Freight transport
Freight transport: find a haulier for your loads in Malta
One local tradesperson gets your request – no ring-round.
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Moving goods by road looks simple until something arrives damaged, late or stuck at a port. Most of those problems trace back to details nobody agreed in writing: who packs and loads, what the carrier is liable for, who makes the customs declaration and whether the goods count as dangerous. This page covers what to settle before the first collection. When you are ready, describe the load once and we offer it to a haulier or freight business that covers your route.
- Exactly one business. Your request is handed out once. After that, no other business sees it.
- You know who will be in touch. Before the business receives your contact details, we send you its name, address and phone number.
- Withdraw at any time. You can withdraw your consent at any time – using the link in our email.
Pallets, part loads and full loads
A handful of pallets usually travels on a pallet network: the haulier collects, the pallets go through a hub overnight and another member delivers. It is economical for regular small volumes, but the goods are handled several times and delivery windows are wide.
A part load shares a trailer with other customers' goods on a similar route. It suits consignments too big for a pallet network but not big enough to fill a vehicle. A full load, or full truckload, is a dedicated vehicle from your dock to the delivery address with no stops in between. It is the choice for high-value, fragile or time-critical goods, and it is often the simplest way to control how the load is handled.
Temperature-controlled goods, loads needing a tail lift, and deliveries with a fixed booking slot all narrow the field of suitable carriers. Say so at the start, because they change which vehicle can be used and how the haulier plans the route.
Customs and paperwork since Brexit
A haulier offering international work should be able to tell you how it handles the Goods Vehicle Movement Service, safety and security declarations and transit documents, or which customs agent it works with.
- commercial invoice and packing list with commodity codes
- who acts as exporter and importer of record, and the agreed Incoterms
- the customs agent or forwarder making each declaration
- any licences or certificates the goods need, for example for food or plants
- the CMR consignment note for international road journeys
In Malta: data protection and registration
The GDPR applies to shipment and customer data; in Malta the Information and Data Protection Commissioner (IDPC) is the supervisory authority. If a supplier processes personal data on your behalf, you need a data processing agreement.
Maltese companies are registered with the Malta Business Registry. Ask suppliers for their company and VAT numbers, and whether they work in English, Maltese or both.
Source: idpc.org.mt · eur-lex.europa.eu · mbr.mt
One request, one business: how Offrano works
You confirm your mobile number with a text code and your email address with a link. We then show the request to businesses in your area, without your name or contact details. Only one business can take it on; it pays Offrano for the request, and it costs you nothing.
Before that business sees your details, we email you its name, address and phone number. We check only that it is a registered business, for example through its Malta Business Registry entry or VAT number, not the quality of its work. We cannot promise that a business will respond; if nobody takes the request within 21 days, we withdraw it. Offrano is not a party to any contract for the work.
Frequently asked questions
Does my haulier need an operator's licence?
If it carries your goods for payment in a vehicle over 3,500 kg gross plated weight, yes, and it must be a standard licence rather than a restricted one. For international journeys it must be a standard international licence.
What is a CMR note and when do I need one?
The CMR consignment note is the transport document for international road journeys covered by the CMR Convention. It records the sender, carrier, consignee, goods and any declared value. The Convention applies by law when goods are collected and delivered in different countries and at least one of them has signed it.
Who makes the customs declaration for an export to the EU?
The trader does, either directly or through a customs agent or freight forwarder. The haulier carries the goods and needs the paperwork, but the declaration is normally not its responsibility unless you have contracted it to act as your agent.
Who regulates data protection in Malta?
The Information and Data Protection Commissioner (IDPC).
Source: idpc.org.mt
Why does only one business get my request?
So that you are not called by several firms at once. The business that takes it on has the request to itself.
Can I withdraw my request?
Yes, through the link in any email from Offrano. If a business has already taken it on, we pass your withdrawal to it straight away.
Ready to make your request?
Describe your project – your request goes to exactly one business.
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