External transport manager: duties, process and cost

Which duties form part of transport management?

Article 4(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009 specifically refers to vehicle maintenance management, checking transport contracts and documents, basic accounting, assigning loads or services to drivers and vehicles, and checking safety procedures.

The exact scope must fit the operator. A title or occasional signature alone does not amount to effective and continuous management.

• Maintain oversight of company, driver and vehicle information
• Review relevant documents and selected deadlines
• Initiate and follow up corrective actions
• Keep decisions and activity traceable

What remains with the operator?

Appointing an external manager does not transfer every responsibility away from the company. The operator must provide complete current information, report changes promptly and give the manager the agreed authority and genuine access to operations.

• Maintain accurate records
• Provide documents and operational changes
• Complete corrective actions on time
• Keep reliable communication channels

How does collaboration start?

The starting point is an assessment of the business model, licensable activities, fleet and existing records. Professional competence, good repute, capacity and contractual scope are then reviewed.

The competent authority must be informed of the appointed transport manager, so agreements, evidence and the working setup should be aligned before ongoing operation begins.

• Assess the operation and licensing position
• Review competence and available capacity
• Define tasks, authority and company cooperation
• Activate portal data and documents

Which limits apply to an external manager?

Under Article 4(2), an external transport manager may manage no more than four undertakings with a combined fleet of no more than 50 vehicles. The vehicle limit is total, not per company.

This limit applies to the external model and should not be generalised to internally connected managers. The external manager must also act independently and solely in the interests of the undertaking.

What does an external transport manager cost?

The law does not set a standard monthly fee. A sound offer reflects operational complexity and the agreed service scope.

verkehrsleiter24 displays current active plans and included features directly from its managed plan catalogue on the pricing page.

• Number and type of vehicles
• Drivers, sites and company structure
• Quality and completeness of records
• Review, communication and action workload
• Onboarding and data transfer

How does verkehrsleiter24 support ongoing work?

Operators and transport managers share driver and vehicle records, required documents, selected deadlines, document decisions, corrective actions, agreements, messages and activity overviews.

The platform supports structure and record-keeping. It does not replace professional judgement or individual legal advice. Tachograph and driving/rest-time analysis are not included, and a dedicated driver experience is still in preparation.