TCT Time Charter on Trip Basis. TCT means that the charterers employ vessels on a time charter basis for the period of a specific voyage and for the carriage of a specific cargo and this practice has given rise to the term time charter on trip basis: TCT. TCT is similar to voyage chartering with regard to the fact that the intention of the parties is to employ the vessel for one or two voyages. The period of TCT is depend on the voyage and not fixed as time chartering. There the similarity ends and the roles of charterer and ship-owner are identical to those assumed for time charter. There are no charter party forms designed purely for trip charters, and trip chartering is negotiated and basis on standard time charter forms and adapted slightly where appropriate. The important feature of the time charter is still there, the charterer has to pay hire according to the time spent in performance of the voyage.