• Transport Manager Training

By 2030, the UK population is projected to increase to 71.4 Million. The population of London alone is expected to increase by 1.7 Million. That’s an enormous number of extra people, and all of them need food and other goods in order to live, which means that there will be more lorries on the road delivering them. The growth of internet shopping will also inevitably result in growth in the Transport sector.

Transport Management Certificate of Professional Competence

By law, any company operating vehicles bigger than 3.5 Tonnes (a large white van) for hire and reward (i.e. for profit) is required to have an “Operators Licence”. In order to be issued with this, they must have a  Transport Manager, a “Professionally Competent Person” who is expected to ensure compliance with the relevant transport legislation.

The Transport Manager is responsible for monitoring, analysing, allocating resources, developing and auditing drivers and systems, dealing with external auditing and enforcement bodies and, ultimately, disciplining drivers. It is a highly responsible position which should not be undertaken lightly, but for those who are suited to it, the rewards are excellent and the growth that will occur in transport over the next decade means that there will be numerous opportunities for progression.

How do I become a Transport Manager?

To be allowed to operate as a Transport Manager, you must first obtain the Transport Management Certificate of Professional Competence (TMCPC).

This is a Level 3 qualification - equivalent to an ‘A’ Level -  in business management, mapped specifically  to the Transport Industry.

Subjects covered include company types and law, financial controls and reporting, Drivers Hours legislation, Operator Licensing, Maintenance legislation and carriage of special types goods such as chemicals.

There are 2 possible TMCPC qualifications:

  • Road Haulage (LGVs carrying white goods etc.)
  • Passenger Transport (Coach and Bus companies).

You must have the correct type of TMCPC for the sector you wish to be a Transport Manager in.

To obtain either TMCPC there are 2 exams to pass. One is a multiple choice exam held in the morning with a pass mark of 42+ out of 60 questions (70%). You are given up to 2 hours to answer the questions and you are not allowed to take anything into the exam with you except for a pen, blank paper, and a calculator.

The second exam is held in the afternoon and is a 2.25 hour written paper with a pass mark of approximately 30+ out of 60 marks. The questions will be based on a story (a “Case Study”) about a fictitious transport company. There will be information about what type of company they are, details about their Operators Licence, their current maintenance arrangements and details about either a current or proposed contract they are considering and any issues they are facing. You will then be asked questions that relate to that story. There will always be a Driver’s Hours question (usually writing a legal schedule for the contract in the story) worth 12 – 15 marks. There is always an Operator Licence question (e.g. how to apply for a proposed amendment to it) worth 12 marks. There will be a “costings” question (e.g. pricing a proposed contract to ensure profit) worth 12 marks. There is usually also a question about maintenance systems. Other questions will depend upon the specifics of the story (e.g. if they carry animals there may be a question about the rules governing livestock movements).

This may seem daunting because there are so many areas to learn about.  Fortunately, the written paper is an open book exam, which means that you are permitted to take any written or printed material into the exam to help you. This includes the study folder you will be issued with at the start of the course and which is specifically designed to provide reference material and answers for this exam. Naturally the exam board are fully aware of this and they are unlikely to ask questions that you can just copy from the folder, instead these questions require  not only knowledge of the subject but the ability to apply what you know and clearly demonstrate  that knowledge and the ability to analyse situations in written format. The written exam can only be taken 4 times each year, (March, June, September and December) and is always held on a Friday. Marks are released 6 weeks later. National pass rates are 40-45%, but we are proud to say that our average is 89%+

How much time does it take?

Recommended study time for the syllabus is 160 hours and there are a number of possible course options:

  • 2 week intensive course – consisting of 10 full days of training immediately before the examination (Mon – Sat and then Mon – Thurs). This is without doubt the best study option, but it does require a 2 week commitment to study all day and complete at least one piece of homework each evening together with reading. This requires a total absence from the business and other options may, therefore, be more suited to your commercial or family needs.
  • Distance learning – this consists of work being set and marked via email twice weekly over 11 weeks. Support is given over the telephone and via video conferencing up to 4 hours per week.
  • Evening lessons – once a week studying at our centre from 1630-2130 for 10 weeks between exam days

All options  include training/ study materials, individual learning plan, set weekly reading, research and written work, feedback on your work, and exam fees.

What happens after the exam?

Once you have finished the written exam, it is sent off for marking by the exam board. Results come out 6 weeks later. Assuming you have passed both the written paper and the multiple-choice exam, the exam board will then send your certificate (this can take up to another 6 weeks) and you will be able to act as a Transport Manager.

Note: This is currently an EU qualification. Passing the TMCPC means that you can operate as a Transport Manager anywhere in Europe. It is not yet clear what will happen now that the UK has withdrawn from the EU, but mutual recognition of other countries certificates is expected to continue as it is essential for international movement of goods and people.

Transport Manager Periodic training

The Traffic Commissioners, quite rightly, require Transport Managers to undertake 7 hours of Continuous Professional Development training each year (Unless they have not functioned as a Transport Manager in the previous 2 years in which case they require 14 hours of periodic training before commencement of duties).

Many courses have a general approach that, while valuable, does not always deal with the issues faced by your specific sector of the industry. Rather than deliver a one-size-fits-all course, Countdown believes in designing and delivering courses that are tailored specifically to the needs of you and your business. 

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