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- What you need
What you need to start
The list is short. If any of the documents are missing, our team will gladly help you work it out and get everything arranged.
Has to be yours
Without these you cannot start — not with us and not anywhere else.
C+E and code 95
A valid licence for the category and a current professional driver qualification.
Tachograph card
Your own and valid. Without it a load cannot be booked.
Medical fitness
A valid certificate of professional medical fitness.
Deposit and a buffer
A deposit that depends on the truck, plus enough to cover the first month of fuel. These are the only compulsory outlays.
What we help with
Missing one of these doesn’t stop us starting the conversation.
- Opening a živnost and choosing a tax regime
- Registering with the social and health insurance funds
- Opening a euro account
- Finding an accountant our drivers already work with
- Arranging carrier’s liability insurance
No živnost? We’ll help you open one
We arrange the ohlašovací živnost (a notifiable Czech trade licence) for road haulage as quickly as possible: the application, a 1 000 Kč fee, the živnostenský úřad. We go through every step with you. There is nothing to arrange before you’ve seen the truck.
MoreCategories and the tachograph card — what they mean
The questions we are asked most, usually before anyone mentions a vehicle. Short, and without citing statutes.
What each category permits
International haulage with a semi-trailer needs C+E. The lower categories cover distribution work, not a tractor unit.
- Category C
- A goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes, with a trailer up to 750 kg only. Not enough for a tractor and semi-trailer.
- Category C1
- A light truck. Typically distribution rather than long-haul.
- Category C1E
- C1 with a trailer over 750 kg, combination up to 12 tonnes. Still not a tractor and semi-trailer.
- Category C+E
- A tractor with a semi-trailer, and goods vehicles with a heavy trailer, with no limit on the combination's weight. This is the category you drive on with us.
- Code 95
- The driver certificate of professional competence, recorded on the licence. Renewed every five years after 35 hours of periodic training. Without a valid code 95 you may not carry goods commercially, even holding C+E.
The tachograph card
The driver's smart card. A tachograph will not record a shift without it, so no card means no trip.
- What it is
- A personal card tied to your name and licence. It cannot be lent — the data is recorded against a specific driver.
- Where you get one
- In Czechia, from a municipality with extended powers. You need your licence, a form of photo ID, and a passport-style photograph.
- Cost and lead time
- The administrative fee is 700 CZK. The deadline for issuing a driver card is one month from receipt of the request and all necessary documentation (Art. 26(1), Regulation (EU) No 165/2014); in practice it is often quicker. Fifteen working days is the deadline for the company card, not the driver card.
- Validity
- Five years at most — Art. 26(6) of Regulation (EU) No 165/2014 says "not more than", not "exactly", so the date printed on your own card is what counts. Apply for the replacement before the old one expires so there is no gap between them.
- If it is lost or fails mid-route
- The trip can be finished using tachograph printouts, but a replacement must be applied for immediately. We deal with that during the trip, not after you get back.
Common questions about documents
Do I have to open a živnost before we talk?
You can open the živnost after you have seen the truck: we arrange an ohlašovací živnost for road haulage as quickly as possible, and we go through it with you on the phone. It does not have to be Czech — a right to trade and to work legally in the Czech Republic is enough.
How much experience do I need?
You need at least two years of international driving experience, and references from previous work.
Do I need my own transport licence?
You do not need your own transport licence: the licence is ours, so there is nothing for you to obtain separately.
What documents do I need to work in the EU?
You need a passport or an EU residence permit.
How can I have my documents checked in advance?
Send photos of your licence and your professional qualification card on WhatsApp — we’ll tell you straight away what is missing.
Start working for yourself now
Message us as you are — with arrears on your insurance, without a živnost, with a gap in your record. We’ll tell you plainly what to do.