Customers & locations

# Set up capacity contracts with carriers

Record the capacity you buy from carriers, how bookings are sent to them and how their work is priced or self-billed.

Updated 5 October 2026

**Who can do this:** The capacityContract permission and the Capacity platform feature.

A capacity contract is an agreement with a carrier (a charter or subcontractor): how much capacity you buy, for which period, how you send them bookings and what they charge. Planners choose the contract on a trip when they hand it to the carrier, and Transportial uses the contract's price modules to calculate the cost.

## Contract types

| Type                   | Use it when                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Permanent Contract** | You buy a standing number of units, for example five trucks with drivers every weekday. For vehicle, transport equipment and driver capacity, Transportial keeps matching virtual resources in a fleet named after the contract, so you can plan them like your own. |
| **One Time Contract**  | You buy a number of units once, for specific consignments.                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| **Order Contract**     | The agreement with the carrier who carries out one forwarded transport order or trip.                                                                                                                                                                                |

## Create a capacity contract

1. Open the side menu (☰) and choose **Capacity Contracts**.
2. Click **\+ Create capacity contract**.
3. Enter the **Name** and choose the contract type.
4. Choose the communication method (see below).
5. Choose your **Administration** and the carrier in **Business**.
6. Fill in the contract terms in the **Contract** section.
7. For a permanent or one-time contract, enter the **Purchased Units** and describe the capacity (modality, sub type such as vehicle or transport equipment, and total units).
8. Set the **Start time** and, if the contract ends, the **End time**.
9. Under **Modules**, add the price modules that calculate the carrier's cost. See [Price modules explained](/en/help/price-modules).
10. Click **Save**.

### Communication method

* **Integration**: bookings go to the carrier's system through an integration you choose.
* **Message Automation**: bookings are sent by a message automation, such as an e-mail. See [Message automations](/en/help/message-automations).
* **PDF Download**: you download the booking as a PDF. You can choose a document template (optional).

### Self billing

Switch on **Self Billing** if you invoice yourself on behalf of the carrier. Then choose the period in **Select price trigger type**, for example **End of week** or **End of month**. At the end of each period, Transportial prices the trips carried out under the contract with its price modules.

## Create contracts together with a new carrier

When you create a business, the form has a **Capacity Contracts** section. Fill in the **Shared Capacity Contract Fields** once (type, communication method, start and end time, self billing). Then click **\+ Add capacity contract** for each contract. The shared fields apply to all of them.

## View, edit and remove

* Click a row to see the contract: **Type**, communication method, **Self Billing**, **Purchased Units**, the period, the businesses and the administration.
* Click the pencil icon or **Edit** to change it. Use the history icon to see earlier versions.
* Click **Remove** and confirm to delete it.

Filter the list on **Contract type**, **Communication method** and **Validity period**.

Deleting a permanent contract also archives the virtual vehicles, transport equipment and drivers that Transportial created for it.

## Use a contract on a trip

When you forward a trip to a carrier, choose the contract in **Select capacity contract** on the trip. See [Forward a trip to a partner](/en/help/forward-trip-to-partner).

## Related articles

* [Forward a trip to a partner](/en/help/forward-trip-to-partner)
* [Manage businesses](/en/help/businesses)
* [Price modules explained](/en/help/price-modules)
* [Trip costs and revenue](/en/help/trip-costs-and-revenue)

## Still need help?

Our support team is happy to answer any question about Transportial.

[Contact support](/en/contact)[Report an issue](/en/report-issue)

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Canonical page: https://transportial.com/en/help/capacity-contracts