Commercial goods transport with vehicles over 3,500 kg requires a licence. Here is the framework: the goods transport law and EU Regulation 1071/2009 with the four basic requirements — establishment, good repute, financial standing and professional competence — as well as the transport manager's role and the road to owning a haulage business.
Introduction
Behind each individual trip lies a framework about the profession itself: who is even allowed to transport goods for others for payment? This is regulated by the goods transport law (law on goods transport) together with EU Regulation 1071/2009 on access to the road transport profession and 1072/2009 on access to the market. If the driver understands the framework, he also understands why the papers must be in order — and he knows the way forward towards his own business.
When is permission required?
For professional international and domestic goods transport, the Community licence is used in practice, issued by the Road Directorate and provides access to the market in the entire EU. An original is issued to the company and a certified copy to each vehicle, which must be carried during operation.
De fire grundkrav (EU 1071/2009)
To obtain and retain the licence, the company must meet four requirements that can be continuously verified. If the company loses one of them, the licence can be revoked.
| Requirement | Short explanation | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Establishment | Genuine and established place of business in the country with operating centre and documents | 1071/2009 art. 5 |
| Good character (reputation) | Management and transport manager must not have certain serious violations | art. 6 |
| Economic basis | Sufficient equity per vehicle | art. 7 |
| Professional competence | A transport manager with a passed exam certificate (VEJ transport examination) | art. 8 |
The economic foundation
The capital requirement is set in euros in Regulation 1071/2009 and ensures that the company has economic backbone to operate the fleet responsibly. For vehicles over 3,500 kg, the regulation requires 9,000 EUR for the first vehicle and 5,000 EUR for each subsequent one. The current exchange rate is set annually by the Danish Road Authority in relation to the euro rate — look up the current amount rather than calculating with a fixed figure.
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