Independent Contractor Agreement
Same-Day Van & Transport Services

Recitals

WHEREAS the Company arranges same-day transport and removal services for customers and allocates work to independent van operators on a non-exclusive basis;

WHEREAS the Contractor carries on an independent transport business, uses its own vehicle and personnel, and wishes to receive job allocations from the Company on the terms set out below;

WHEREAS the Parties intend that no employment, agency, partnership or joint venture relationship shall arise between them;

NOW, THEREFORE, the Parties agree as follows:

1. Independent contractor status and tax
   1. The Contractor is engaged strictly as an independent contractor (selbstständiger Subunternehmer / Freiberufler oder Gewerbetreibender). Nothing in this Agreement creates an employment relationship, worker status, or entitlement to employee benefits of any kind.
   2. The Contractor represents and warrants that it is duly registered for self-employment in its country of operation (including, where applicable, Gewerbeanmeldung in Germany) and holds all licences required to perform the Services.
   3. The Contractor is solely responsible for the payment and filing of all taxes, social security contributions, VAT/USt, health insurance, pension and other statutory obligations arising from its business and from payments received under this Agreement. The Company shall not withhold employment tax or make social contributions on the Contractor’s behalf unless required by mandatory law.
   4. The Contractor does not invoice the Company and does not invoice customers. For each pay run, the Company alone creates and sends the Contractor a payment statement (Abrechnung) showing verified work and any authorised deductions. The Company pays the net amount by bank transfer on the 1st and 15th as set out in Clause 3. Amounts received constitute gross business income for which the Contractor alone bears tax liability under Clause 1.3.
   5. The Contractor may work for other clients at any time, provided such work does not prevent fulfilment of confirmed allocations under this Agreement.
2. Services and allocation
   1. The Company may offer same-day transport allocations when customer demand exists. Allocations are not guaranteed. Volume depends on market demand and Contractor availability.
   2. The Contractor is not obliged to accept every allocation. Once a job or shift is confirmed by the Contractor (including by WhatsApp or the Company platform), the Contractor is bound to perform it professionally and punctually.
   3. Unless otherwise agreed in writing for a specific job, all work is same-day: collection and delivery occur on the same calendar day.
   4. Substitutes may be used only with the Company’s prior written approval. The Contractor remains fully liable for performance and conduct.
   5. The Contractor shall maintain WhatsApp or equivalent contact during active jobs and follow routing and operational instructions issued by the Company.
3. Minimum performance and pay cycles
   1. Remuneration is payable only for completed, verified shifts and jobs performed in accordance with this Agreement. There is no entitlement to payment for uncompleted, unverified or disputed work.
   2. Payment is made on the 1st and 15th of each calendar month for verified work completed in the relevant pay period. The Contractor acknowledges that payment is not due on a per-shift or daily basis and that completing one or two shifts does not entitle the Contractor to demand immediate or interim payment outside the scheduled pay dates.
   3. Where the Contractor has confirmed availability for a shift or accepted jobs for a working day, the Contractor must complete those confirmed allocations. Failure to attend, abandonment of a shift, or last-minute withdrawal without valid force majeure constitutes a breach and triggers Clauses 7 and 8.
   4. During the initial engagement period, the Contractor must complete a minimum of four (4) verified shifts before becoming eligible for release of the security hold under Clause 5, unless the Company agrees otherwise in writing.
4. Remuneration — van class rates

   Contractor remuneration is calculated by reference to verified hours, kilometres and approved helper use according to the Contractor’s assigned van class. Remuneration is not calculated as a percentage of the customer price.

   Class	First 4 hours	Each additional hour	Included km	Each additional km
   S	€119	€30	80	€0.32
   M	€140	€30	100	€0.36
   L	€154	€30	110	€0.40
   XL	€175	€30	120	€0.45

   • Approved heavy-load helper: €65.00 per shift, only where confirmed in writing by the Company before the shift begins.
   1. Fuel, vehicle maintenance, insurance, tolls, fines and all operating costs are borne exclusively by the Contractor unless the Company expressly agrees post-completion fuel assistance in writing.
   2. The Company determines remuneration from GPS, logs, photographs and delivery records. Disputes must be notified in writing to jkeoperations@gmail.com within seven (7) days of the relevant pay date, with supporting evidence.
   3. No remuneration is payable until this Agreement is signed and until proof of delivery (photographs, signature or log) is supplied for each job.
5. Security reserve (one week)
   1. The Contractor acknowledges that the Company retains a security reserve equal to approximately one (1) week’s average earnings during the first four (4) weeks of the relationship or until twenty (20) completed shifts, whichever occurs later (the “Security Reserve”).
   2. The Security Reserve is a single lump-sum reserve, not a percentage deduction from each job. It exists to secure the Company’s legitimate claims for damage, loss, customer compensation, confirmed cancellations, incomplete performance and related costs.
   3. The Company may set off against the Security Reserve or any sums due to the Contractor: (a) documented damage or loss; (b) the full customer job value for confirmed jobs cancelled or not completed without valid reason; (c) reasonable administration charges (up to €50 per incident, or proven higher costs); and (d) other direct losses arising from the Contractor’s breach.
   4. Following termination with fourteen (14) days’ written notice, completion of outstanding work and clearance of all claims, the Security Reserve shall be released in full within thirty (30) calendar days, or earlier by mutual written agreement.
   5. By signing this Agreement, the Contractor expressly accepts the Security Reserve arrangement.
6. Payment statements and deductions (transport-partner model)
   1. Remuneration is simple and fixed under Clause 4. The Contractor receives what the Company’s payment statement shows for verified completed work, minus only authorised deductions listed on that statement. The Contractor has no entitlement to the customer price and does not negotiate customer charges.
   2. The Company may deduct amounts only where it has checked and documented the claim (photographs, GPS/logs, customer report, repair or cleaning invoice, or other reasonable proof), including for: (a) damage to or loss of customer goods caused by the Contractor; (b) damage to vehicles, equipment or property for which the Contractor is responsible; (c) cleaning, repair or valeting costs arising from the Contractor’s conduct; (d) customer compensation or refunds paid by the Company because of the Contractor’s breach; (e) confirmed cancellation or non-completion charges under Clause 8; and (f) reasonable administration costs (up to €50 per incident unless higher costs are proven).
   3. Before or with each pay run, the Company shall itemise deductions on the payment statement (date, job reference, reason, amount). The Contractor may dispute a deduction in writing to jkeoperations@gmail.com within seven (7) days of the pay date with counter-evidence. Undisputed deductions stand.
   4. Deductions may be taken from the current payment, the Security Reserve under Clause 5, or set off against future payments — the same way established transport platforms and partner networks operate. The Company’s decision following review of evidence is final except for manifest error.
   5. The Contractor shall report damage, loss or incidents immediately with photographs. Failure to report promptly may be treated as evidence supporting a deduction.
7. Customers and invoicing — Company only
   1. All end customers are customers of JKE Motors Ltd. The Contractor has no commercial relationship with customers for allocated jobs.
   2. The Company alone creates, issues and collects all customer invoices. The Contractor shall never invoice customers, quote prices, demand payment, or negotiate commercial terms with customers for allocated jobs.
   3. The Contractor shall never invoice the Company. All payments to the Contractor are made only via Company-issued payment statements under Clauses 1 and 6.
   4. Any attempt to invoice customers or the Company, to bypass Company billing, or to solicit direct payment from customers constitutes material breach.
8. Cancellation, non-completion and last-minute withdrawal
   1. Where the Contractor has confirmed a job or shift and thereafter cancels, fails to attend, abandons the route, or fails to complete without force majeure or prior written Company approval, the Contractor shall be liable for the full job value charged or chargeable to the customer, together with reasonable administrative costs.
   2. Such amounts may be deducted from the Security Reserve, withheld from pending remuneration or recovered by set-off against future payments, without prejudice to any other remedies available to the Company.
   3. “Last-minute cancellation” includes cancellation or non-attendance with less than twenty-four (24) hours’ notice before the agreed collection window, unless caused by documented emergency beyond the Contractor’s control.
   4. The Contractor shall notify the Company immediately of any issue preventing performance and shall not contact the customer regarding money, invoices or complaints unless authorised by the Company.
9. Care of goods, insurance and indemnity
   1. The Contractor shall exercise reasonable professional care over customer goods at all times and shall photograph items before loading and upon delivery where requested.
   2. The Contractor shall maintain valid commercial vehicle insurance, public liability insurance, goods-in-transit cover and driving licence appropriate to the vehicle used. Evidence shall be provided on request and kept current throughout the term.
   3. The Contractor shall provide emergency contact details on registration and consents to the Company contacting that person if the Contractor is unreachable during an active shift.
   4. The Contractor shall indemnify and hold harmless the Company against claims, losses and expenses arising from the Contractor’s (or any substitute’s) acts, omissions or breach of this Agreement, except to the extent caused by the Company’s fraud or wilful misconduct.
10. Term and termination
    1. This Agreement commences on the Agreement date and continues until terminated in accordance with this Clause.
    2. Either Party may terminate on fourteen (14) days’ written notice by email to jkeoperations@gmail.com (Contractor) or the Contractor’s registered email (Company).
    3. The Company may terminate immediately for material breach, including theft, gross negligence, repeated no-shows, invalid insurance, unauthorised customer contact, or breach of Clauses 7 or 8.
    4. Upon termination, Clauses 4 (for accrued verified work), 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 survive.
11. General
    1. Entire agreement. This document constitutes the entire agreement between the Parties regarding same-day subcontracted transport services.
    2. Amendments. No amendment is valid unless in writing and signed by both Parties, except operational instructions issued in the ordinary course via WhatsApp where consistent with this Agreement.
    3. Confidentiality. The Contractor shall not disclose customer details, pricing, routes or Company operations to third parties.
    4. Non-solicitation. For twelve (12) months after termination, the Contractor shall not solicit customers introduced by the Company without written consent.
    5. Governing law. This Agreement is governed by the laws of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction.
    6. Signatures. Electronic and scanned signatures are binding.