CPC Transport Manager
›CPC Transport Manager A CPC Transport Manager is the professionally competent person who must be named on most
What DVSA earned recognition support covers
The DVSA earned recognition scheme is built around published standards, IT system KPIs and an independent compliance audit. To join, an operator must hold their operator licence for at least two years, run IT systems that report drivers’ hours, working time and vehicle maintenance KPIs, and pass an audit against the HGV or PSV operator audit standard, with any relevant module standards added. Only a fully met audit can be submitted with the application.
Our support is the preparation that sits in front of that. We look at the operator’s current records, the way the Transport Manager controls the operation, and the way IT systems generate the data DVSA will see. We confirm what would pass today, what would fail, and what needs to be fixed before a fully met audit is realistically achievable.
Earned recognition evidence and readiness checklist
| Standard area | Evidence that should be in place | Common weakness before audit |
|---|---|---|
| Operator licence position | Licence held for at least two years, no current regulatory action, undertakings being met, operating centre and authorised vehicles correct on the licence record. | Recent prohibitions, unresolved variations, vehicles parked away from the authorised operating centre, or undertakings not visibly being followed. |
| Transport Manager control | Named TM with continuous and effective control, documented monthly review of maintenance, tachograph, driver and incident data, and a clear decision trail. | TM listed on the licence but not visible in the records, no monthly management review, and no signed evidence of decisions taken on infringements or defects. |
| Vehicle maintenance KPIs | PMIs at the declared interval, brake performance figures linked to each vehicle, driver defect closure, MOT first-time pass rate and prohibition rate tracked and reviewed. | Inspection dates drifting past the planner, missing brake test results, safety defects signed off without repair evidence, and KPIs not actually being read by management. |
| Drivers’ hours and tachograph KPIs | 28-day vehicle and driver downloads, infringement analysis, driver debrief signatures, working time records and trend reporting from the tachograph system. | Infringements analysed but never discussed with drivers, missing mileage, manual entries that do not match the duty pattern, and KPI dashboards that nobody signs off. |
| Driver licensing and Driver CPC | Licence checks at a stated frequency, Driver CPC hours per driver, agency driver checks held by the operator, and a clear retention policy. | CPC hours close to expiry, no record of who checked the licence, agency drivers used without an operator-side check. |
| IT systems and reporting | Systems capable of producing the KPI reports DVSA expects, with data that matches what is happening on the ground. | Systems that hold the data but cannot report it in the required format, or reports that do not match the underlying records. |
HGV, PSV and module standards
DVSA publishes separate operator audit standards for HGV and PSV operators, alongside module standards that apply when the operator does specific work. The HGV operator standard and the PSV operator standard cover the core compliance areas: maintenance, drivers’ hours, driver management, operating centre control and Transport Manager oversight. Module standards add further requirements for HS2, TfL Contractual Requirements, PSV Private Hire and Concrete operational standards.
We make sure the right standard, and the right modules, are in scope from the start. Operators sometimes prepare against the core standard alone and discover late that a module standard applies because of a contract they hold. Identifying that early changes the readiness work, the IT system reporting expected and the management evidence the authorised auditor will request.
What can stop an application being ready
An application is not ready when the operator licence is under two years old, when there is active regulatory pressure on the licence, when IT systems cannot produce the KPI reports DVSA expects, when the management trail is missing, or when the maintenance and tachograph evidence will not support a fully met audit. Submitting an application before these are resolved usually results in an audit that is not fully met, which then cannot be submitted to support the application.
Operators also need to plan for the ongoing requirement. GOV.UK confirms members need an audit every two years to remain on the scheme. The compliance behaviour that achieves a fully met first audit must continue, and the KPI data must keep matching the records, otherwise the next audit becomes the problem.
DVSA earned recognition FAQs
What is DVSA earned recognition?
DVSA earned recognition is a voluntary scheme that allows HGV and PSV operators to demonstrate, through IT system KPI data and an independent audit, that they consistently meet driver and vehicle compliance standards. Members are recognised by DVSA as exemplar operators.
Who can apply for DVSA earned recognition?
GOV.UK states operators can apply once they have held their operator licence for at least two years. They must also run IT systems that can produce the required KPI reports and pass an independent audit against the relevant operator audit standard.
Is Operator Licence Ltd a DVSA-authorised audit provider?
No. The audit must be completed by a DVSA-authorised audit provider. Our role is preparation, readiness review and application support, so the operator is in a realistic position to achieve a fully met audit when the authorised provider arrives.
What is a fully met audit and why does it matter?
Only an audit reported as fully met against the relevant standard can be submitted with an earned recognition application. A partially met or not met audit cannot support the application, which is why the readiness work before the audit is the part that decides the outcome.
How often is the audit required?
GOV.UK confirms operators need an audit every two years to stay on the scheme. Compliance behaviour and KPI reporting must remain consistent between audits, not only in the run-up to one.
Do HGV and PSV operators follow the same standard?
No. There is an HGV operator audit standard and a PSV operator audit standard, plus module standards including HS2, TfL Contractual Requirements, PSV Private Hire and Concrete operational standards. The applicable standard depends on the operator’s licence type and the work being carried out.
How does an authorised audit provider assess us?
Authorised audit providers must use a systematic process, run fair and unbiased audits, take correct sample sizes, document clear justification for findings, rely on objective evidence and produce impartial reports. The provider is independent of both DVSA and the operator.
Can you help if we failed an earned recognition audit?
Yes. We review the audit report, identify why the standard was not fully met, build a prioritised corrective action plan, and prepare the operator for a re-audit by an authorised audit provider.
Relevant official sources: GOV.UK: DVSA earned recognition standards, GOV.UK: Apply for DVSA earned recognition and GOV.UK: Find a DVSA earned recognition auditor. This page is general guidance for operators and is not legal advice.
