Short answer
What does an employee transport contract cover?
It covers who is carried and when (shift timings and routes), with what (vehicle types and backups), at what price (per vehicle, with extras listed), to what standard (safety, punctuality and any SLA), with what records (reports and invoices), how data is protected, and how long the agreement runs and renews.
Most disputes between a company and its transport vendor come from things nobody wrote down: who pays when a car waits for a shift that overran, whether a plant holiday counts as a working day, how fast a replacement must arrive, and who may see employees' home addresses. A good agreement settles those questions before the first trip, which is why the clause list below is longer than the price.
Clause by clause
Which clauses go into the agreement?
Most agreements we sign have the same backbone. The right-hand column shows what we commit to under each heading.
| Clause | What it settles | What we commit to |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Shifts, routes, units and people covered | Routes planned to your shift timings and gates |
| Vehicles | Types, seats, condition | Air-conditioned cars, papers valid, GPS on every car |
| Backup | Breakdowns and absent drivers | A backup car, typically within about an hour; plan agreed per location |
| Price | Rate basis and extras | Per vehicle per month or per trip; tolls, parking and night charge stated |
| Billing | Invoice and payment | Monthly GST invoice, bank transfer, credit period if approved |
| Safety | Drivers and incidents | Licence checked, briefed drivers, written safety policy |
| Data | Employee information | Seen only by our office and the route driver; NDA signed |
| Service levels | On-time targets and penalties | Written in on request, with monthly review |
| Term | Length and renewal | Agreed per company; trial period possible |
Paperwork
Can we use our own agreement format?
Yes. Most companies in the estates have a vendor agreement template. We review it, confirm the clauses we can meet as written and propose wording where a clause does not fit how transport works.
Clauses that usually fit as written
- Confidentiality and NDA
- Vehicle documents valid and shown on request
- Vendor audits
- Invoice format and cost-centre split
- Driver conduct and removal after a serious complaint
Clauses we agree in detail with you
- On-time targets and how lateness is measured
- Service credits or penalties
- Cut-off time for roster changes
- Holiday and shutdown days
- Notice period and renewal
From draft to first shift
How does the agreement get signed?
In five steps, usually by email, with a pilot route possible before or right after signing.
- Share the requirement and template. Shifts, headcount, areas and your agreement format.
- Receive our mark-up. Clauses we accept, and wording for the rest.
- Fix the schedules. Routes, vehicles, rates and report formats as annexures.
- Sign. Both sides sign; we sign your NDA at the same time if needed.
- Start and review. First month reviewed together, then the agreed rhythm.
Questions & answers
Contract questions from legal and HR
Short answers before the first draft.
Do you have a standard agreement we can start from?
We work from the company's format in most cases. If you have none, we send our points (scope, vehicles, rates, billing, safety, data, term) to build one.
Is there a minimum contract length?
No fixed minimum. The length is agreed with each company.
Can rates change during the contract?
Rates, and how and when they may be revised, are written into the agreement, so both sides know before signing.
Can one agreement cover several of our units?
Yes. One agreement can cover several units, with the invoice split by plant, department or cost centre.
Keep reading
Related contract guides
- SLA and service creditsWriting service levels in.
- Pricing modelsPer vehicle, per km or per trip.
- Data privacy and NDAThe data clause.
- All contract guidesThe full list.
Short general answers in our Knowledge Hub