A Standard National or Standard International goods vehicle operator licence requires a Transport Manager. Before matching a candidate, establish the work the operator will actually undertake, not merely the licence label they think they need.
Licence comparison
| Licence | Typical scope | Transport Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Standard National | Own goods in Great Britain or abroad; other people’s goods for hire or reward in Great Britain. | Required. Qualification and experience must be suitable for the proposed work. |
| Standard International | Own goods and hire-or-reward carriage in Great Britain and on international journeys. | Required. Check that the CPC is valid for international operations. |
| Restricted | Usually carriage of the operator’s own goods in connection with its business. | A statutory Transport Manager is not normally required, although the operator still needs effective compliance management. |
Operator licensing decisions can depend on the precise contractual and commercial facts. If the business provides transport as part of a wider service, do not assume the goods automatically count as its own. Take informed advice where the correct licence type is uncertain.
Check the CPC carefully
Modern Transport Manager CPC qualifications equip the holder for international operations. Older certificates may distinguish national from international entitlement. The Senior Traffic Commissioner’s statutory guidance says an operator contemplating international work should ensure the nominated CPC holder has a new-style CPC or an old-style international qualification.
Ask to see the actual certificate before nomination. A CV statement or training-course attendance record is not a substitute for evidence of the qualification.
Qualification is not the same as experience
A person may be qualified for international work without having managed it in practice. International operations can add route planning, permits, documentation, border processes, posting rules, ferry or tunnel movements and different drivers’ hours considerations.
Match experience to the proposed work. If international journeys will be occasional and the business has strong systems, a candidate with current knowledge and suitable support may be credible. A complex multi-country operation may need substantial existing experience.
Light goods vehicles and international work
Some international hire-or-reward operations using vans or vehicle combinations above 2.5 tonnes maximum laden weight fall within operator licensing. GOV.UK guidance states that these operators need an operator licence and a Transport Manager. This is easy to miss where the business does not operate conventional HGVs.
Give the matching service full vehicle-weight and journey information so the requirement is assessed correctly.
Moving from Restricted to Standard
An operator that wants to move from own-account carriage to hire or reward may need a variation to Standard National or Standard International. Professional competence is then part of the application. The Transport Manager should be identified early enough to agree the role, complete due diligence and submit the nomination as part of a coherent application.
The operator will also need to meet the other Standard licence requirements, including good repute and financial standing. Appointing a TM does not by itself complete the upgrade.
What about PSV licences?
Passenger operations sit under separate PSV operator licensing rules and require the correct passenger Transport Manager CPC for the relevant Standard licence. A road haulage CPC does not qualify someone to act as the statutory PSV Transport Manager, unless they also hold the passenger qualification.
TM Match records HGV, PSV or dual qualification so operators are not offered a profile in the wrong mode.
Information to provide when seeking a match
- current or proposed licence type;
- whether work is own-account or hire or reward;
- countries served and expected journey frequency;
- vehicle types, weights and combinations;
- drivers, operating centres and shift pattern;
- current systems and any specialist international support already in place.
Select “new application / not sure” in the operator form and describe the work you plan to undertake. Start your matching request.
General guidance only. Official references: goods vehicle operator licensing guide, Statutory Document 3 and PSV operator licensing guide.