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Over the past two decades, Britain’s desire for consumer goods has gone into overdrive. It should come as no surprise that a vast majority of mass-market products used here in the UK and throughout the rest of the world come have from China and its surrounding countries. Thus, the amount of goods coming in through our ports has skyrocketed. As a direct result of this, the UK Department of Transport has issued several different licenses that are required in order for haulage operators to carry out the transport contracts issued by the companies responsible for purchasing the goods from overseas. Licenses As previously stated, there is a variety of licenses required of haulage operators in order to legally fulfil transport contracts. This article has been written to discuss the most common, and to provide pertinent information for anyone potentially looking to enter the haulage industry. Naturally, however, it is simply a guide and you should do your own research to match your needs. Road Haulage Operator’s License: You need a Road Haulage Operator’s License if you are carrying goods for hire or reward in a vehicle or combination of vehicles with a maximum weight of 3.5 metric tons. So that there is no confusion, “hire or reward” haulage occurs when transport contracts call upon a driver to carry someone else’s goods for a pre-determined fee. If, on the contrary, you only do your own account work and are transporting your own goods in a vehicle driven either by yourself or one of your employees, you do not need a Road Haulage Operator’s License. This is also the case if you are delivering goods to a customer who has bought goods from you. International Road Haulage Operators License and Community License: This license grants access to the profession of road haulage operator within the Republic of Ireland and the member states of the European Union. Any UK operator who engages in road haulage for hire or reward anywhere within the European Union is required to have this license. The community license is issued in conjunction with the International Road Haulage Operator’s License. Road Passenger Transport Operator License: You will need a Road Passenger Transport Operator’s License if you are carrying passengers by road for hire or reward in vehicles that are designed to carry nine or more passengers. In this instance, “hire or reward” arises if you are being paid for carrying passengers. However, it would not apply if it is not your main business and you are not charging passengers a fee. An example of this would be a hotel that owns a bus, which it utilises to offer guests a complimentary airport shuttle service. In that case, the hotel would not require any kind of Road Passenger Transport Operator License. Transport contracts may vary, but the licenses required to carry them out do not. It is vital for anyone interested in joining the rewarding haulage industry to look into what is required before taking on any work. Author Plate Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry across the UK and Europe. It provides services for matching transport contracts and to buy and sell road transport and haulage work in the domestic and international markets.
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