There are three different types of operator’s licence for goods vehicles. The licence will depend upon where goods are transported to and from, and who for. For ease of purpose, the UK will be utilised as a designation of the home base country.
Standard National Licence
This licence means you can carry:
- A company’s goods in the UK and internationally
- Other people’s products in the UK
Standard International Licence
This licence allows the transportation of a company’s goods, and other people’s products, both in the UK and on international journeys.
A standard international licence will allow operators to request the issue of Community Licences. These allow:
- Trips between all EU member countries
- Transit traffic through EU member countries
- Cabotage (journeys entirely within another EU member country)
Restricted Licence
This licence will enable you to carry your own goods, but not other people’s products.
Driver CPC
Under an EU Directive, professional bus, coach and lorry drivers must hold a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) in addition to a vocational driving licence.
Community Licences and Road Haulage Permits
Hauliers who make international journeys for hire or reward within the European Union (EU) must hold both a Community Licence and a Standard International Operator’s Licence. Community Licences allow drivers to use a single permit for trips between all EU member states.
The licence also enables transit traffic through EU member states and to and from non-member countries. Community Licences also allow cabotage, i.e. journeys entirely within one other EU member state.
Cabotage
Cabotage is the haulage of goods between 2 points in a country by a vehicle that isn’t registered in that country. If an operator delivered an international load to an EU member state and held a Community Licence, the operator can carry out cabotage jobs in that state. (Croatia is not included in this agreement).
Carrying Goods For Hire Or Reward
A standard licence is required to carry other people’s products for hire or reward (e.g. working as a courier or freight transport business) and the vehicle and trailer combination exceeds the weight limits above for a single vehicle.
The regulations about road haulage operations are very demanding on any logistic organisation. They require robust business administration procedures and incur extra costs due to the administration and additional resource requirements to operate within the regulations. Failure to comply with these regulations will not only result in monetary fines but may also result in the forced closure of any logistical operation.