rail of garments delivered ready for the shop floor. Then comes a pharmaceutical load with a temperature specification your usual haulier cannot meet.
With the right specialist carrier, you can quote, build in your margin and keep the customer relationship. Subcontract haulage to expand your freight forwarding services without buying specialist vehicles.
Start by knowing what to ask before you commit.
Fleets, bookings, subcontractors, compliance & payments.With HX, you can manage them all in one place.
Specialist freight forwarding services include dangerous goods, temperature-controlled, high-security, air cargo, customs and international transport. You can also subcontract garments on hanger, containers, abnormal loads, groupage, specialist delivery and time-critical freight. Match the carrier’s equipment, training, insurance and approvals to the booking and agree responsibilities before collection.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Check requirements with the relevant authority or a qualified adviser.
Chemical suppliers may need aerosols, paints or batteries moved. ADR, the Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road, also applies to domestic GB carriage through UK dangerous goods regulations.
Supply classification, quantities and packaging. Request the appropriate ADR driver certificate where required, applicable vehicle approval and insurance covering the goods. Formal vehicle approval applies to specified tank and explosives operations; it is not required for every packaged dangerous goods load.
Ask about the carrier’s dangerous goods safety adviser (DGSA). Appointment requirements depend on activities and exemptions, including certain small-load and limited-quantity operations. Your own consignor or handling role may also require a DGSA. Check DfT guidance.
Retain customers whose regulated freight would otherwise go elsewhere.
Find ADR carriers on Haulage Exchange.
Food and pharmaceutical suppliers need defined temperature services. Quick-frozen food generally requires −18°C or colder, subject to permitted tolerances. Refrigerated medicines may require 2°C to 8°C. Chilled food specifications vary, so obtain the customer’s range in writing.
Request calibrated data logging, maintenance records and a temperature-excursion procedure. Agree who receives alerts and authorises acceptance after an excursion.
ATP, the agreement covering international carriage of perishable foodstuffs and its equipment, applies to qualifying international food movements. Request ATP evidence where applicable.
For medicines, check transport procedures against MHRA good distribution practice (GDP) guidance. Refrigeration alone does not demonstrate GDP suitability.
Use your subcontracted cold chain logistics capability to retain temperature-sensitive work alongside ordinary freight.
Find temperature-controlled carriers on Haulage Exchange.
Electronics distributors and luxury brands may specify security controls before accepting a quote. Obtain security requirements and cargo value before choosing a carrier.
The Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) Trucking Security Requirements (TSR) have three levels. Level 1 provides the highest protection, followed by Levels 2 and 3. Certificates last three years, with annual interim self-audits at the first and second anniversaries.
Request the certificate, scope and evidence that the allocated vehicles are covered. Agree tracking, driver vetting, secure parking and any no-stop policy, allowing for lawful driver breaks. Confirm theft-cover conditions with the insurer.
Meet tender specifications and build repeat business. Our high-risk freight guide covers further precautions.
Find high-security carriers on Haulage Exchange.
Air freight agents and exporters need carriers that preserve cargo security between premises and airport handover. Confirm the required security arrangements before quoting.
A Regulated Agent handles cargo within the approved security chain. A Known Consignor originates cargo through its approved processes. A contracted haulier may transport secure cargo under a signed haulier declaration; that declaration does not confer either status.
Request the agreement, vehicle-securing procedures and current driver training records. The CAA identifies role-specific Cargo (Regulated Agent) and Cargo and Mail (Known Consignor) syllabuses. Confirm modules and recurrent-training dates with the agent or consignor.
Follow the CAA’s secure transport guidance to support regular airport feeder work.
Find air cargo carriers on Haulage Exchange.
Importers and exporters need transport coordinated with customs clearance. Ask how the carrier handles transit documents, border presentations and discharge of the movement. Agree who provides guarantees and submits declarations.
Check Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) numbers. A GB number alone does not provide access to EU customs systems.
Import Control System 2 (ICS2) requirements now cover EU road freight. Agree who files the entry summary declaration and supplies accurate shipment data. Applicable combined transit/security filing is available through NCTS Phase 6 in participating countries.
Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status is a useful differentiator for carriers and forwarders involved in international supply chains. UK authorisations cover customs simplifications (AEOC), security and safety (AEOS), or both. UK–EU mutual recognition concerns security and safety benefits; it does not guarantee clearance.
Clear responsibilities support a complete cross-border quote.
Find international specialists on Haulage Exchange.
Manufacturers and distributors need carriers with the permissions and cover for the planned route. Check the standard international operator licence and applicable authorisations for UK hire-or-reward operations requiring licensing.
CMR is the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road. It governs qualifying carriage contracts and liability. The usual loss limit under the amended Convention is 8.33 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) per kilogram of gross weight lost, subject to exceptions.
Request CMR liability cover. Do not assume goods-in-transit insurance covers CMR liability or the cargo’s full value. Check your freight forwarder insurance too.
Agree any onward work within UK–EU cabotage rules. Protect your service and avoid uninsured exposure.
Find international road carriers on Haulage Exchange.
Fashion brands and retailers may want hanging stock delivered ready for the shop floor. Garments on hanger (GOH) transport can also suit selected e-commerce returns and seasonal replenishment.
Request details of hanging rails, garment capacity and protection against dust, moisture and movement. Confirm handover requirements.
Agree garment counting, labelling and reconciliation. Agree any returns-sorting requirements.
Quote for the required presentation and handling, adding peak capacity without maintaining GOH vehicles yourself.
Find garments-on-hanger carriers on Haulage Exchange.
Importers need container haulage aligned with release dates, terminal bookings and delivery appointments.
Check port registration or passes, booking-system access and skeletal trailer suitability. Confirm container size, gross weight, axle loads and securing arrangements. Agree who verifies internal packing and lashing.
Obtain release references. Agree responsibility for waiting, failed collections, demurrage and detention under the relevant contracts. Check empty-return arrangements before quoting.
Build repeat port-to-warehouse work through carriers familiar with local terminals. Our Felixstowe container transport article explores that opportunity.
Find container carriers on Haulage Exchange.
Engineering and construction customers may need machinery or indivisible components moved to a project site. Obtain accurate dimensions, weight, lifting points and site-access details before requesting quotes.
Request the vehicle combination, securing plan, route survey and escorts. Identify the applicable normal vehicle rules, Special Types General Order (STGO) category or Special Order.
Confirm notifications and authorisations with police, highway and bridge authorities. DVSA’s special types guide explains the categories.
Specialist planning supports your project quote. Include surveys, escorts, lifting and waiting time so the handling requirements are reflected in your margin.
Find project-load carriers on Haulage Exchange.
Wholesalers and smaller manufacturers may need just a few pallets moved. Groupage combines consignments; pallet network members provide established delivery services.
Check network access, postcode coverage, cut-offs and pallet size/weight limits. Request pallet-level tracking, tail-lift options, delivery timings and site restrictions.
Agree how damage, shortages and failed deliveries are recorded. Confirm exclusions for unsuitable or restricted goods.
Retain smaller bookings and consolidate recurring demand. Match your delivery commitment to the network service, allowing for additional handling.
Find pallet and groupage carriers on Haulage Exchange.
Furniture, white goods and machinery suppliers may need unloading, indoor delivery or positioning. Specify stairs, access and assembly requirements before quoting.
For tail-lifts and lorry-mounted cranes, including Hiab equipment, request rated capacities, current thorough-examination reports and evidence of crew competence. Lifting equipment is subject to the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER); examination intervals depend on its use and examination scheme.
Confirm load weight, crane reach, ground conditions and handling. Two-person delivery requires a suitable crew and risk assessment, even where no mechanical lift is used.
Sell the unloading and delivery support your customer needs.
Find specialist delivery carriers on Haulage Exchange.
Automotive, aerospace and service businesses may need urgent parts to keep operations running. Agree achievable collection and delivery commitments.
Request the vehicle’s current location, an achievable collection time and confirmation of dedicated use. Agree live tracking, update frequency, delivery evidence and an escalation contact. For 24/7 cover, check out-of-hours staffing.
Build regional options near customers, factories and ports. Nearby capacity supports urgent enquiries and routine work.
Price the required response, waiting time and contingency arrangements. Confirm availability before promising same-day service.
Find time-critical carriers on Haulage Exchange.
Before confirming a booking:
HX’s Trustd supports structured approval and documentation visibility alongside booking-specific checks.
FORS accreditation covers fleet management, vehicles, drivers and operations. Bronze is the foundation; Silver adds requirements including performance monitoring, road risk and environmental impact. Gold builds further on Silver, including decarbonisation and fleet transition.
Construction Logistics and Community Safety (CLOCS) addresses construction logistics risks. ISO certifications can demonstrate quality management through ISO 9001 or road traffic safety management through ISO 39001. Check each certificate’s scope.
HX’s freight forwarding software gives you access to 60,000+ vehicles. Filter by freight requirement and specialist accreditations, then compare quotes and review carrier documentation.
When you need additional capacity, you can receive quotes from subcontractors within minutes. Tanzeel Siddiqui of MT Logistics Group explains:
“You post a job and within minutes you can have 10, 15 or 20 quotes. There’s absolutely zero waiting time.”
MT Logistics Group uses HX to source subcontractors during busy periods, vehicle breakdowns and when its own vehicles are too far from collection.
Once a load is booked, live maps, Driver App tracking and live ETAs help you keep customers updated. Manage quotes through My Quotes, retain contacts in your preferred-subcontractor directory, pay carriers through SmartPay and monitor freight through Freight Vision.
Build your forwarder network and grow your freight forwarding company through repeat specialist work.
Find reliable carriers and scale your capacity with Haulage Exchange
Advertise your loads to over 60,000 vetted subcontractors, and get quotes within 4 minutes.
Yes. You can subcontract transport to carriers with suitable equipment, training and approvals. Agree the service specification and check the carrier before accepting the booking.
Arranging transport does not automatically require the carrier’s accreditations. Your own activities may create separate obligations, including dangerous goods, medicines, customs or air cargo security requirements. Check your role with the relevant authority or adviser.
ADR driver certificate requirements depend on the goods, quantities and applicable exemptions. Some exempt movements still require task-specific training and other precautions. Confirm the shipment’s classification before choosing a carrier.
CMR liability cover responds to the carrier’s insured legal liability, which may be below the cargo’s value. The Convention does not itself require carriers to buy insurance. Check policy wording and discuss additional cargo cover with your broker.
AEO status is voluntary and can support eligible customs or security benefits. Carriers still need the appropriate licences, permissions and declarations for the movement. AEO status does not replace those requirements.
Post the load requirements and filter vehicles by relevant freight capability and specialist accreditations. Compare quotes, review available documentation and confirm the allocated vehicle’s suitability. Our guide to freight forwarding explains the wider role.
