ISO 39001:2012 specifies a road traffic safety (RTS) management system for organisations that interact with the road network: transport and logistics companies, bus and fleet operators, companies with sales and service fleets, road contractors and anyone whose employees or contractors drive for work. It requires RTS performance factors such as driver fitness, vehicle condition, speed, journey planning and incident response to be measured and improved, and is increasingly required by oil and gas, mining, FMCG and pharma companies of their transporters.
Legal basis: ISO 39001:2012 (voluntary international standard); compliance obligations cover the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 as amended in 2019, the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 and state rules on driver licensing, fitness, speed governors, hazardous goods transport and working hours
Who needs it
- Transport, logistics and 3PL companies, especially those carrying petroleum, chemicals, hazardous waste or pharmaceuticals
- Bus operators, school and employee transport providers and ride-hailing fleet partners
- Companies with large sales, service or delivery fleets, including two-wheeler delivery operations
- Road construction and maintenance contractors managing work-zone traffic
- Mining, oil and gas and manufacturing companies that want their contracted transporters to operate to one safety standard
- Organisations responding to client journey-management and road safety audit requirements
Common in:Recyclers & Waste ProcessorsReal Estate & Infrastructure
Documents required
- 1Vehicle fleet list with registration, fitness, insurance, permit and PUC status
- 2Driver list with licence, medical and training records and working-hour records
- 3Existing driving policy, journey management procedure and vehicle inspection checklists
- 4Accident, incident and near-miss records and insurance claims for the last three years
- 5Telematics, GPS or speed governor data where available
- 6Maintenance records and schedules
- 7Contracts and safety requirements from principal clients
- 8Emergency response and breakdown procedures
Missing something? We help you obtain or regularise supporting documents before filing.
How we get it done
- 1
Scoping and RTS factor review
Day 1–7We define the fleet, routes and people in scope and review current practice against the standard's road traffic safety performance factors.
- 2
Risk assessment and performance factors
Day 5–20Routes, vehicles, drivers and journeys are risk-assessed and the RTS performance factors to be measured (speed, fatigue, vehicle condition, journey planning) are fixed with targets.
- 3
Documentation and controls
Day 15–35RTS policy, journey management, driver and vehicle standards, emergency response and record formats are documented around your operations.
- 4
Driver training, implementation and internal audit
Day 30–50Drivers and supervisors are trained, data is collected against targets, and our auditor conducts the internal audit and management review.
- 5
Certification audit
Day 45–65We attend the Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits, close findings and the ISO 39001 certificate is issued.
If you skip certification
Road traffic offences carry steep penalties under the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, and in a fatal accident the owner, transporter and consignor can face prosecution and civil liability, with hazardous goods transport attracting additional liability under the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991. Principal companies now audit transporters' safety systems and terminate contracts after serious incidents; uncertified operators lose those contracts to certified competitors and pay more for insurance.
Why MYDA Group
Specialists, not generalists
Environmental compliance is our only practice, so your file is handled by people who do this every day.
Fixed fee, written scope
You know the professional fee and the statutory fees before we start. No surprise add-ons.
Inspection and audit-ready
We prepare your site and team for the board visit or certification audit and attend it with you.
Lifetime reminders
Every condition, return and renewal goes into your compliance calendar with alerts.
Frequently asked questions
Is ISO 39001 only for transport companies?
No. Any organisation whose employees drive for work, that operates a fleet, that generates traffic to its sites, or that builds or maintains roads can use it. Pharma and FMCG companies use it to manage sales fleets and contracted transporters.
How does it relate to ISO 45001?
ISO 45001 covers occupational safety generally; ISO 39001 goes deeper into road traffic risk with specific performance factors. Fleet-heavy organisations often integrate the two in one combined audit.
Do we need telematics to be certified?
The standard requires you to measure RTS performance factors such as speed and driving hours. Telematics makes that far easier and is expected in larger fleets, but smaller operators can comply with documented inspections and journey records.