Please read the following conditions carefully and in their entirety. You will be bound by these conditions if we carry goods for you. This means:

• You should take out your own insurance cover over the goods.

• If both you and the consignee are each operating a business:

  • the goods will be at your sole risk and our services are priced on this basis; and

  • we will not be liable for any loss of or damage to the goods, or any other losses you suffer, regardless of the cause of such loss or damage.

 

1.1 The meanings of the terms used in these conditions are set out below.

Term		Meaning
Carriage		the whole of the operations and services undertaken by the Carrier or any person on behalf of the Carrier in respect of the Goods (whether gratuitously or not) and includes loading, unloading or storage of the Goods and the towing of a trailer
Carrier		James Fab Pty Ltd (ACN 131 240 670) trading as James Steel Pty Ltd or under any other business name and its Personnel
Chain of Responsibility Law		the Heavy Vehicle National Law as enacted in any Australian state, the Road Traffic (Administration) Act 2008 (WA) and the Road Traffic (Vehicles) Act 2012 (WA) and any other state, territory or Commonwealth legislation dealing with the obligations of parties involved in road transport activities, such as consignors, transport operators, loaders, drivers and schedulers
Consequential Loss		any indirect or consequential loss; loss of use; loss of product or production; delayed, postponed, interrupted or deferred production; inability to produce, deliver or process; loss of profit, revenue or anticipated revenue; loss of bargain, contract, expectation or opportunity; punitive or exemplary damages; in each case arising from or in connection with the performance of the Carriage and whether or not foreseeable at the time of entering into these conditions
Consignor		the person who engages the Carrier to provide services of Carriage
Dangerous Goods		Goods that are or may become noxious, dangerous, flammable or damaging, or that are or may become liable to damage any property whatsoever
Goods		the property accepted by the Carrier from the Consignor for Carriage including any container or packaging supplied by or on behalf of the Consignor
Personnel		the officers, office-holders, employees, agents and Subcontractors of the Carrier
PPSA		Personal Property Securities Act 2009 (Cth)
Subcontractor		includes any person who, pursuant to a contract or arrangement with any other person (whether or not the Carrier), performs or agrees to perform the Carriage or any part of it

 

1.2 In these conditions:

(a) words importing the singular include the plural and vice versa;

(b) a reference to a person is to be construed as a reference to an individual, body corporate, unincorporated association, partnership, joint venture or government body;

(c) a reference to a statute includes a reference to all enactments amending or consolidating the statute and to an enactment substituted for the statute and any subordinate legislation, including regulations;

(d) headings are included for convenience only and do not affect interpretation of these conditions; and

(e) terms used but not defined have the same meaning as under the PPSA.

The Carrier is not a common carrier and will accept no liability as such. All Goods are carried, and all storage and other services are performed by the Carrier, subject only to these conditions. The Carrier reserves the right to refuse the Carriage of Goods for any person and the Carriage of any class of goods at its discretion.

The Carrier will:

(a) take reasonable care to protect and safeguard the Goods;

(b) provide the Carriage exercising the degree of skill, care, and efficiency that would be expected from a competent service provider experienced in providing Carriage;

(c) obtain and maintain at its own expense all proper and necessary licences as may be required by law in connection with the provision of the Carriage;

(d) use reasonable endeavours to deliver the Goods to the address nominated by the Consignor and to effect delivery at the date and time requested by the Consignor (subject to compliance with all applicable laws, including Chain of Responsibility Law); and

(e) use reasonable endeavours to comply with the Consignor’s reasonable and lawful directions.

4.1 The Consignor warrants that:

(a) the Goods are fit for Carriage and have been suitably packaged for those purposes;

(b) the Consignor has the authority of all persons owning or having any interest in the Goods to accept these conditions on their behalf;

(c) the details of description, items, pallet space, quantity, weight, quality, value and measurements supplied by the Consignor or any other party are correct;

(d) there is a suitable practicable road and approach for the Carrier and the Carrier’s vehicles to the place from which the Goods are to be removed and the place to which the Goods are to be delivered;

(e) any place from which any Goods are to be collected or to which any Goods are to be delivered will have safe and adequate loading facilities and equipment available;

(f) where required by law, the Consignor has accurately completed and supplied a container weight declaration form;

(g) the person delivering any Goods to the Carrier for Carriage is authorised to sign these conditions for the Consignor and by such signature or by the signature of any other person acting for or on behalf of the Consignor, the Consignor accepts these conditions; and

(h) Carriage is supplied for the purpose of a business, trade, profession or occupation carried on or engaged in by the Consignor.

4.2 The Consignor:

(a) acknowledges that the Carrier has no responsibility or liability in relation to any pallet used for Carriage;

(b) must ensure that pallets are transferred from and to any relevant hire accounts and that any necessary documentation is signed and delivered to the applicable pallet hire company; and

(c) releases and indemnifies the Carrier from and against any liability in relation to the loss of pallets or failure of any party to transfer pallets on or off any hire account.

4.3 The Carrier relies on the details of description, items, pallet space, quantity, weight, quality, value and measurements supplied by the Consignor but does not admit their accuracy.

4.4 The Consignor undertakes to indemnify the Carrier in respect of any liability whatsoever in respect of the Goods to any person (other than the Consignor) who claims to have, who has, or who in the future may have any interest in the Goods or any part of the Goods.

The Carrier at its discretion may subcontract on any terms the whole or any part of the Carriage.

6.1 The Consignor agrees that no claim or allegation may be made against any Personnel that imposes or attempts to impose upon such Personnel any liability whatsoever arising out of or in any way connected with the Goods or the Carriage of them whether or not arising out of negligence or a wilful act or omission on the part of any of them and if such claim or allegation should nevertheless be made, to indemnify the Carrier against all consequences of any such claim or allegation.

6.2 Every exemption, limitation, condition and liberty in these conditions and every right, exemption from liability, defence and immunity of whatsoever nature applicable to the Carrier or to which the Carrier is entitled under these conditions will also be available and will extend to protect:

(a) all Personnel;

(b) every other person (other than the Carrier) by whom the Carriage or any part of it is undertaken; and

(c) all persons who are or might be vicariously liable for the acts or omissions of any person falling within clauses 6.2(a) or 6.2(b).

6.3 For the purposes of clause 6.2, the Carrier is or will be deemed to be acting as agent or trustee on behalf of and for the benefit of all such persons and each of them and all such persons and each of them will to this extent be or be deemed to be parties to these conditions.

7.1The Consignor acknowledges and agrees that neither the Carrier nor any Personnel nor any other person who undertakes the Carriage of the Goods at any time pursuant to these conditions will in any circumstances (except where any statute otherwise requires) be under any liability whatever (whether in contract, tort or otherwise) for:

(a) any loss of or damage to, deterioration, evaporation or contamination of the Goods; or

(b) misdelivery, delay in delivery or non-delivery of the Goods or any of them,

whether in the course of Carriage or otherwise including where loss, damage, deterioration, evaporation, contamination, misdelivery, delay in delivery or non‑delivery is caused or alleged to have been caused by the negligence of the Carrier or its Personnel.

7.2 Without limiting the generality of clause 7.1, the Carrier will not be liable for any loss of or damage to Goods:

(a) caused by vibration, road conditions, weather or weather events of any kind whatsoever, including but not limited to rain, hail or storm damage;

(b) which are brittle, inherently defective or in such a condition that they cannot be loaded, unloaded or transported by road without damage;

(c) caused by inherent vice or the nature of the Goods;

(d) where such loss or damage comprises of mechanical, electrical or electronic breakdown, derangement, or malfunction of the Goods; or

(e) caused by insufficiency or unsuitability of packing or preparation of the Goods to withstand the ordinary incidents of Carriage.

7.3 The Carrier will be entitled to the benefit of the exclusion of liability provided for in clauses 7.1 and 7.2 even if it is proved that the loss or damage resulted from an act or omission done with intent to cause damage, or recklessly and with knowledge that damage would probably result.

7.4 Nothing whatsoever done or omitted to be done or other conduct by the Carrier in breach of contract or otherwise will under any circumstances constitute a fundamental breach of contract, or a repudiation of contract such as to have the effect of disentitling the Carrier from obtaining the benefit of and enforcing all rights, defences, exemptions, immunities and limitations of liability of the Carrier contained in these conditions, and all such rights, defences, exemptions, immunities, limitations of liability and like protection will continue to have full force and effect in any event whatsoever.

7.5 Notwithstanding any other provision of these conditions, the Carrier will under no circumstances be liable for any claim for Consequential Loss.

7.6 Where clauses 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4 or 7.5 cannot legally operate and to the extent permitted by law, the Carrier’s liability (including for breach of any warranty, guarantee or any term implied by law in these conditions) is limited to:

(a) in the case of the supply of Carriage, the cost of having those services supplied again; or

(b) in the case of the supply by the Carrier of goods, the lowest of the cost of replacing the goods, acquiring equivalent goods or having the goods repaired.

8.1 The Consignor authorises any deviation from the usual route or manner of Carriage of Goods that may in the absolute discretion of the Carrier be considered desirable or necessary in the circumstances.

8.2 If the Consignor expressly or impliedly instructs the Carrier to use, or it is expressly or impliedly agreed that the Carrier will use a particular method of handling or storing the Goods or a particular method of Carriage, the Carrier will give priority to that method but if it cannot conveniently be adopted by the Carrier, the Consignor authorises the Carrier to handle or store or to carry or to have the Goods handled, stored or carried by another method or methods.

9.1 The Carrier is authorised to deliver the Goods at the address nominated to the Carrier by the Consignor for that purpose. The Carrier will be conclusively presumed to have delivered the Goods in accordance with these conditions if at that address it obtains from any person a receipt or signed delivery docket for the Goods.

9.2 If the nominated place of delivery should be unattended or if delivery cannot otherwise be effected by the Carrier or the consignee otherwise fails to take delivery of the Goods, the Carrier may at its option deposit the Goods at that place (which will be conclusively presumed to be due delivery under these conditions) or store the Goods and if the Goods are stored by the Carrier the Consignor will pay or indemnify the Carrier for all costs and expenses incurred in or about such storage. In the event that the Goods are stored by the Carrier the Carrier will be at liberty to redeliver them to the Consignor from the place of storage at the Consignor’s expense.

10.1 The Goods are accepted subject to a general lien for all charges now due or that may become due to the Carrier by the Consignor on any account whatsoever, whether in respect of the Goods or in respect of any other goods for which the Carrier provides or has provided services of Carriage.

10.2 Without prejudice to any other rights the Carrier may have under legislation, if charges are not paid when due, or the Goods are not collected when so required or designated, the Carrier may, without notice, and immediately:

(a) remove all or any of the Goods and store them as the Carrier thinks fit at the Consignor’s risk and expense; and

(b) open and sell all or any of the Goods as the Carrier thinks fit (whether by private treaty or public auction) and apply the proceeds to discharge the lien and costs of sale without being liable to any person for any loss or damage caused.

10.3 The parties agree that the lien attaches to Goods when the Goods are accepted by the Carrier for Carriage.

10.4 The Consignor agrees that the lien arising under these conditions is a security interest.

10.5 If the Carrier requests, then the Consignor must promptly upon receipt of a request from the Carrier do anything for the purposes of ensuring that any security interest created under, or provided for by, these conditions is enforceable, perfected (including but not limited to perfection by registration), maintained and is otherwise effective. Anything that is required by the Consignor to be done under this clause will be done by the Consignor at its own expense. The Consignor agrees to reimburse the costs of the Carrier in connection with any action taken by the Carrier under or in connection with this clause.

10.6 The parties agree that, to the extent permitted by the PPSA:

(a) sections 125, 142 and 143 of the PPSA do not apply (unless the Consignor is otherwise notified in writing by the Carrier);

(b) any right to receive a notice or statement arising by virtue of sections 129, 130, 132, 134 and 135 of the PPSA is waived; and

(c) any right to receive a copy or any notice of any verification statement confirming registration of a financing statement or a financing change statement relating to any security interest under or provided for by these conditions is waived.

The Consignor will be and remain responsible to the Carrier for all its proper charges incurred for any reason. A charge may be made by the Carrier in accordance with the Carrier’s schedule of rates in respect of any delay in excess of one hour in loading or unloading occurring other than from the default of the Carrier. Such permissible delay period will commence upon the Carrier reporting for loading or unloading.

12.1 The Carrier’s charges will be deemed fully earned on receipt of the Goods by the Carrier and are non-refundable in any event. The Consignor agrees to pay all sums due to the Carrier without any deduction, counterclaim or set-off.

12.2 Any special instruction given by the Consignor to the effect that charges will be paid by the consignee or any other third party will be deemed to include a stipulation that if the consignee or third party does not pay the charges within seven days of the date of delivery or attempted delivery of the Goods the Consignor will pay such charges.

13.1 If the Carrier accepts Dangerous Goods for Carriage, such Goods must be accompanied by a full written declaration disclosing the nature of such goods.

13.2 The Consignor will indemnify the Carrier against all loss, damage or injury howsoever caused arising out of the Carriage of any Dangerous Goods whether declared as such or not and whether or not the Consignor was aware of the nature of the Goods.

13.3 The indemnity in clause 13.2 extends to Consequential Loss.

13.4 If in the opinion of the Carrier, the Goods are or are liable to become of a dangerous or flammable or damaging nature, the Goods may at any time be destroyed, disposed of, abandoned or rendered harmless without compensation to the Consignor and without prejudice to the Carrier's right to charge for the Carriage of the Goods.

13.5 The Consignor warrants that it has complied with all laws and regulations relating to the nature, packaging, labelling or Carriage of any Dangerous Goods and that the Goods are packed in a manner adequate to withstand the ordinary risks of Carriage having regard to their nature and agrees to indemnify the Carrier for any liability whatsoever as a result of or arising out of the Consignor’s failure to comply with each of these warranties.

The Carrier will not be liable for any failure or delay in performance of the Carriage if such failure or delay is due, in whole or in part, to any cause whatsoever beyond its control including, but not limited to, acts of God, lightning, earthquakes, cyclones, floods, landslides, storms, explosions, fires and any natural disaster, acts of war, acts of public enemies, terrorism, public disorder, riots, civil commotion, malicious damage, vandalism, sabotage and revolution, explosions and nuclear accidents, strikes, labour disputes and other industrial disturbances, any road closure or congestion of roads, any quarantine or customs restriction, any interruption of power supply or scarcity of fuel or any accident, collision or breakdown of a vehicle, machinery or equipment.

15.1 Notwithstanding any other provision of these conditions (other than clause 16), the Carrier will in any event be discharged from all liability whatsoever in respect of the Goods unless written notice of a claim or an intended claim (together with particulars of the circumstances on which the claim is based) is given to the Carrier within 14 days from the delivery of the Goods or from the date on which in the ordinary course of business, delivery would have been effected.

15.2 The Carrier will be discharged from all liability whatsoever in respect of the Goods unless suit is brought within 12 months of their delivery or of the date on which they should have been delivered.

 

16. APPLICABLE LEGISLATION

Notwithstanding anything contained in these conditions, the Carrier will continue to be subject to any implied terms, conditions, guarantees or warranties imposed by the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) or any other Commonwealth or state legislation in so far as such may be applicable and prevents the exclusion or modification of any such term, condition, guarantee or warranty.

 

17. CHAIN OF RESPONSIBILITY LAW

17.1 The Carrier and the Consignor must comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including Chain of Responsibility Law.

17.2 The Consignor must not impose any requirement on the Carrier that would directly or indirectly encourage or require the Carrier or any person on behalf of the Carrier to speed, drive while fatigued or otherwise perform the Carriage in an unsafe manner.

18.1 These conditions represent the entire agreement between the parties and supersede all prior representations, agreements, statements and understandings between them.

18.2 The Carrier will not be bound by any agreement purporting to vary these conditions unless such agreement is in writing and signed on behalf of the Carrier by an authorised officer of the Carrier.

19.1 These conditions will be construed in accordance with the laws in force in Queensland and the parties submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Queensland.

19.2 Where the Consignor or consignee comprise two or more persons an agreement or obligation to be performed or observed by the Consignor or consignee binds those persons jointly and severally.

19.3 If any part of these conditions is invalid or unenforceable, that part will (if possible) be read down to the extent necessary to avoid the invalidity or unenforceability, or alternatively will be deemed deleted; and these conditions will remain otherwise in full force.

19.4 The indemnities in these conditions survive the termination or expiration of any agreement incorporating these conditions.