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Tautliner (curtain-side): Retractable tarpaulin curtains on both sides and the rear. Forklifts can load from either side or the back. Best for palletised goods, furniture, and general freight. Weather-protected but not fully sealed.

Dropside: Hinged steel sides fold down flat, creating a completely open deck. Excellent for oversized items, construction materials, and anything that needs crane or side-loader access. No roof — sensitive cargo must be tarped.

Flatdeck (flatbed): Completely open platform with no sides or top. Used for steel, machinery, shipping containers, or any load that overhangs the sides. Often combined with a crane truck for delivery and placement.

First estimate the weight and volume of your cargo:

• Under 500 kg and small → Bakkie or panel van
• 500 kg – 2 tons → 1–3 ton dropside or small box truck
• 2 – 5 tons → 4–5 ton tautliner or dropside
• 5 – 10 tons → 8–10 ton rigid truck
• 10 – 25 tons → 14–20 ton triaxle or interlink
• 25 tons+ → 34 ton superlink, or lowbed for heavy machinery

If unsure, always go one size up — overloading is a criminal offence under SA law and will invalidate your GIT insurance if goods are damaged.

Yes — all vehicles listed on WeTransport are required to have a valid Certificate of Roadworthiness (CoRW), the correct Operating Licence for the province and routes covered, and comprehensive Goods-in-Transit (GIT) insurance. We verify this documentation before any vehicle is listed.

For cross-border routes, vehicles must also carry a SADC/COMESA carnet, yellow card third-party insurance, and route permits for each country.

The calculator uses Google's Distance Matrix API — the same real-time routing engine used by major ride-hailing apps. It returns the most efficient driving distance including current road conditions. In 95% of trips, the final invoice matches the instant quote exactly.

Minor surcharges may apply for: long delays at loading sites (detention time), remote or unpaved road access, after-hours service, and goods requiring special handling (hazardous, oversized, or temperature-controlled).

Absolutely. Long-term contracts are actually our specialty, particularly for mining houses, manufacturers, and construction companies who need dedicated capacity. Visit our Contract Listing page for more information, or contact us directly. We offer:

• Full fleet outsourcing with driver management
• Fuel card management and maintenance plans
• Monthly invoicing with detailed trip reports
• Live tracking portals for your logistics team
• Minimum 3-month terms; typical contracts run 6–24 months

All WeTransport operators are required to have a backup and breakdown plan in place before accepting a job. In most cases a replacement vehicle is dispatched within 2–4 hours. For critical loads (cold chain, time-sensitive deliveries), we always recommend confirming the operator's backup procedure before booking.

Your GIT insurance remains in force during any breakdown. The operator is liable for additional transit time costs caused by a mechanical failure that was within their control.

Required documents for the shipper/consignor: commercial invoice, packing list, export bill of entry, and certificate of origin (if applicable). For DRC or Zambia add a phytosanitary certificate for agricultural goods.

The transporter handles: COMESA/SADC carnet, yellow card insurance, cross-border road permit, and driver PrDP. We can arrange customs clearance assistance for an additional fee. Typical transit times: Johannesburg to Harare 1–2 days, Durban to Maputo 16–20 hours, Pretoria to Gaborone 4–6 hours.

Yes. We have a select fleet of vehicles approved for ADR (dangerous goods) transport, including fuel tankers, chemical tankers, explosives vans, and gas cylinder carriers. The driver must hold a valid PrDP with dangerous goods endorsement, and the correct UN labels, ERG cards, and onboard fire extinguishers must be present.

When booking, you must declare the UN number, proper shipping name, packing group, and hazard class of your cargo. Failure to declare DG cargo is a criminal offence and voids all insurance cover.