Driver Agreement

You are an independent contractor

Backhaul Rides is for commercial drivers — people who drive for a living, for example for a taxi or shuttle company, or for platforms like Uber, Bolt, Ola or Didi. Drivers who use Backhaul Rides are independent contractors, not employees of Backhaul Rides. You are responsible for your own tax, GST, insurance, vehicle costs, and compliance with the law.

You set your own prices

You decide the price for each trip you list. Backhaul Rides will show your price to passengers and collect payment on your behalf.

You choose which trips to take

You are free to accept or decline any booking request. You are also free to work with other companies or platforms at the same time.

You must hold the right licences and documents

At all times while using Backhaul Rides you must hold:

• a valid New Zealand driver licence with a current P endorsement (this is the only document we ask you to upload — no P endorsement means you can't list rides);
• a Small Passenger Service Licence or Transport Service Licence;
• a current Certificate of Fitness for the vehicle you use; and
• the insurance required by law for carrying paying passengers.

We only check your driver licence and P endorsement, but you are fully and solely responsible for holding everything else the law requires.

We accept any valid Small Passenger Service Licence or Transport Service Licence (TSL) — your own, your employer's, a company you drive for such as Uber, Bolt or Didi, or a family member's. If you drive on a licence held by someone else, that licence holder must know you are working on their licence and must know your working hours.

You must upload copies of these documents to Backhaul Rides and keep them up to date. We can suspend your account if any document expires or is found to be false.

Liability sits with you

All legal liability for the trips you drive rests with you as the driver and, where relevant, the holder of the licence you drive under. This includes licensing, endorsements, vehicle compliance, insurance, logbooks, working hours, tax and GST. Backhaul Rides is a marketplace only and accepts zero liability.

You must always drive within the capabilities of your driving licence, keep your logbook as the law requires, and follow every NZTA requirement for drivers and vehicles. A single illegal activity may get you permanently banned from Backhaul Rides.

GST on bookings

Backhaul Rides collects GST on passenger bookings because that is required by New Zealand law. We remit this GST to Inland Revenue on your behalf as part of the service.

Pricing and payouts

You set your own price for each seat. Backhaul Rides does not charge you anything. Instead, we add our margin on top of your listed prices and collect it from customers — never from you. Your payout is the full price you listed, with GST on bookings handled by Backhaul Rides, paid out on the schedule shown in your driver account.

Safety and behaviour

You must drive safely, treat passengers with respect, and follow all New Zealand road and passenger service laws. You are responsible for the safety of your vehicle and your passengers while on a trip.

Ending this agreement

Either you or Backhaul Rides can end this agreement at any time. We may end it immediately if you break these terms, provide false documents, or put passenger safety at risk.

Questions?

Email us at hello@backhaulrides.co.nz.