Common questions about external transport managers, operator licences, and compliance. If your question is not covered here, the contact page will get it to the right person.
What is an external transport manager?
An external transport manager is a person who holds a Transport Manager Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) and is named on your operator licence without being a full-time employee of your business. They provide the continuous and effective management of your transport operation that the law requires, on an agreed basis, typically a retained monthly arrangement. The arrangement is entirely lawful and is explicitly recognised in the Senior Traffic Commissioner Statutory Documents.
Which licences require a named transport manager?
Standard national and standard international operator licences, for both goods vehicles and PSVs, must name at least one transport manager who holds the CPC. Restricted licences do not require one, although restricted operators are still subject to the usual vehicle and driver compliance requirements. If you are not sure which licence type you hold, check your licence disc or your DVSA Operator Licensing account.
What does “continuous and effective management” mean in practice?
It is a phrase from the licensing legislation, and Traffic Commissioners take it seriously. Continuous means the oversight is genuinely ongoing, not a once-a-year visit. Effective means the manager has real authority and access to records, and that their involvement actually controls the operation. In practice, you would expect to see a regular maintenance review, tachograph downloads and infringement follow-up on schedule, driver file checks, and a dated record of the manager reviewing all of it. A name on a licence with no real involvement is one of the most common triggers for a public inquiry.
How many operator licences can one external transport manager hold?
There is no hard statutory cap, but the Traffic Commissioner expects any nomination to be realistic. The Senior Traffic Commissioner has set out in guidance that a manager should have enough time to genuinely oversee each operation. In practice, most external managers hold between two and six standard licences, depending on fleet sizes and complexity. Taking on too many is a risk for the manager and for every operator on their portfolio.
What should a written agreement between an operator and an external transport manager cover?
There is no prescribed form, but a solid agreement should set out how many hours per week or month the manager will give, what access to records they will have, which locations they will visit and how often, how infringements and defects will be escalated, and how either party ends the arrangement. A clear agreement protects both parties and is one of the things a Traffic Commissioner would want to see if the nomination was questioned. We have a template in our resources section to use as a starting point.
What qualifications does an external transport manager need?
They must hold a Transport Manager CPC in the relevant category, road haulage for goods licences, passenger transport for PSV licences. The CPC is awarded after passing examinations set by an approved awarding body. It does not expire, but managers are expected to keep their knowledge current. You can check whether someone holds the qualification through the DVSA.
How do I find an external transport manager in my region?
You can browse the find a transport manager listings, filtered by region and service type. Alternatively, use the request TM support form to describe your operation and let suitable managers come to you. That route tends to be quicker, particularly if you are under time pressure from a regulator.
How much does an external transport manager cost?
Fees vary quite a bit. Most external managers charge a retained monthly fee based on fleet size, the number of operating centres, and how much hands-on work the role involves. Day rates are used for one-off projects like DVSA audit preparation or public inquiry support. There is no industry-standard rate, but operators should be wary of unusually low fees: a manager who is too cheap to be genuinely involved is a liability, not a saving. The request form lets you receive quotes against your actual operation so you can compare properly.
Can an external transport manager be based anywhere in the UK?
Yes, though distance matters in practice. A manager who is never on site cannot easily evidence the kind of oversight a Traffic Commissioner expects. Most operators and managers agree a site visit schedule as part of the arrangement. Remote record review works well for routine tachograph and drivers hours analysis, but maintenance inspections and walkaround check reviews need physical access, or at least a clear delegated system the manager oversees.
What happens if my transport manager resigns or is removed from the licence?
You have 28 days from the date they cease to meet the requirement to notify the Traffic Commissioner, and a period of grace may be granted to replace them, but this is not guaranteed and is at the Commissioner’s discretion. The safest approach is to identify a replacement before the gap opens. If you are in this position now, the request TM support form is the quickest route to responses from available managers.
What is an OCRS score and why does it matter?
The Operator Compliance Risk Score is the DVSA’s risk rating system for operators. It is based on vehicle and driver encounters: roadside stops, MOT outcomes, prohibitions, tachograph analysis results, and so on. A high OCRS increases the likelihood of targeted enforcement visits and can be a factor when the Traffic Commissioner reviews a licence. A good transport manager will track your OCRS, know what is driving it, and have a plan to improve it.
Is External Transport Manager a recruitment agency?
No. We are a marketplace platform. We do not place managers, take commission from arrangements, or manage the contract between you and the manager. We provide ETM search, the lead-matching system, and the compliance resources. The relationship between operator and transport manager is entirely between the two of you.
I am a CPC-qualified transport manager. How do I list on the platform?
You can create a free profile showing your coverage area, experience, and services. Verified and paid members receive operator enquiries directly and appear higher in search results. There is more detail on the pricing page. We review all listings before they go live.