# UK HGV Operator Licence Search: Haulage Companies & Fleet Leads (`datatoolsuk/uk-hgv-operator-licences`) Actor

Every UK HGV (goods vehicle) and PSV operator licence from the Traffic Commissioners: haulage companies, coach and bus operators, fleet size, operating centres, postcodes and Companies House numbers. Filter by area and fleet size; track new licences.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/datatoolsuk/uk-hgv-operator-licences.md
- **Developed by:** [Data ToolsUK](https://apify.com/datatoolsuk) (community)
- **Categories:** Lead generation, Business
- **Features:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 1 total users, 0 monthly users, 0.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $3.00 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## UK HGV Operator Licence Search: haulage companies and fleet leads with change tracking

Find **UK haulage companies**, **HGV operators**, **transport companies** and **coach and bus operators** with their fleet size. Every **goods vehicle operator licence (O-licence, HGV/LGV)** and **PSV operator licence** in Great Britain, straight from the **Traffic Commissioners' Vehicle Operator Licensing (VOL) register** published by DVSA on data.gov.uk. Get each operator's **fleet size (vehicles and trailers authorised)**, **operating centres and postcodes**, **licence type and status**, and **Companies House number**, then track **new licences** and **changes** every month.

**Popular searches:** hgv operator licence, haulage companies uk, companies house transport, UK haulage companies list, HGV operator licence search, O licence register, goods vehicle operator database, UK fleet operators leads, transport companies UK data, PSV operator licence, coach and bus operators UK, VOL data, traffic commissioner register.

### What you get

- About **69,000 current licences** across the 8 traffic areas, de-duplicated to one row per licence
- **Fleet size**: vehicles and trailers authorised, vehicles specified
- **All operating centres** with postcodes, plus the correspondence address
- Licence **category** (Goods / PSV), **type** (Standard National, Standard International, Restricted), **status** (Valid, Curtailed, Suspended), continuation date
- **Company number** where the operator is a registered company, with optional **Companies House enrichment** (status, SIC codes, incorporation date)
- **New licences only** or **all changes** (added, removed, changed status, fleet size or operating centres) against the previous monthly snapshot
- **UK GDPR safe by default**: sole traders and partnerships of individuals are left out unless you opt in; director, partner and transport manager names are never output

### Use cases

- **Fleet sales leads**: telematics, fuel cards, tyres, truck dealers, insurers, leasing, driver recruitment and training
- **New-licence alerts**: newly licensed hauliers are actively buying vehicles and services
- **Market mapping**: haulage and coach capacity by region and postcode
- **Compliance and KYC**: check a carrier's licence status and fleet size before contracting

### Input examples

Largest goods fleets in Wales and the West Midlands:

```json
{ "trafficAreas": ["Wales", "West Midlands"], "licenceCategories": ["Goods"], "minVehicles": 50, "maxResults": 200 }
```

Monthly new-licence feed for Birmingham postcodes (schedule it monthly, after the 7th):

```json
{ "mode": "newOnly", "trafficAreas": ["West Midlands"], "postcodePrefixes": ["B"] }
```

### Output example

```json
{
  "operatorName": "OWENS (ROAD SERVICES) LTD",
  "licenceNumber": "OG0079437",
  "licenceCategory": "Goods",
  "licenceType": "Standard National",
  "licenceStatus": "Valid",
  "operatorType": "Limited Company",
  "isIndividual": false,
  "trafficArea": "Wales",
  "operatingCentres": ["DAFEN DAFEN INDUSTRIAL ESTATE LLANELLI, SA14 8QE", "..."],
  "operatingCentrePostcodes": ["SA12 7DJ", "SA14 8YP", "LL13 9XN", "NP19 4PU", "CF31 3XB"],
  "operatingCentreCount": 10,
  "correspondenceAddress": "DAFEN DAFEN INDUSTRIAL ESTATE LLANELLI, SA14 8QE",
  "correspondencePostcode": "SA14 8QE",
  "vehiclesAuthorised": 345,
  "trailersAuthorised": 569,
  "vehiclesSpecified": 249,
  "hasTransportManager": true,
  "continuationDate": "2027-11-30",
  "companyNumber": "01301976",
  "changeType": null,
  "changedFields": null,
  "firstSeen": "2026-11-07",
  "snapshotDate": "2026-11-07"
}
```

In change modes `changeType` is `added`, `removed` or `changed`, and `changedFields` shows `{ "vehiclesAuthorised": { "from": 6, "to": 10 } }` style differences. A run summary is saved as `SUMMARY` in the default key-value store.

### How updates work

DVSA publishes the files monthly (around the 7th). Each run saves a compressed snapshot per traffic area in the named key-value store `uk-hgv-operator-licences-state` (last 6 kept). Change modes compare the newest file with the previous snapshot; the first run creates the baseline. `firstSeen` is the first file date this Actor saw the licence ("on or before" for baseline licences). The source has no trading names or licence start dates; `continuationDate` is the next continuation (renewal) date.

### Pricing

Pay per result: **$3 per 1,000 results** ($0.003 per row in the dataset), plus a tiny $0.00005 per run start. No subscription and no extra charges for filters, change tracking or Companies House matching. Set a **maximum cost per run** in Apify and the Actor stops cleanly when it is reached, keeping everything it has already returned.

### Data licence and attribution

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Traffic Commissioners / Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, "Traffic Commissioners: goods and public service vehicle operator licence records" (data.gov.uk). Users are responsible for using any personal data in line with UK GDPR and PECR, for example for B2B marketing.

# Actor input Schema

## `trafficAreas` (type: `array`):

Leave empty for all of Great Britain (about 69,000 licences). Choosing fewer areas makes runs faster and cheaper.

## `licenceCategories` (type: `array`):

Goods or PSV.

## `licenceTypes` (type: `array`):

Standard licences are for hire-and-reward hauliers; Restricted licences are firms carrying their own goods.

## `statuses` (type: `array`):

The register lists current licences only (valid, curtailed or suspended).

## `minVehicles` (type: `integer`):

Only fleets authorised for at least this many vehicles.

## `operatorName` (type: `string`):

Case-insensitive, e.g. 'haulage', 'coaches', 'logistics'.

## `postcodePrefixes` (type: `array`):

Match operating centre or correspondence postcodes, e.g. 'CF', 'B', 'M1', 'SW1A'. 'B' matches Birmingham postcodes but not BS/BD.

## `mode` (type: `string`):

Change modes compare the latest monthly file with the previous snapshot stored in the named key-value store 'uk-hgv-operator-licences-state'. The first run saves the baseline.

## `includeIndividuals` (type: `boolean`):

Off by default: licences held by sole traders or partnerships of individuals are left out, because their names and addresses are personal data under UK GDPR. If you turn this on, make sure you have a lawful basis to use them.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

0 = no limit. Results are sorted by fleet size, largest first.

## `companiesHouseApiKey` (type: `string`):

Free key from developer.company-information.service.gov.uk. Adds company status, SIC codes, incorporation date and registered postcode for licences with a company number.

## `maxEnrich` (type: `integer`):

Companies House allows 600 requests per 5 minutes.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "trafficAreas": [
    "Wales"
  ],
  "minVehicles": 10,
  "mode": "all",
  "includeIndividuals": false,
  "maxResults": 1000,
  "maxEnrich": 100
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

One row per operator licence (or added/removed/changed rows in change modes) in the default dataset.

## `summary` (type: `string`):

JSON summary of the run (counts, source dates, whether a spending limit was reached).

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "trafficAreas": [
        "Wales"
    ],
    "minVehicles": 10
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("datatoolsuk/uk-hgv-operator-licences").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "trafficAreas": ["Wales"],
    "minVehicles": 10,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("datatoolsuk/uk-hgv-operator-licences").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "trafficAreas": [
    "Wales"
  ],
  "minVehicles": 10
}' |
apify call datatoolsuk/uk-hgv-operator-licences --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,datatoolsuk/uk-hgv-operator-licences"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/6ckbgnTFxLKRvZtD8/builds/JyRAx1bRxCIWUykzM/openapi.json