Logistics Services Agreement in France: Template and Key Clauses (2026)

A logistics services agreement in France sets out how a provider will carry, store, handle and deliver a customer's goods. The money is in the service levels; the risk is in the liability, insurance and dangerous-goods clauses. French law is specific here: transport is governed by the Code des transports, road freight is backed by official standard contracts (contrats types) that apply by default where the parties have not agreed otherwise, and international road carriage falls under the CMR convention. The contract works within those rules rather than replacing them. This guide sets out the governing law, the key clauses and a working skeleton. It is general information, not legal advice; confirm a live deal with a French lawyer. ## What law governs a logistics agreement in France? Carriage sits within a defined framework: - Code des transports, which governs transport activity, the road freight contract and the relationship between shipper, carrier and commissionnaire de transport (the freight commission agent).

• Contrats types, official standard contracts set by decree, including the general standard contract for the public road carriage of goods, which apply automatically to the parts the parties leave unaddressed and fix default liability caps and time limits.
• CMR convention (the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road), which applies by force of law to cross-border road carriage, with its own weight-based liability limit.
• Code de commerce and Code civil, for general commercial and contract rules, including the commissionnaire's liability for carriers it engages.
• RGPD (the GDPR) and the Loi Informatique et Libertes, where the provider handles personal data, under CNIL oversight.
• TVA, value-added tax at the standard rate of twenty per cent, which the pricing clause should address. ## Key clauses to get right - Scope of services: collection, line haul, forwarding, warehousing, handling, customs and last-mile delivery, with clear in and out boundaries, and whether the provider is a carrier (transporteur) or a commissionnaire de transport.
• Service levels and KPIs: pick-up and delivery windows, on-time rates, loss and damage rates, and stock accuracy for warehousing, each with a remedy.
• Liability and limitation: state how the Code des transports, the applicable contrat type and the CMR work, any agreed variation, and the cap, which follows the standard-contract and convention limits rather than being set freely.
• Insurance: goods-in-transit and warehouse cover, carrier liability insurance and required limits, and the ad valorem option where the customer wants cover above the default cap.
• Dangerous goods: declaration, classification and handling under the ADR rules for the international carriage of dangerous goods by road and the French implementing rules.
• Title, risk and lien: when risk passes and the provider's right of retention over goods for unpaid charges.
• Subcontracting: whether carriage may be subcontracted and the commissionnaire's responsibility for the carriers it engages.
• Price, TVA and surcharges: rates, fuel and accessorial charges, the statutory fuel surcharge mechanism where it applies, VAT treatment and price review.
• Term, termination and transition out: notice, breach and a clean exit for goods and data.
• Data protection: handling of personal data under the RGPD. ## France-specific points that matter The first point is the contrats types. France has official standard contracts for road freight, set by decree, including a general standard contract for the public road carriage of goods. Where the parties have not agreed a point, the relevant contrat type fills the gap and sets default liability caps and time limits for loss, damage and delay. So even a short contract is backed by detailed default rules, and a cap written without regard to them can be misread. Decide deliberately which points you vary from the standard contract. The second point is the carrier versus commissionnaire distinction. A transporteur carries the goods and answers for carriage; a commissionnaire de transport organises the movement in its own name and is responsible, under the Code de commerce, for the carriers and intermediaries it engages. The contract should state which role the provider takes, because it changes the chain of liability for loss. The third point is liability limits and the ad valorem option. The default caps under the contrats types and the CMR are often low relative to high-value goods. Where the customer needs fuller cover, the contract should use an ad valorem declaration of value or dedicated goods-in-transit insurance, rather than assuming the carrier's default liability will pay the full value. ## A simple drafting skeleton 1. Parties and date

2. Definitions, and role (carrier or commissionnaire)
3. Scope of logistics services
4. Service levels and performance measures
5. Charges, surcharges and TVA
6. Liability and limitation (Code des transports, contrat type, CMR)
7. Insurance and ad valorem option
8. Dangerous goods (ADR)
9. Title, risk and right of retention
10. Subcontracting and the commissionnaire's responsibility
11. Data protection (RGPD)
12. Term, termination and transition out
13. Governing law (French) and jurisdiction
14. Signatures ## Common mistakes to avoid - Ignoring the applicable contrat type, which fills gaps and sets default caps and time limits.

• Assuming contract terms override the CMR on cross-border road carriage, when the CMR prevails.
• Blurring the carrier and commissionnaire roles, so the chain of liability is unclear.
• Relying on the default liability cap for high-value goods without an ad valorem declaration or transit insurance.
• Leaving dangerous goods declaration and ADR handling undefined. ## Keeping logistics contracts under control If you run logistics across several providers or routes, the hard part is not one contract. It is tracking which liability regime applies, which contrat type fills the gaps, which insurance each provider owes and when each term renews. That work, drafting from a tuned template, flagging one-sided or risky clauses, tracking renewals and keeping versions straight, is what an AI contract workspace can hold in one place. Adira is built for this, with per-clause risk review, plain-English clause editing and a live activity timeline; it is one AI workspace tuned to your company and built on Claude. It is India-first today with other jurisdictions on its roadmap, so verify local depth before relying on it for French law. More at Adira. The law above stands on its own. ## Bottom line A French logistics agreement works within the Code des transports, the official contrats types for road freight and the CMR for international carriage. Say whether the provider is a carrier or a commissionnaire, decide which points you vary from the standard contract, use an ad valorem declaration or transit insurance for high-value goods, define dangerous goods, and get French advice before signing a real deal.