188体育

Before you can start working for a vehicle operator as a transport manager, they need to apply to add you to their operator鈥檚 licence.

The application must be approved by the traffic commissioner, who checks whether:

• you鈥檙e qualified to be a transport manager
• you鈥檒l be working enough hours to manage the vehicles in your fleet
• your knowledge is up to date
• you have any criminal convictions or have been given any penalties for breaking UK or EU laws

It usually takes 7 weeks for an application to be approved but can take longer. If the traffic commissioner has questions about your eligibility, they鈥檒l write to the vehicle operator.

If you鈥檝e been given any criminal convictions or penalties

The traffic commissioner will take into account any criminal convictions or penalties you鈥檝e been given when deciding if you can be a transport manager.

Your application may be rejected if you鈥檝e broken any UK or EU laws on:

• driving licences
• driver training or qualifications
• driving time, working hours and rest periods
• setting up and using recording equipment in vehicles
• the maximum weight and size of vehicles used to take goods outside the UK
• the roadworthiness of commercial vehicles
• setting up and using speed limiters in vehicles
• the paperwork needed to take goods or passengers in or out of the EU
• transporting dangerous goods
• transporting animals
• being a transport manager or a vehicle operator

Your working hours

There are recommended working hours for all transport managers. They鈥檙e set by the traffic commissioner and are based on how many vehicles you鈥檒l be managing.

Number of vehicles	Hours per week
2 vehicles or less	2 to 4 hours
3 to 5 vehicles	4 to 8 hours
6 to 10 vehicles	8 to 12 hours
11 to 14 vehicles	12 to 20 hours
15 to 29 vehicles	20 to 30 hours
30 to 50 vehicles	30 hours to full time
More than 50 vehicles	Full time and another staff member needed

If you鈥檙e not going to work the recommended hours, you鈥檒l need to explain why when you apply. The traffic commissioner may reject your application to be a transport manager if they think that either:

• your working hours are not long enough to manage the number of vehicles in the fleet
• you鈥檙e working too many hours for different vehicle operators to do your job well

You may need to work longer than the recommended hours if the vehicles are pulling trailers.

Keeping your knowledge up to date

The traffic commissioner may ask you to show how you鈥檝e been keeping your knowledge up to date if:

• your qualification is more than 10 years old
• you鈥檝e already been added on another operator鈥檚 licence
• the vehicle operator is updating their existing operator鈥檚 licence

You can prove that you鈥檝e been keeping up to date by sharing examples of when you鈥檝e:

• taken refresher training, including online courses
• attended events and conferences about managing fleets of vehicles
• shared your knowledge with others, for example by giving presentations

If the traffic commissioner approves the application

You鈥檒l automatically be added to the vehicle operator鈥檚 licence. They can check their vehicle operator licensing account to see if you鈥檝e been approved.

If the traffic commissioner rejects the application

The traffic commissioner will do one of the following:

• ask you to take more training before working as a transport manager
• ban you from working as a transport manager for a set period of time
• permanently ban you from working as a transport manager

If you disagree with the traffic commissioner鈥檚 decision, you can:

• ask for a public inquiry - if you have not already attended one
• appeal to the Upper Tribunal - if there has already been a public inquiry

If you stop working for a vehicle operator

If you stop working as a transport manager for a vehicle operator, you need to tell the traffic commissioner within 28 days.