Key takeaways
- Becoming a self-employed driver combines the usual self-employment formalities and, for goods transport, access to the transport profession.
- The licence depends on the vehicle: B for a light delivery driver, C1, C or CE for a heavy goods vehicle, plus the mandatory Code 95 for professionals.
- Paid transport requires a licence, national or community, issued by the FPS Mobility and Transport.
- Delivery driver or heavy goods driver: two close trades but with very different licences, distances and obligations.
Getting behind the wheel on your own account is appealing, but becoming a self-employed driver in Belgium cannot be improvised. Whether you aim for urban delivery in a van or long-distance heavy goods transport, the licences, training and authorisations differ sharply. On top of the common self-employment base come, for paid goods transport, access to the transport profession, the right licences and a transport permit. This guide sets out the full path, from self-employed status to the C1, C and CE licences, by way of Code 95, the transport licence and insurance.
The starting formalities: becoming self-employed
Before the road, the status. A self-employed driver is first of all self-employed, with the same formalities as any entrepreneur operating as a natural person.
The basic self-employment steps
Be 18 and enjoy your civil rights
General condition to set up as self-employed in Belgium.
Register with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises
Through an approved business one-stop shop, which assigns the enterprise number.
Join a social insurance fund
Mandatory before the activity starts, for the quarterly social contributions.
Register for VAT
In most cases; the enterprise number also serves as the VAT number.
This base is common to all self-employed people. Our guide to becoming self-employed in Belgium details each of these steps. What follows depends on the type of transport you are aiming for.
Delivery driver or heavy goods driver: two trades
The word driver covers two very different realities. The choice determines the licence, the distances, the clientele and the lifestyle.
| Delivery driver | Heavy goods driver | |
|---|---|---|
| Distances | Short, often urban | Long, national or international |
| Vehicle | Van, light van | Semi-trailer, high tonnage |
| Licence | B often enough | C or CE, plus Code 95 |
| Clientele | Professionals and individuals | Professionals |
| Rhythm | Home every evening | Frequent nights away |
The delivery driver in a light vehicle stays closer to the classic self-employed person. Goods transport in a heavy vehicle, however, falls fully under access to the transport profession, with its own conditions.
Access to the transport profession
To transport goods for hire beyond the exemption thresholds, the European regulation imposes four cumulative conditions, common to any transport business.
The four access-to-profession conditions
Stable establishment in Belgium
A real and effective place of business where the company's documents are kept.
Professional competence
Passing the exam organised by the Belgian Road Transport and Logistics Institute (ITLB), written and oral parts.
Financial standing
A guarantee of 9.000 € for the first vehicle and 5.000 € per additional vehicle.
Good repute
A record free of serious offences, proven by an extract from the criminal record.
These conditions and the licences that flow from them are detailed in our guide to setting up a transport company in Belgium. For a self-employed driver, the difference lies mainly in the licences and the fitness to drive, which we cover now.
Licences and Code 95
The licence depends directly on the vehicle's weight. Three categories cover heavy goods transport, on top of which comes a mandatory professional qualification.
The goods transport licences
C1 licence
Vehicles from 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes, trailer of 750 kg maximum. Accessible from 18.
C licence
Vehicles over 7.5 tonnes. At 21 without the professional-competence certificate, from 18 with it.
CE licence
Add-on allowing a trailer over 750 kg to be towed.
Code 95 certificate
Mandatory for any professional driver in category C or D, shown on the licence.
Code 95 is the driver's professional qualification. It is obtained through an initial qualification, remains valid for five years, and is renewed by 35 hours of continuing training in modules of at least seven hours. Drivers holding a category C licence before 10 September 2009 are exempt from the initial exam and only follow the continuing training.
The transport licence and insurance
Paid goods transport requires a transport licence issued by the FPS Mobility and Transport. The national licence covers Belgium, the community licence covers the European Union and a few associated countries. It is valid for five years, with an original kept at the head office and a certified copy per vehicle, subject to an annual fee to the ITLB.
On the cover side, motor third-party liability insurance is mandatory for any vehicle in circulation. A self-employed driver adds in practice a professional civil liability, and often insurance for the goods carried (CMR), an all-risk policy for a recent vehicle and a guaranteed-income insurance in case of incapacity for work. The latter are not mandatory, but an uncovered claim can put the business at risk.
Choosing and financing your vehicle
The vehicle is the working tool and the main investment. Three routes exist: purchase, which gives immediate ownership but ties up capital; rental, flexible but building no assets; and lease-purchase, or leasing, which spreads the cost and leads to ownership after payment of the residual value. Leasing often suits a start-up with little capital.
Beyond the financing method, the load capacity must match your activity, and fuel consumption weighs heavily on operating costs. A vehicle choice consistent with your routes and your goods directly conditions your profitability.
Launch your self-employed driver activity
CBE registration, social status and VAT number: Monsiegesocial sets up the self-employed structure while you build your licence and permit file.
Going further
- Becoming self-employed in Belgium, the common base for any activity as a natural person.
- Setting up a transport company in Belgium, for access to the profession and the licences in detail.
- Becoming an Uber driver in Belgium, for on-demand passenger transport.
