3.1 In this chapter contract forms and provisions which are concerned mainly with the management of liability by operators moving goods across modes are considered. In Chapter 4 the focus will be on contracts or terms specifically linked to the use of particular types of transport technique designed to operate across modes. As noted in Chapter 1 it is possible to see the development of contract forms in this area in terms of stages of development. In this chapter the material will be presented consistently with these stages so that the discussion will proceed in apparently historical terms. It must be kept in mind that some contract forms identified as belonging to an earlier stage may well still be of relevance today quite apart from the fact that issues of relevance to them can still be relevant in the context of some features of more modern forms. Similarly, whilst the opportunity is taken to group legal issues of distinctive relevance in respect of a particular stage these can be of relevance in respect of other stages.