Terms & Conditions Of Service

• Coordination Scope: DirectRoute facilitates requirement assessment, route vehicle matching, driver communication, loading coordination, milestone tracking, and proof of delivery (POD) retrieval.
• Bailment & Custody: DirectRoute does not take physical bailment or possession of commercial cargo; actual road transit is executed by independent commercial vehicle owners and their licensed drivers.

• Corporate Status: The Customer is a duly registered corporate entity, LLP, partnership, or proprietorship operating lawfully under the applicable laws of India.
• Authority: The individual communicating, booking, or confirming freight orders possesses explicit organizational authority to commit the entity to financial and legal obligations.
• Accuracy of Data: All corporate profiles, GSTIN certificates, PAN records, pickup/drop coordinates, and cargo manifests supplied are accurate and up-to-date.

Shippers must ensure cargo legality, adequate packaging, accurate weight declarations, and full documentation compliance.

• Statutory Fitness: All deployed commercial vehicles must hold valid Registration Certificates (RC), National or State Carriage Permits, Vehicle Fitness Certificates, comprehensive commercial motor insurance, and Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates.
• Driver Qualifications: Drivers assigned to freight journeys must hold valid Commercial Heavy Motor Vehicle (HMV) Driving Licenses, observe all road safety norms, and adhere to zero-tolerance policies regarding driving under the influence.
• Safe Execution & Delivery: Fleet Partners must adhere to dispatched transit schedules, safeguard cargo integrity, report mid-route incidents promptly, and obtain signed, stamped Proof of Delivery (POD) from authorized consignee personnel upon arrival.

• Free Loading/Unloading Window: Standard bookings include up to four (4) hours of free loading time at the consignor point and up to four (4) hours of free unloading time at the consignee point, unless otherwise stated in writing.
• Halting Charges: Where a vehicle is detained beyond the free time due to delays caused by the Shipper, Consignee, loading delays, or documentation issues, halting charges shall apply at standard market rates per 24-hour cycle or fraction thereof, determined by vehicle tonnage.
• Detention Settlement: Applicable halting charges must be acknowledged on the trip sheet and cleared either prior to final vehicle discharge or settled in the supplementary freight invoice.

• Cancellation by Shipper: If a booking is cancelled by the Shipper after a vehicle has been placed or is en route to the loading facility, a Dead Freight / Placement Fee shall be payable by the Shipper to reimburse empty vehicle kilometers and opportunity costs.
• Carrier Mechanical Breakdown: In the event of unforeseen carrier breakdown or transit failure, DirectRoute will make reasonable commercial efforts to arrange a replacement vehicle. If no alternative can be sourced, DirectRoute’s liability is strictly limited to refunding any advance payment collected for that unexecuted portion.

• Payment Milestones: Invoices shall be settled per agreed terms (e.g., agreed advance upon loading and balance upon electronic/physical POD confirmation, or approved institutional credit terms).
• Goods & Services Tax (GST): Tax invoices are issued in compliance with the CGST/SGST Acts. Applicable GST shall be remitted under the Reverse Charge Mechanism (RCM) for Goods Transport Agency (GTA) services or Forward Charge as specified on the billing invoice.
• Late Interest: Overdue balances shall accrue interest at 18% per annum calculated from the due date until full realization, alongside any legal recovery costs.
• Lien on Consignments: Subject to Indian law, DirectRoute and its Carriers retain a general and particular lien upon consignments and documents for unpaid freight, demurrage, or operational dues owed by the Customer.

• Limitation of DirectRoute Responsibility: DirectRoute shall not be held liable for any loss, damage, theft, pilferage, contamination, fire, or spoilage of cargo occurring during road transit, unless directly proven to have been caused by the gross negligence of DirectRoute’s own internal employees.
• Carriage by Road Act Claims: Any transit claim against the physical transporter must be initiated under the provisions of the Carriage by Road Act, 2007. DirectRoute will assist in facilitating damage certificates, carrier inspection reports, and Certificate of Facts (COF) to support the Shipper’s insurance recovery.

• Any material breach of these Terms, warranties, or applicable laws by the Customer or its representatives.
• Misdeclaration of cargo specifications, gross weights, hazardous nature, or commercial values.
• Non-compliance with GST, e-Way Bill, or state transport documentation rules leading to vehicle impounding or tax confiscation.
• Any bodily injury, property damage, or casualty occurring at the Customer’s loading or unloading premises caused by Customer personnel, equipment, or dock operations.

• Amicable Consultation: In the event of any commercial disagreement or claim, the parties shall first make good-faith efforts to reach an amicable resolution via senior management discussion within thirty (30) days.
• Arbitration: If unresolved amicably, the dispute shall be referred to arbitration in Pune, Maharashtra, in accordance with the Indian Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, before a sole arbitrator mutually appointed by the parties. Arbitration proceedings shall be conducted in the English language.
• Exclusive Jurisdiction: Subject to arbitration, the courts of competent jurisdiction in Pune, Maharashtra, India, shall possess exclusive territorial jurisdiction over any judicial proceedings arising in connection with these Terms.