How do you reference-check a transport manager?
A transport manager is named on your operator licence. Check the CPC and repute yourself, then ask previous operators how they ran the job.
What should transport manager reference checks cover?
Transport manager reference checks should confirm dates, the size and type of operation, whether the candidate was the nominated transport manager, and how they handled maintenance, drivers' hours and driver licence checks. Ask about any regulatory action during their time. Check the CPC certificate yourself. RefAssure collects the references with signed consent and returns a signed PDF.
What the role requires in law
A standard goods vehicle operator licence must name at least one transport manager. The Senior Traffic Commissioner's statutory guidance on transport managers, published on GOV.UK, sets out what that person needs:
- Professional competence. A transport manager Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) appropriate to the licence.
- Good repute. Traffic commissioners can find that a transport manager has lost their good repute and disqualify them from acting as one.
- Continuous and effective management. The role must be real. A transport manager who is named on the licence but not actually managing the operation is a problem for the operator and for them.
An external transport manager, one who is not an employee or owner of the operator, is limited under that guidance to a set number of operators and vehicles, unless the traffic commissioner sets a lower limit. Check the current guidance on GOV.UK for the figures that apply.
The licence application and any change of transport manager go through the Vehicle Operator Licensing service, and the traffic commissioner decides whether to accept the nomination. References do not replace that process. They help you decide whether to nominate the person in the first place.
Check yourself, then ask referees.
Some things you verify directly. The rest needs a previous operator.
See the CPC certificate
Ask for the original transport manager CPC certificate and keep a copy on file. RefAssure does not verify qualifications.
Search published decisions
Traffic commissioner decisions are published on GOV.UK. Search the candidate's name before you nominate them.
Size of the operation
Ask referees how many vehicles and drivers the candidate was responsible for, and whether they were the nominated transport manager.
Maintenance and defects
How did they manage inspection schedules, driver defect reporting and roadworthiness?
Drivers' hours and records
How did they handle tachograph data, infringements and driver licence checks?
Regulatory history
Was the operation subject to any public inquiry or DVSA investigation while they were there? Would the referee be comfortable with them as a nominated transport manager again?
A signed answer, not a phone call.
A phone reference leaves you with notes. A written, signed reference gives you evidence for the file.
- Candidate consent collected online, with signature, before referees are contacted
- Referees answer your questions on a secure link, no login, any device
- Ratings, yes/no and free-text answers in one report
- Timestamps for consent, requests, reminders and completion
Operators are busy. We chase.
5 emails and up to 2 texts over 12 days, stopping the moment the referee replies.
Transport manager reference questions
More in the full FAQs.
Does RefAssure check a transport manager's CPC or repute?
No. RefAssure collects employment references and work history. Check the CPC certificate and published traffic commissioner decisions yourself. The traffic commissioner decides whether to accept a transport manager on a licence.
Who should give a transport manager reference?
Ideally a director or owner of a previous operator where the candidate was the nominated transport manager, or the senior manager they reported to. For external transport managers, ask more than one operator they have worked for.
Can I ask a referee about public inquiries?
Yes. Ask it as a factual question about the operation during the candidate's time there. Many traffic commissioner decisions are already public on GOV.UK, so the reference adds context rather than replacing your own search.
What other references do logistics operators need?
Drivers usually need licence checks, CPC evidence for those who need it, and employment history references. See HGV driver reference checks and driver employment history references.
How long do the references take?
Across 229 completed references, the median was about 23 hours and half were done within 24 hours. If a referee has not replied after day 12, you are told so you can add another.
What does it cost?
Your first reference is free. Credits then cost from 99p down to 80p, with no monthly fee, no contract and no VAT added. See pricing.
Related guides
Know who you are putting on the licence.
Your first reference is free. Signed answers from previous operators, filed with a full audit trail.