Terms and Conditions

1. What Backhaul Rides does

Backhaul Rides is an online marketplace that connects passengers with commercial drivers who have empty seats on a trip they are already making. We do not own vehicles or employ drivers.

2. Who can use the service

Backhaul Rides is for commercial drivers — people who drive for a living, such as taxi, shuttle, van and coach drivers, and drivers who work for Uber, Bolt, Ola, Didi or other transport companies. It is not for private drivers offering a lift to cover the cost of a personal trip. All prices are per seat, not per vehicle.

You must be at least 18 years old to book or list a ride. Drivers must hold a valid New Zealand driver licence with a Passenger (P) endorsement — this is the document we check. The platform is only for professional drivers (independent, taxi, Uber, Bolt, Didi and other rideshare drivers); without a P endorsement you cannot list rides. Drivers are solely responsible for holding any other licence, vehicle certification and insurance the law requires.

2a. Service licences (TSL) and driver liability

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

All legal liability for the trips you drive — including licensing, endorsements, vehicle compliance, insurance, logbooks, working hours, tax and GST — rests entirely with you as the driver and, where relevant, the licence holder. Backhaul Rides is a marketplace only and accepts zero liability for your driving, your documents, or your compliance with the law.

3. Bookings and payments

Every booking starts as a request to the driver. When you send a request, the amount shown is held on your card, not charged. You are charged only if the driver accepts; if they decline or do not respond within 12 hours, the hold is released and you pay nothing. The driver can always accept or decline a request.

Prices are per seat, and you pay only for the kilometres you ride. If your pick-up or drop-off requires the driver to drive extra kilometres, a detour charge is shown in your quote before you pay. Requests made within 3 hours of departure cost 20% more because of the extra admin and short-notice disruption to the driver. You can also buy all available seats on a trip to make the vehicle private to you.

Pick-up times are rough estimates and can shift by up to about an hour, because the driver may have other pick-ups on the way. Do not rely on Backhaul Rides if you must arrive at an exact time. Payment is handled through our secure payment provider, and we collect GST on bookings because that is required by New Zealand law.

4. Cancellations and refunds

Cancellations and refunds follow our separate Refund and Cancellation Policy.

5. Driver and passenger behaviour

Everyone must be on time, respectful, and follow the law. Do not use Backhaul Rides for anything illegal, dangerous, or offensive. We can remove users who break these rules.

6. Safety and disputes

Drivers are responsible for running their vehicles safely and legally. If something goes wrong, contact us and we will help where we can. We are not an insurer and are not responsible for losses caused by a driver or passenger.

7. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. If we make important changes, we will let you know by email or through the website.

8. Contact us

If you have questions about these terms, email us at hello@backhaulrides.co.nz.