Applications, Administration, Terms & Conditions,
EU Approved Part Time CPC Engagement
Suggested maximum monthly Fees plus useful links.
Do I need an Operators License?
Operator Licensing (O/L) is a statutory requirement for all persons, companies and entities.
EU Directive 96/26 is the European standard legislation, interpreted in the
Goods: If you intend to operate a Goods Vehicle in excess of 3.5 Tones with a permissible gross weight exceeding 6 tones, or a Vehicle and trailer combination with a gross weight in excess of 6 tones and your Business intends to charge for deliveries or collections for hire or reward, you must have an a standard National (domestic) or International (all EU member states) Operators License. If you intend to carry only your own goods Not for hire or reward you must have a Restricted license.
Passengers: If you intend to operate a Passenger Vehicle with 17 Seats or more and your Business intends to charge for deliveries or collections of passengers for hire or reward, you must have an a standard National (domestic) or International (all EU member states) Operators License. If you intend to carry between 9 to 16 passengers for hire or reward or not, you must Restricted license.
What are the criteria to obtain and continue an Operators License, in a nutshell?
Undertakings wishing to engage in the occupation of road or passenger transport shall:
A, be of good repute. In regard to the operators past and present convictions including pay and employment conditions, repeated failures relating to drivers, driving and rest rules, weights and dimensions, road and vehicle safety, serious criminal and commercial offenses where rehabilitation has not taken place.
B, be of appropriate financial standing. Proof of funds shall consist in having available sufficient resources to ensure the proper launching and administration of the operation. The applicant, operator must have consistently available (for maintenance purposes) cash at bank, overdraft or loan facility or one years audited accounts showing access to £8,100 for the first vehicle and £4,500 for each additional vehicle to be applied for. Restricted applicants must show proof of £3,100 and £1,700 respectively.
C, satisfy the condition of professional competence. Standard National and International Operators Licenses require a Transport Manager (CPC holder) to maintain the operating systems, who has effective and continuous control of the operation insofar as the carriage of goods and passengers are concerned. If you are a natural person and do not hold the qualification, you must have / employ a Transport Manager who fulfils the criteria.
Restricted operators do not require a transport manager under present legislation, though it has been widely debated professional competence be required on all Restricted licenses. The downside will be the cost of employing a part time cpc holder, the upside will be, set standards of compliance, peace of mind and vehicle utilisation for maximum profit.
Fact:
License applications go through a tough assessment procedure which is strict and painfully slow, Interim Authorization and full grant take some three to four months to completion. It is illegal to operate your vehicle(s) until granted. We strongly advise you not to enter into any lease / hire agreements or purchase vehicles or trailers until you have obtained your O/L and definitely not use a vehicle during that period. It is illegal for a supplier /lease /hire /finance company to allow you to take possession until they have seen proof that the License has been granted. If a vehicle is not displaying the correct disc, VOSA have wide ranging powers to confiscate and dispose of it. Any finance owed to the lender under contract remains payable, in other words you could finish up paying a five year finance package and have no vehicle to fund it. Any Insurance you have will also be invalid as you would not be an Operator, so don’t put the cart before the horse it could cost you your Business.
Be aware:
Operator Licenses are strictly non-transferable”. You cannot beg, borrow or steal them. Under no circumstances can you either, get your mate to stick your truck or bus on his O/L for a few months whist you are waiting for your application to be granted or vice-versa, whether money changes hands or not. As the owner of the vehicle you could be fast asleep in bed when your driver has a fatal accident. All insurances are void as you are not holding a bona-fidi Operator License. It is possible you could go to prison under corporate manslaughter charges or conspiracy to defraud, lose your lorry, your Business and your liberty.
Alternatives:
If time is against you and your Contractor needs you to commence your delivery contract early and cannot or will not hold your future contract until your License has been approved, we can advise you of the methods, documents, contracts and working practices required and acceptable, which in very strict and controlled circumstances could allow you to utilize your vehicle(s), your drivers, yourself and importantly satisfy and secure your future contracts and Business establishment.
Restricted license:
All license applications are the same except Restricted does not require the addition of a Transport Manager at present. All other systems and declarations must be adhered to. Be sure that you or the chosen person who takes responsibility on the operator’s behalf is fully versed in operator licensing systems and Legislation. Future VOSA, Police road side checks or annual test could open up a whole can of worms in your past compliance. Your Business is “Restricted”, only by the knowledge of the person who takes responsibility for the safe operation of your vehicles.
Cautious Restricted Operators engage a Transport Manager to audit, oversee and put the required systems in place to sort, the drivers, defecting, maintenance, tachograph / Calibration etc on a monthly basis. See how little it can cost your Business to protect and secure your License and deal with your legal questions. See how little it can cost to upgrade to a standard license allowing the added profitability of hire and reward.
Knowledge:
We would be pleased to keep you informed of any forthcoming changes or amendments in Licensing Legislation, Traffic Commissioners and Transport Tribunal Decisions. Court of Appeal and EU Precedence’s which effect our everyday Business Operations and save you hours trudging through costly publications or paying extortionate subscriptions, keeping Operator, Transport Manager and Driver abreast of ever changing and immensely complicated issues, Driver CPC training is coming, check out the cost comparisons.
CPC Engagement:
Our Nationwide database of some 400 CPC holders are qualified to RSA / OCR standard Certificates of Professional Competence (CPC) or other acceptable qualifications / degrees in National & International Road Haulage Operations and or Public Passenger for the purpose of Article 5 of Directive (EC) 89/ 438) and certified professionally competent within their profession, whom we introduce to operators on a part time basis.
We assist and deal with all the aspects of our clients License applications, Major change and part time CPC Engagement covering all classes of Licenses, Standard National and International for LGV, PCV Minibus and Limousine. We are available to advise, audit and maintain legal compliance for Restricted Client Operators, Peace of mind and Business protection at a very reasonable monthly cost compared to, not necessarily needed full time or in-house employees.
Application only:
If you require an Application to grant Service only and you are or have a CPC holder, our fee will be one payment only of £300 and no VAT, how about that?
Before you decide to instruct Trans Consult, please explore our competitors and visit their web sites, give them a call and compare their ability of introduction in your area, their backup costs and their exact Terms and Conditions and do not purchase a Limited Company Operator License until you have taken full legal advice or spoken to us.
All information is held in the “Strictest of Confidentiality” and will not be disclosed to non-involved entities or Authorities. Trans Consult Co UK Ltd hold Notification and Registration under the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Act to ensure client confidentiality is handled within the requirements of the Act.
