Guide
Transport manager CPC: what it is and who needs one
When an operator licence needs a transport manager, what the CPC is, internal vs external transport managers, and how to check who is named on a licence.
Every standard operator licence, national or international, must name a transport manager who holds a Transport Manager Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC). Restricted licences do not need one. The transport manager runs the operator's transport day to day: drivers, drivers' hours, maintenance and safe loading. Internal or external, they must be approved by a traffic commissioner.
The CPC is the qualification. The transport manager is the role on the licence. This guide covers Great Britain. Northern Ireland has its own regulator.
Who needs a transport manager
Holders of standard national and standard international licences need a transport manager. That applies to lorry (goods) and bus and coach (PSV) operators. Restricted licence holders do not.
The GOV.UK goods licensing guide says: "A professionally competent person (generally known as the 'transport manager') must be nominated on a standard licence (national or international). There is no requirement to nominate a transport manager on a restricted licence". The PSV guide adds that restricted holders still face the same standards: "the level of compliance required is no less" (PSV licensing guide).
Van operators are included. A standard international licence for vans of 2.5 to 3.5 tonnes used for hire or reward in Europe also needs a transport manager. For the difference between licence types, see restricted vs standard.
In the DVSA operator licence data, file dated 7 September 2026, 37,157 licences were standard licences (33,279 goods and 3,878 PSV). Each of them must nominate a transport manager.
The CPC qualification
The Transport Manager CPC is a professional qualification. You pass a two-part exam, multiple choice and case study, set by an approved awarding body. You do not need a driving licence, and you can take the exam at any age.
| Point | What GOV.UK says |
|---|---|
| Two versions | Road haulage (goods) and road passenger transport (PSV). Pass both to manage both |
| Exam | Two parts: multiple-choice questions and case study questions. You must pass both |
| Awarding bodies | CILT, City & Guilds, Innovate Awarding, NLTC, NOCN Group, SEG Awards |
| Driving licence | Not needed |
| Age | Any age |
| Older national CPCs | The national-only exam stopped in December 2011. National CPCs stay valid for standard national licences only |
| Other routes | An acquired rights certificate issued since 2011 (for HGV or LGV-only operations), and CPCs from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland if you lived there when you qualified |
Sources: Become a transport manager and the goods licensing guide. Training courses are optional, and GOV.UK leaves exam fees to each provider.
The holder must keep their knowledge up to date. The Senior Traffic Commissioner expects evidence of continuous professional development (CPD) if the CPC is more than 10 years old or the person has not been on a licence for 5 years (STC summaries). The usual starting point is "the completion of a 2 day transport manager CPC refresher course".
Transport manager responsibilities
A transport manager must give "effective and continuous" management of the operator's transport. In practice that means drivers, drivers' hours, vehicle maintenance, records and fixing problems when audits find them.
| Area | Duty | Set interval |
|---|---|---|
| Driver licences | Check drivers hold the right licence and a valid Driver CPC card | Licence checks usually every 3 months |
| Tachographs | Download vehicle unit data and driver smart card data | Vehicle units at least every 90 days, driver cards at least every 28 days |
| Drivers' hours records | Keep and check them | Keep at least 12 months |
| Working time records | Keep them | Keep at least 24 months |
| Maintenance planner | Set safety inspection, MOT and calibration dates | At least 6 months ahead |
| Maintenance records | Keep inspection and repair records | Keep at least 15 months |
| Defects | Make sure drivers report defects and repairs are made | Ongoing |
| Changes | Report changes to the role, such as resignation or fewer hours | Within 28 days |
Sources: goods licensing guide and STC summaries. GOV.UK's own list is shorter: drivers hold valid licences, vehicles are taxed, insured, tested and maintained, loads are safe, drivers do not speed or break hours rules, and the operator does not break safety rules (Become a transport manager).
The operator stays legally responsible for compliance. When things go wrong, both can end up at a public inquiry. A transport manager who loses good repute must be disqualified from the role, for a set period or indefinitely, and may have to retake the exam (SD3). See curtailed, suspended or revoked.
Internal vs external transport managers
An external transport manager is a consultant the operator hires in under a contract, instead of an employee or director. An internal transport manager has a genuine link to the operator, such as being the licence holder, a partner, a director or an employee. An external transport manager works on a contract for services and may work for up to 4 operators with no more than 50 vehicles in total.
| Feature | Internal | External |
|---|---|---|
| Link to the operator | Licence holder, partner, director, or full or part-time employee | Contract for services, between the operator and the individual (not a company) |
| Operator limit | No fixed number | Up to 4 operators |
| Vehicle limit | Set by hours and fleet size | 50 vehicles in total across all operators |
| Contract | Employment terms | Must set out duties, weekly hours, pay rate and notice period |
| Independence | Part of the business | Must act independently of the operator's transport customers |
Sources: goods licensing guide, guide to hearings and STC summaries.
A person can be internal for one operator and external for another. In that case the traffic commissioner's starting point is to apply the external limits to all their licences (SD3). For goods licences, every transport manager must live in the UK. For PSV licences residency is not required, but location is still considered.
If a transport manager leaves, dies or cannot work, a standard licence holder can ask for a period of grace to find a replacement: up to 6 months, or 9 months after a death or physical incapacity. It is usually granted for three months first (STC summaries).
Restricted licences: who manages transport?
A restricted licence holder does not have to nominate a transport manager, but the duties in the table above still apply. The PSV guide puts it plainly: "Whilst restricted licence holders do not need to have a transport manager, the level of compliance required is no less" (PSV licensing guide). In practice the owner or a director usually does the work: driver licence checks, drivers' hours, maintenance planning and record keeping.
A restricted operator that wants to carry other people's goods for payment must move to a standard licence, and then it must nominate a qualified transport manager. In the DVSA file dated 7 September 2026, 31,965 licences were restricted (46.2% of all licences). Compare the two in restricted vs standard, and see the operator licence compliance checklist for the duties every operator carries.
Hours and fleet size
The traffic commissioners set recommended weekly hours by fleet size, from 2 to 4 hours a week for 2 vehicles or fewer, up to full time plus extra staff for more than 50. They are starting points, not fixed rules.
| Vehicles managed | Recommended hours per week |
|---|---|
| 2 or fewer | 2 to 4 hours |
| 3 to 5 | 4 to 8 hours |
| 6 to 10 | 8 to 12 hours |
| 11 to 14 | 12 to 20 hours |
| 15 to 29 | 20 to 30 hours |
| 30 to 50 | 30 hours to full time |
| More than 50 | Full time and another staff member needed |
Source: Become a transport manager, matching Annex A of SD3. Trailers may need extra hours. If you plan to work fewer hours than recommended, you must explain why when the operator applies to add you. A commissioner may also refer a transport manager who is already on at least 3 other licences, or already solely responsible for 50 vehicles.
For scale: the median goods licence in the DVSA file dated 7 September 2026 authorises 3 vehicles, and 42.0% of goods licences authorise 2 or fewer. Many transport managers work part time on small fleets.
How to check who is named on a licence
Two official sources name the transport manager on a standard licence: the DVSA open data and the Applications and Decisions entry for the licence. The simplest route is to ask the operator, then check the name against one of them.
- DVSA open data. The operator licence records include a transport manager column for each licence.
- Applications and Decisions. New and varied applications list the nominated transport manager.
HaulierScope does not publish transport manager names. A HaulierScope licence page shows the licence type, so you can see at once whether the licence needs a transport manager. If you vet subcontractors, run a free operator licence check first, then confirm the transport manager's name with the operator and the Applications and Decisions notice.
Frequently asked questions
Does a transport manager need a CPC?
Yes, in almost all cases. A transport manager on a standard licence must be professionally competent, which usually means holding a Transport Manager CPC for road haulage or passenger transport. An acquired rights certificate, or a CPC gained in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland while living there, can also count. A traffic commissioner must approve the person before they start.
Can you be a transport manager without a CPC?
Not on a standard licence, unless you hold an accepted alternative. GOV.UK accepts an acquired rights certificate issued since 2011, for HGV or LGV-only operations, or an exemption certificate for an acceptable qualification. Restricted licences need no transport manager at all, so someone without a CPC can manage transport for a restricted operator, but that operator must still meet the same compliance standards.
What is the role of a transport manager?
A transport manager gives effective and continuous management of an operator's transport. They make sure drivers are licensed and follow drivers' hours rules, vehicles are maintained, inspected and tested on time, loads are safe, tachograph data is downloaded, and records are kept. They report changes to the traffic commissioner within 28 days and fix problems found in audits or inspections.
What is an external transport manager?
An external transport manager is a consultant an operator hires in under a contract, rather than an employee, director or owner. GOV.UK says the contract must name the individual and the tasks. An external transport manager must be of good repute, live in the UK, act independently of the operator's transport customers, and work for no more than 4 operators with 50 vehicles in total.
How many lorries can one transport manager manage?
An external transport manager can work for up to 4 operators with a combined maximum of 50 vehicles. An internal transport manager has no fixed cap, but the recommended hours rise with fleet size, and a fleet of more than 50 vehicles needs a full-time transport manager plus another staff member. A commissioner may also limit someone who is internal for one operator and external for another.
How many hours should a transport manager work?
The traffic commissioners recommend 2 to 4 hours a week for 2 vehicles or fewer, 4 to 8 hours for 3 to 5, 8 to 12 hours for 6 to 10, 12 to 20 hours for 11 to 14, 20 to 30 hours for 15 to 29, and 30 hours to full time for 30 to 50. More than 50 vehicles means full time plus extra staff. Trailers may need more.
How much does an external transport manager charge?
GOV.UK sets no rate. Fees are agreed between the operator and the transport manager. The Senior Traffic Commissioner's guidance says the contract for services must be with the individual, not a company, and should set out the role, weekly hours, pay rate and notice period. The hours should match the recommended hours for the size of the fleet.
How can I check if someone is a transport manager?
Ask the operator for the name, then check it in the weekly Applications and Decisions bulletin, which names the transport manager when a licence is applied for or changed, or in DVSA's open data file, which has a transport manager column for each licence. To check the qualification, ask to see the Transport Manager CPC certificate. HaulierScope shows the licence type, which tells you whether a transport manager is required, but does not publish names.
About this guide
Written and maintained by the HaulierScope editorial team. We check every fee, amount and rule against GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk before publishing and when the rules change. Last checked 2 October 2026. HaulierScope is independent and is not part of DVSA or the Office of the Traffic Commissioner. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Read our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Tell us.
Sources
- Become a transport manager (GOV.UK) (source last updated )
- Goods vehicle operator licensing guide (GOV.UK) (source last updated )
- Traffic commissioners - Statutory Document 3, transport managers (GOV.UK) (source last updated )
- Senior Traffic Commissioner statutory document summaries (GOV.UK) (source last updated )
- Public service vehicle operator licensing guide (GOV.UK) (source last updated )
- A guide to Traffic Commissioner hearings (GOV.UK) (source last updated )
- Traffic Commissioners operator licence records (data.gov.uk)
What changed
- : Correction. GOV.UK accepts acquired rights certificates issued since 2011, for HGV or LGV-only operations. We had said new acquired rights certificates for heavy goods vehicles are no longer issued.
- : Correction. How to check a transport manager: we now point to the Applications and Decisions bulletins and the DVSA open data, which name the nominated transport manager. We could not confirm what GOV.UK's search results page shows.
- : Updated. Added sections on transport manager responsibilities, external transport managers and restricted licences. Register figures now come from the newest DVSA file automatically.
- : Published. First published.
Register statistics: DVSA operator licence data, file dated 7 September 2026 (see methodology). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.