The first category is an ‘internal’ transport manager, who has a genuine link to an operator, such as being an employee, director or owner, and must continuously perform the transport manager role for the operator in question.  The second category is an ‘external’ transport manager, who is hired in under contract: for example, a consultant transport manager.
Under the rules it would be posssible for the same person to be an ‘internal’ part-time transport manager for more than one operator, but the Traffic Commissioners would need to be satisfied the person had a genuine link to each operator.

‘External’ transport managers may also be subject to a limit of four operators with no more than 50 vehicles between them (though the DfT envisages this will be subject to discretion by the Traffic Commissioners). Transport managers covering more than one fleet operator will likely be allowed flexibility to be both ‘internal’ and ‘external’ managers, again subject to limits on the numbers of operators and vehicles.

Transport managers covering more than one fleet operator will likely be allowed flexibility to be both ‘internal’ and ‘external’ managers, again subject to limits on the numbers of operators and vehicles.

Extracted from ‘Transport Operator’ Issue 9