Starter check

Getting started as a transfer driver

Before signing up with a car mover platform you need a business registration, a driving license, often a certificate of good conduct and a solution for red plates. This checklist walks through the steps - with the spots where drivers get stuck most often.

1. Step 01

   Register your business

   Car mover platforms like Onlogist, Bahn Express or TransferCar require a business registration. Registration happens at the trade office of your city or municipality - in person or online, depending on the municipality. Activity: vehicle transfer (own wheels) or the exact wording your state expects. Costs roughly €15–65 depending on the municipality.

   Without a trade license most platforms won't activate you. Bahn Express additionally requires the business tax number.

2. Step 02

   Tax number and tax office

   After business registration the tax office gets in touch. You fill out the tax registration questionnaire and receive your tax number. Clarify early whether you want to use the small-business regulation - it affects how you write invoices.

   Tax advice is optional, but a tax advisor helps with choosing the legal form and bookkeeping obligations. We don't offer tax advice ourselves.

3. Step 03

   Driving license and certificate of good conduct

   Class B outside the probation period is mandatory at most platforms. Additionally many require a clean certificate of good conduct (Onlogist explicitly names it). Apply at the Federal Office of Justice - online or at the citizens' office.

4. Step 04

   Plates: red number or your own solution

   For driving vehicles you don't own you generally need red dealer plates (06 series). Allocation runs through the vehicle registration authority: business with vehicle relevance, reliability check, eVB, parking proof. Red plates are an administrative process, not a product - don't get involved in 'plate rental'; plates must not be passed on.

   Some clients like Bahn Express help partners with the application. Check the plates column in the comparison.

5. Step 05

   Sort out insurance

   Two things must be separated: (1) covering the vehicle during the trip - many platforms provide transport insurance or require an eVB for red plates; (2) your own coverage as a self-employed person, e.g. business liability. Which obligations the platform imposes is listed under insurance in the comparison.

   We don't broker insurance. For rate comparisons there are licensed comparison portals and brokers.

6. Step 06

   Set up bookkeeping

   As a self-employed person you keep records of income and expenses - receipts for fuel, tolls, overnight stays, platform commissions. Bookkeeping software saves you hours on VAT pre-returns and tax returns. Compare well-known providers (e.g. Lexware Office, sevDesk) in a free trial and choose by feature set.

7. Step 07

   Plan the return trip and overnight stays

   One-way trips leave you stranded at the destination. Plan the return before accepting a trip: train (check saver fares), rideshare or rental car for the return leg. Multi-day trips incur overnight stays - check whether the platform reimburses them (costs column in the comparison).

   Return trip costs are usually borne by the driver, not the platform. Factor them into your quote.

State August 2026. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Verify details with the trade office, registration authority and tax office of your municipality - and read the current FAQ/terms of the platform before signing contracts. Methodology