Hinterland transportation can be either organized by the maritime shipping line or by the cargo owner:
- Carrier haulage. The shipping line is responsible for the inland movement of a container (or other cargoes) by booking an inland carrier as a third party. The cargo owner is issued a single contract covering the whole transportation sequence. The inland carrier could be independent and contracted by the shipping line, or a specialized subsidiary company. This implies that the shipping line is liable for any damage to the cargo during transport.
- Merchant haulage. The cargo owner is responsible for the inland movement of a container (or other cargoes) through booking this segment with an inland carrier of its choice. The cargo owner (or its agent) is issued a contract for the maritime haulage and another for the inland haulage. The carrier is only liable for the damage to the cargo during the maritime transport segment, while the cargo owner (and its inland carrier) is liable for the inland segment.