Transport tenders for carriers
We put regular routes and individual transports for our business customers out to tender. You see route, times and conditions, submit your price and get a clear answer.
- No subscription or lead fees
- See route, times and conditions upfront
- One contact instead of a freight exchange
A transport tender describes a transport task precisely enough for several transport companies to quote a comparable price. Maxmove uses tenders for everything that cannot be awarded at a fixed marketplace price: recurring routes, full loads and special transports.
The tenders come from us as a freight forwarder, not from many individual shippers. You deal with one contact, receive complete documents and pay neither for access nor for a bid.
Tenders go to registered fleets and to carriers we already work with. This page is for transport companies. If you are a shipper who wants to run a tender yourself, the transport tender template will help.
Which transports we put out to tender
A tender consists of one or more lots. You can bid on all of them or only on those that fit your fleet.
- Regular routes: recurring routes or areas with fixed operating days – more under regular routes for subcontractors
- On-call routes: an estimated volume per week or month without a fixed timetable
- One-off transports: full loads, special runs and transports with particular requirements
What a tender contains
You can only price what you know. That is why every tender carries the same information.
- Route or area, stops and time windows
- Vehicle class and equipment, for example a tail lift
- Price unit: per route, day rate, per hour, per kilometre or per month
- Toll and fuel: included in the price or extra
- Duration, payment term, billing method and bid deadline
- Documents as PDF, such as a specification
How to submit a bid
Registered fleets find tenders in their fleet workspace. Carriers without an account receive a link by email and reply without signing in.
- Read the lots and conditions, open the documents
- Ask questions directly in the tender
- Enter a price per lot and submit your bid
- Respond to a counter-offer if we send one
Award and start of the route
After the bid deadline we compare the bids and award each lot separately. Besides price, a suitable vehicle, reliability on previous jobs and availability on the start date count. You are told either way whether you won. You then receive the transport order with price, stops and dates.
Transport tenders in NRW and across Germany
The focus is North Rhine-Westphalia around Cologne, Düsseldorf and the Ruhr area; full loads are tendered across Germany as well. Public-sector tenders are not listed here; those are published on the federal and state procurement portals.
What do I need to qualify for transport orders?
Anyone carrying goods commercially for third parties in Germany needs different credentials depending on vehicle weight. Up to 3.5 t, a business registration, driving licence and goods-in-transit liability insurance are enough; above that you also need the permit under § 3 GüKG.
| Permitted gross weight | Permit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| up to 3.5 t | Business registration, no road haulage permit | The entry point for courier and light transport – workable as a one-person business |
| above 3.5 t | Permit under § 3 GüKG or an EU licence | Requires professional competence, financial standing and good repute |
| all classes | Goods-in-transit liability insurance | No order is released without a valid policy |
This overview is not legal advice. The GüKG and the conditions set by your competent authority govern – when in doubt, ask your chamber of commerce or the BALM.
Before you get started
Plan your next job
- Find courier and delivery work in NRW
- Courier apps for drivers compared
- Checklist: starting a courier business
- Amazon Flex alternative for drivers with their own car
- Transport orders up to 3.5 tonnes
- Transport orders for the self-employed
- Transport orders for vans
- A freight exchange without a subscription
- Courier jobs for self-employed courier drivers
- Haulage subcontractors wanted: truck work for carriers and transport companies
- Regular routes for subcontractors with vans and trucks
- Courier jobs in Köln
- Courier jobs in Frankfurt am Main
- Become a Maxmove driver
Routes and jobs for your fleet
Register your company as a fleet free of charge, add vehicles and drivers and receive matching routes and tenders.