Operator Licensing
If your business or trade uses goods vehicles with a gross plated weight greater than 3500kgs (3.5 tonnes) you will need a goods vehicle operator’s licence to transport goods for 'hire or reward' or to transport your own goods in connection with your trade or business. Most commercial vehicle operations fall under this umbrella.
There are three types of operator licences - which one you need depends on your intended operation, the vehicle, the type of work, and the type of goods to be transported:
TYPES OF LICENCE:
International Licence - for national and international road haulage operations.
Standard National Licence -for national road haulage operations carrying other people's goods.
Restricted Licence - for national and EU transport of your business's own goods.
TRANSPORT MANAGERS:
Transport Managers look after your commercial vehicle fleet and oversee the day-to-day operations in order to make sure that your vehicles, drivers, records and procedures are safe and compliant. It carries a great deal of responsibility, and as such, the Transport Manager must hold a professional qualification to make sure he or she is effective in this role.
They must also ensure that they stay up to date with any changes to legislation which will affect the operators for which they are responsible (this is known as Continuous Professional Development).
All standard and international licence holders must employ a Transport Manager in order to operate. Restricted licence holders are not required to employ a Transport Manager as part of their operation (however, it is strongly advised, as restricted licence holders are subject to the same compliance laws as those governing standard license holders).
The subject of operator licensing can be complex for newcomers so we have provided answers to some frequently asked questions in our FAQ
Alternatively, please contact us with any questions or to discuss our services.
