Circular Road rings the Walled City, and along it and the nearby markets are goods booking offices that dispatch cartons from Shah Alam, Akbari Mandi and Hall Road to cities across Pakistan. A booking agent collects freight from traders, issues bilties and hands goods to transport companies. Most of the money passing through is the transporter's; the agent's income is a margin.
Agent or transporter?
| Role | Income |
|---|---|
| Booking agent for transport companies | Commission on bookings |
| Own trucks / own transport company | Freight income (minus running costs) |
| Agent who also loads, stores and delivers | Commission + handling charges |
| Agent receiving freight on delivery (to-pay bilties) | Collects for transporter; commission only |
If you're an agent, the freight you collect and pass to the transport company isn't your income. Your agency agreement with the transporter and its settlement statements prove it.
Bilty records
Every bilty records the consignor, consignee, goods, weight and freight. Keep the booking register or software records. They're your primary income record and also evidence for the traders whose goods you ship.
Withholding on transport
Businesses and companies paying for transport services are often withholding agents and deduct tax from freight payments. If you invoice such customers directly, collect certificates. If the transporter receives payment and pays you commission, the transporter may withhold on your commission.
Goods transport vehicles
If you own trucks, advance tax on goods transport vehicles is collected with the token tax. See our truck owners' page.
Cash handling
Booking offices handle large amounts of cash freight daily. Deposit daily and reconcile against the bilty register. Hand-over to transport companies should be documented with receipts.
Claims for lost and damaged goods
Lost or damaged consignments lead to claims. Amounts paid to customers as compensation are business costs (or are recovered from the transporter); amounts received from insurers are receipts. Record each claim.
Your bank account will show large volumes of freight passing through. A month-by-month summary — total freight collected, paid to transporters, commission earned — explains it in one page.
Storage and godown charges
Many booking offices also store goods for traders before dispatch or after arrival, charging per day or per carton. Storage charges are your own income, separate from freight passed to transporters. Record them in the booking register against each consignment so they don't get lost in the freight totals.
Starting your own transport line
When an agent buys its own trucks or containers, it moves from agency to transport operation. From that point, freight on your own vehicles is your income, with diesel, drivers and maintenance as costs, and goods-vehicle tax collected with the token. Keep agency bookings and own-vehicle bookings separate in your records.
Circular Road — questions we get asked
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