Every road haulage or passenger transport undertaking that needs an EU operator licence must designate a transport manager: a natural person with a certificate of professional competence who effectively and continuously manages the undertaking's transport activities. Many new operators do not have such a person on the staff and designate an external transport manager instead. The regulation allows that, but only on conditions — and the most important condition is a contract. This guide explains the rules and what our transport manager contract add-on includes.
The guide is general information, not legal advice. The operator licence is issued by the competent Estonian authority, which decides whether the requirements are met.
The requirements of Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009
To be authorised, a road transport undertaking must have an effective and stable establishment in a Member State, be of good repute, have appropriate financial standing and have the requisite professional competence (Article 3). The professional competence is provided by the transport manager (Article 4).
The transport manager may be:
- an internal transport manager — the owner, an employee or a director of the undertaking with a genuine link to it (Article 4(1)); or
- an external transport manager — a person without such a link, designated under a contract with the undertaking (Article 4(2)).
An external transport manager must be designated under a contract that specifies the tasks to be performed effectively and continuously and the manager's responsibilities. The tasks include in particular the management of the maintenance of the vehicles, the verification of transport contracts and documents, the basic accounting, the assignment of loads or services to drivers and vehicles, and the verification of safety procedures. An external transport manager may manage the transport activities of no more than four undertakings with a combined fleet of no more than fifty vehicles, and a Member State may set lower limits (Article 4(2)).
The authority checks the contract when it examines the application, and again when the transport manager changes. A contract that only says "the manager will be the transport manager" does not show effective and continuous management.
What you receive
The transport manager contract costs and is ordered with our road transport operator licence service. It includes:
- the contract between the operator and the external transport manager, with the tasks and responsibilities that Article 4(2) requires;
- the duties and the number of vehicles within the regulation's limits.
Not included: finding a transport manager for you, and the certificate of professional competence, which the transport manager must hold personally. State fees for the operator licence are never included in our prices, and the competent authority decides on the licence.
How to request it
Open the quote form on the licensed companies page, choose "Road transport operator licence" and tick "Transport manager contract". The contract has a fixed price and is confirmed in the written quote for your licence application. No payment is taken on the page, and all communication takes place by email.
Frequently asked questions
Can a road transport company use an external transport manager?
Yes, under Article 4(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009, if a contract specifies the tasks the manager performs effectively and continuously. An external manager may work for no more than four undertakings with a combined fleet of no more than fifty vehicles, and a Member State may set lower limits.
Is the transport manager contract part of the operator licence service?
The operator licence service includes the transport manager's documents for the application. Where the manager is external, the contract that Article 4(2) requires is a separate add-on at a fixed price. Finding a transport manager and the certificate of professional competence are not included.