Businesses with regular cargo are usually offered two choices: keep booking trucks trip by trip, or sign a monthly contract. The answer to “which is cheaper” depends on three things: whether volume is steady, whether routes are fixed, and what kind of monthly contract it actually is — because “monthly hire” is used in the market for two quite different models.
1 Three Ways to Hire Container Trucks
| Hire method | Paid by | Suits | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per trip | Each trip, priced at the time of booking | Occasional shipments, variable routes, irregular volume | Prices swing with the season; trucks may be unavailable at peak times |
| Monthly/annual rate contract | Each trip, but at a fixed signed rate card, settled per period | Recurring routes, fairly steady volume | Minimum volume commitment, if the contract includes one |
| Dedicated truck hire | A fixed monthly sum for a dedicated truck and driver | High, stable volume with many short trips a day | Paying in full even on days with no cargo |
Most small and medium businesses asking about “monthly hire” actually need the second model: still paying per trip, but at fixed rates and settled at month end. The third model only pays off when the truck is used almost every day.
2 When a Monthly Contract Is Cheaper
Long-term rate contracts are usually lower than one-off trip prices because the haulier knows the volume in advance, so it can arrange backhauls and plan dispatch — the two factors that determine the cost of a trip, as analysed in how container trucking rates are calculated. The advantage is clearest when:
- There are several trips a week or more on the same route.
- The cargo schedule is known at least a few days ahead.
- The warehouse loads and unloads quickly, with little waiting.
For dedicated hire the calculation is simpler: divide the monthly fee by the number of trips actually run and compare with the per-trip rate. If the truck only runs half the expected trips, the real cost per trip doubles.
3 When to Stay With Per-Trip Hire
- Irregular volume — busy some months, quiet others, with no basis to commit.
- Constantly changing routes — every shipment goes to a different point, which a rate card can hardly cover.
- One-off project cargo — needs route surveys, specialised trucks and a separate quote.
Even with per-trip hire, sending complete information from the start still gets you an accurate price — the checklist is in what information to send when hiring a container truck.
4 Clauses a Long-Term Contract Should Include
- Rate card by route and container type, stating clearly which charges are included.
- Fuel price adjustment mechanism — reference diesel price, how large a change triggers an adjustment, and from which period it applies.
- Free waiting hours and the rate for waiting and truck holding charges.
- Volume commitment (if any) and the consequence of missing it — avoid heavy penalty clauses when volume drops for objective reasons.
- Truck supply commitment — how much notice the haulier needs to guarantee a truck, including in peak season.
- Cargo liability, insurance and the incident handling procedure.
- Reconciliation and payment period and the documents accompanying each trip.
- Term and termination conditions.
CARIMEX signs route rate contracts with customers who have steady volume; with our own fleet and yard in Nhon Trach we can commit trucks even in peak season. Send your routes and expected volume via the road container transport page or call +84 933 968 988.
