Become a self-employed driver? This is what you need to do to do so

Yet for many, it remains just a dream, because there is quite a lot involved before it comes to pass. And if you start thinking about it some more, the financial security of an employer is nice after all. So there are plenty of pros and cons to consider about whether or not to start as a self-employed driver. But once you have made the choice to become a self-employed driver, what should you do? I'll take you through what to do based on my experience of starting as a self-driver.

This is a picture of me and my current truck

NIWO licence

If you want to register as a transport operator, you will need to have a NIWO licence. To apply for a NIWO licence, you must meet a number of requirements:

• You are creditworthy
  You must be able to prove that you are creditworthy enough to start your business, the minimum start-up capital is €9,000 of your own money for 1 vehicle. Buying your own truck in one lump sum can be expensive. Leasing and even second-hand leasing is possible.

• You have a permanent establishment in the Netherlands
  This means that you must have a permanent address

• You have a VOG
  You must be able to submit a Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) with your application

• You are professionally competent
  You must be able to prove that you are professionally competent enough, you do this with the vocational diploma 'Ondernemer beroepsgoederenvervoer over de weg'

The aforementioned vocational diploma consists of 6 modules. For each module, you have to take an exam at the CBR (Dutch driver exam authority). You can read below what each module entails.

Module 1 | Financieel management

This module is quite tough to learn. Especially if you are not at all accounting literate. Have you completed an accounting degree in the past? Then you can see if you can get an exemption for this module.

Module 2 | Business Management

What do you run into when you start running your own business? In the business management module, you cover issues such as law and legislation, insurance and taxes. You will also learn how best to market your business through marketing.

Module 3 | Personnel management

This module is not very complicated. You cover questions such as "How do I deal with staff?" and "What are my rights and obligations towards staff?". But you will also learn about a bit of social legislation and the collective labour agreement in this module.

Module 4 | Calculation

A good calculation of your costs is of course essential to be able to determine what rate you should charge your customers. It is of course your intention to make a profit with your business, otherwise you will not last long as an entrepreneur.

Module 5 | Road transport part 1

This section focuses mainly on legislation and permits in goods transport. For example, if you are going on a trip to Turkey, you don't want any surprises along the way.

Module 6 | Road transport part 2

For this exam, your practical knowledge will be put to the test. For example, which specific vehicle you need to transport certain goods. Obviously, you cannot transport liquid concrete with a sliding tarpaulin semi-trailer, or pallets with a concrete mixer.

Training truck driver

So you have to pass 6 exams at the CBR to get the vocational diploma. But which type of training fits this?

Several trainers offer a home study to learn the material at your own pace and time. When you master the material sufficiently, you can apply for an exam at the CBR yourself.

You can also choose to take the training classically at an accredited trainer in your area. You will then usually attend school for a few days each part, and have the required papers in your pocket within a few months.

Should you be in a hurry to get your papers, or just don't want to put so much time into it, you can also opt for a quick course. I myself opted for the latter, and this has suited me very well. Just keep in mind that this form of training goes at a very fast pace. If you do not have basic knowledge of the different parts, this is a very tough form of training.

In total, I spent 8 days on the course, and passed all parts in one go. For 4 of the 6 modules, I also had exams on the training day, the advantage of which is that the material is still fresh in your memory.

The financial management and calculation modules took 2 days each. On the second course day of financial management, I also had an exam in the afternoon. Calculation I took in a weekend, followed by the exam on Monday morning
immediately.

In total, there was less than 3 weeks between my first course day and the last exam. So if you want to get the diploma quickly, I can definitely recommend this. There are several trainers in the Netherlands that offer this quick course, I did my training at the Beroepsvervoer Academie in Amsterdam.

Whatever form of education you choose, I wish you the best of luck!