In France, road transport of goods and passengers is a very lucrative sector. It generates an annual turnover of 44 billion euros. Creating a business in this field can therefore be very interesting and certainly very advantageous. However, to embark on this path, you need a transport capacity certificate from the authorities. To obtain it, you must complete a few essential steps.
Some information on transport capacity
Transport capacity of goods is essential paperwork to have if you wish to get into the road transport of people or goods. It is necessary for those who want to get into land transportation. We distinguish two types of transport capacity in fact: light transport and heavy transport. For light transport capacity, the PMA or Maximum Authorized Weight must not exceed 3.5 tonnes. In general, this ability is obtained following an exam, set by local authorities after having necessarily followed training.
As for the capacity for heavy goods transport, this capacity is also essential. It is also obtained after official examination like those for light transport. It should be noted that only the manager of the company must hold the transport capacity certificate.
How to obtain a light goods transport capacity certificate
To obtain this first type of freight transport capacity, one must complete training lasting 105 hours in a accredited organization. Afterwards, a written examination is carried out. If you manage to pass the exam, you receive a certificate of professional capacity in light transport from the Prefect of the region. If you fail, it is possible to repeat the exam twice without having to take transport capacity training again.
Please note that you can be exempt from training and the exam if you hold the professional baccalaureate “Transport Operations” or the professional baccalaureate “Transport”. In addition, if you are the manager of a goods transport company, you would have the transport capacity certificate thanks to the professional experience certificate.
How to have the capacity to transport heavy goods?
The procedures for obtaining a certificate for heavy goods transport are somewhat similar to those for light transport. There are three of them. The first is through a written exam which is also an annual and national assessment. To achieve it; We must immediately send to the DREAL in our region a registration file in accordance with form Cerfa 11414-04. The second is professional experience. To achieve this, you would have to present to the authorities proof of management of a heavy transport company for 10 years preceding December 4, 2009. You will then go to the DREAL with a request and a form. Finally, the third way to obtain the capacity to transport goods is diploma equivalence.