Vervoerder

Vervoerder is a Dutch term meaning carrier or transporter. In the context of goods transport, a vervoer refers to the party that undertakes to move goods from a place of receipt to a place of destination in exchange for payment, under a contract of carriage.

The exact role of the verder can vary. It often denotes the actual carrier—the company that physically transports the goods by road, rail, sea, or air. In practice, a forwarder (expediteur) may arrange transport and contract with a carrier on behalf of the shipper; in some cases the forwarder also assumes responsibilities as the vervoerder, while in others the forwarder remains an intermediary and the carrier remains the responsible party under the carriage agreement.

Responsibilities typically attributed to the vervoerder include taking charge of the goods, ensuring proper handling and stowage, delivering the goods to the named consignee, and exercising due care in the performance of the transport. The exact duties and potential liabilities are governed by the applicable national law and, where relevant, international conventions for the mode of transport (for example, road transport under the CMR Convention, maritime transport under Hague-Visby or Hamburg Rules, and air transport under the Montreal or Warsaw Conventions). Liability for loss, damage, or delay is often subject to statutory limits and defenses such as fault, inherent vice of the goods, or force majeure, as defined in the contract of carriage and applicable law.

In everyday usage, the term guides to the entity responsible for the actual transport of goods, while the broader logistics arrangement may involve intermediaries, shippers, and consignees within the transport chain.