Comprehensive legal advice for transport agencies, carriers and fleets with national and international operations under the CMR Convention and LCTTM.
At Vectoris Legal we are specialist road transport lawyers in Spain, advising transport companies, hauliers, logistics operators, freight forwarders, shippers and cargo interests on all legal matters arising from road haulage operations — national and international.
The Spanish Land Freight Transport Contract Act (LCTTM) governs domestic road haulage in Spain. The CMR Convention governs international road haulage. Both establish mandatory liability regimes for the carrier — with specific limits, time bars and formal requirements for claims — that must be correctly applied to protect the interests of all parties in the transport chain.
At Vectoris Legal we draft and review transport contracts and general conditions, advise on the allocation of liability between carrier, freight forwarder and shipper, and represent clients in transport disputes before Spanish courts and the Road Transport Arbitration Board.
The carrier's liability for loss, damage or delay of cargo is one of the most frequent sources of disputes in road haulage. The applicable law — LCTTM or CMR — determines the limits of compensation, the time bars for claims and the formal requirements (reservations at delivery, written notice) that must be complied with to preserve the right to claim. We represent shippers, consignees and insurers in cargo claims against road carriers.
Recovery of unpaid freight from shippers or freight forwarders is a daily issue for Spanish road transport companies. The LCTTM establishes a one-year time bar for transport claims — significantly shorter than the general Spanish civil law limitation period — which must be rigorously controlled. We handle freight debt recovery through the Road Transport Arbitration Board and through the courts, using the payment order procedure for fast recovery of undisputed debts.
The Road Transport Arbitration Board (Junta Arbitral del Transporte), regulated by the LOTT and with delegations in all Spanish autonomous communities, is the fastest and most cost-effective dispute resolution mechanism for lower-value road transport claims. It issues enforceable awards in notably shorter times than ordinary court proceedings. We represent clients before all Spanish Road Transport Arbitration Boards.
The Road Transport Inspectorate has sanctioning powers over carriers and transport companies. LOTT infringements can be minor, serious or very serious, with fines that in the most severe cases can reach 60,000 euros per infringement, and with the possibility of suspension or revocation of transport licences. We handle the defence in all phases of transport sanctioning proceedings.
We advise on the obtention and maintenance of road transport licences: Community licence, MDL and MDP authorisations, ATP and ADR certificates, driver cards and ECMT and bilateral authorisations for international haulage.
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