A verified truck and driver is one whose identity, licence and papers have been checked before your goods are loaded. In Bangladesh, that means a driver with a professional licence in the right weight class, and a truck with a valid registration certificate, fitness certificate, tax token and route permit, still within its 25-year working life. These checks matter because an unlicensed driver, a truck without fitness papers or an owner you cannot trace can turn an ordinary delivery into a police case, a crash or a lost consignment. Verification does not insure your goods, so for valuable cargo, add an inland transit insurance policy as well.
Here is what verification should cover, why it matters and what you can check yourself.
Why verification matters
Roads are dangerous, and trucks are part of the risk
The Road Safety Foundation counted 7,584 crashes, 7,359 deaths and 16,476 injuries on Bangladesh’s roads in 2025, UNB reported. Of those killed, 941 were drivers and helpers. A truck driven by someone untrained, exhausted or unlicensed for its size is far more likely to end up in those figures, with your goods on board.
Licences are now harder to keep
Since June 2026, BRTA has deducted points from driving licences for offences such as speeding, signal violations and overloading. A driver who loses all 12 points loses the licence and cannot renew it or apply again, a BRTA official told Daily Star Bangla. A driver with a clean, current professional licence is a driver with something to lose, and that tends to mean careful driving.
Old and unfit trucks are still on the road
Trucks and covered vans have an economic life of 25 years in Bangladesh. In April 2025, BRTA counted 46,481 goods vehicles older than that, about 12.5% of all goods vehicles, Prothom Alo reported. Old trucks break down more often, and many cannot pass a fitness check. A truck stopped for missing fitness papers halfway to Chattogram means your goods sit at the roadside until another truck arrives.
Theft and disputes need a name and a number
Cargo theft from covered vans became serious enough that in 2021 the government decided vans carrying export and import goods should be fitted with GPS trackers, Container News reported. When goods go missing or arrive damaged, the first thing you need is the truck’s registration number, the owner’s name and the driver’s phone number. A truck hired off the street through a middleman often leaves you with none of these.
What a verified driver should have
A professional licence in the right class
The Road Transport Act 2018 sorts licences by the vehicle’s registered laden weight:
| Licence class | Vehicle weight | Typical vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Up to 7,500 kg | Pickups, small trucks |
| Medium | 7,501 to 12,000 kg | Mid-size trucks |
| Heavy | More than 12,000 kg | Large trucks, ten-wheelers |
Source: Road Transport Act 2018, section 2.
Anyone who drives a truck for pay needs a professional licence, which requires a minimum age of 21. Since 2022, a dope test has been required for every new or renewed professional licence. Driving a truck outside the licence’s class counts as driving without a valid licence: a BRTA notice in April 2026 cited a penalty of up to six months in prison, a Tk 25,000 fine or both, Dhaka Times reported. A driver with only a light licence at the wheel of a 15 ton truck is, in law, unlicensed.
A known identity and contact
You should know the name and phone number of the person driving, not just the person who took the booking. On long routes, helpers sometimes take the wheel so the driver can rest. Ask who will drive, and make sure that person holds the licence too.
A record you can see
On a booking platform, a driver’s ratings and trip history show how earlier customers found them. A long record of completed trips with good ratings is one of the best signs of a reliable driver.
What a verified truck should have
Every goods truck needs four documents, and missing any of them can get the truck stopped:
| Document | What it proves | Penalty if missing |
|---|---|---|
| Registration certificate | The truck is registered and the plate is genuine | Up to 6 months, Tk 50,000 or both |
| Fitness certificate | The truck passed BRTA’s roadworthiness check | Up to 6 months, Tk 25,000 or both |
| Tax token | Road tax is paid | Fine of up to Tk 10,000 |
| Route permit | The truck may run on its route | Up to 6 months, Tk 20,000 or both |
Penalties under the Road Transport Act 2018, as reported by Prothom Alo and TBS.
Beyond the papers, a quick look at the truck tells you a lot: tyres with good tread, working lights, a clean and dry load area, a tarpaulin and ropes for an open truck, and doors that lock on a covered van. Check that the truck’s size and body suit your load, because a truck that is too small, or open when it should be covered, is one of the booking mistakes that damage goods most often.
What verification does not cover
Verification checks who is driving and what they are driving. It does not protect the goods themselves. Three gaps remain.
Insurance
Truck Lagbe’s FAQ says cargo insurance is “not yet available” on the platform. Its 2024 agreement with Green Delta Insurance covered motor insurance for trucks on the platform, not the goods they carry, TBS reported. For valuable goods, buy an inland transit policy from a general insurer. Eastland Insurance, for example, covers goods carried by truck under Institute Cargo Clauses A, B or C, with theft, pilferage and non-delivery available as additions, according to its marine cargo page. Premiums are quoted case by case, so ask before the shipping date.
Packing and loading
A verified driver cannot save goods that are badly packed. Wrap and box items, put heavy goods low and over the axles, fill gaps so nothing shifts and tie the load down. For glass, electronics and furniture, the extra care fragile goods need starts with packing well before the truck arrives.
Weight
An overloaded truck is dangerous even with the best driver. Overloading can cost the driver up to Tk 1 lakh, a year in prison and 2 licence points, and axle-load stations at the Padma and Jamuna bridges make overloaded trucks unload the excess. Book a truck whose legal payload is comfortably above the weight of your goods, because the risks of overloading a truck fall on the shipper as well as the driver.
How to check a truck and driver yourself
- Ask for photos of the papers before the day. Registration, fitness, tax token and route permit. Check that the dates are current and the registration number matches the truck.
- Check the driver’s licence on the day. Look at the class and expiry date, and that the name matches the person driving.
- Note the details. Truck registration number, owner’s name and phone, and driver’s name and phone. Send them to someone at the delivery end.
- Look at the truck. Tyres, lights, load area and locks.
- Agree the fare in full. Tolls, waiting time and labour included. A fare that changes at the destination is a common sign of an unreliable operator.
- Track the trip. Ask for the driver’s live location, or use a truck fitted with a tracker. A GPS tracker on the truck lets the owner share its location with you during the trip.
- Check the goods on arrival. Count and inspect before the driver leaves, and note any damage in writing.
Most of these checks fit naturally into the few things worth settling before booking a truck, from the licence class to the fare.
Hiring from a stand or a booking platform
Before apps, shippers hired trucks through truck stands, middlemen and transport offices. That route still works, but it usually comes with no rate card, little verification and informal costs that end up in the fare. On one Bogura to Dhaka vegetable truck trip, payments collected along the way at Savar, Mirpur-1 and Shyambazar added up to Tk 650, Prothom Alo reported in 2022. If you hire this way, insist on a written receipt with the truck number, driver’s name and phone and the agreed fare, and pay only part of the fare in advance.
A booking platform does much of the verification for you. The difference shows in the details:
| Stand or middleman | Booking platform | |
|---|---|---|
| Truck documents | Rarely checked | Checked at registration |
| Driver identity | Often unknown | Name and phone in the booking |
| Fare | Negotiated, often changes | Shown in the bid before you accept |
| Ratings | None | Ratings and trip history |
| If something goes wrong | Hard to trace | Owner and truck details on record, support line |
How Truck Lagbe verifies trucks and drivers
On Truck Lagbe, owners register their trucks with documents before they can bid for trips, and every bid shows the truck size and type. The FAQ says trucks are checked against their documents and that Truck Lagbe will hand over the truck and operator details if something goes wrong. Shippers see the full fare before they accept a bid, bridge and road tolls are included in bids, and customers rate each trip. Customer care runs around the clock on 09638 000 245.
Truck Lagbe says it has more than 80,000 trucks on the platform and has completed more than 300,000 trips for over 200,000 customers, according to its business page. Companies that ship regularly can use a business account with a key account manager, real-time tracking and payment after the trip.
Platform checks are the starting point, not the end. Look at the papers, check the licence on the day and insure valuable goods. Together, those steps cover most of what can go wrong.
A quick safety checklist
| Check | Done? |
|---|---|
| Driver holds a professional licence for the truck’s weight class | |
| The person driving is the person licensed | |
| Registration, fitness, tax token and route permit are current | |
| Truck is in good condition and suits the load | |
| Goods are packed, within the legal weight and tied down | |
| Truck number, owner and driver contacts noted and shared | |
| Fare agreed in full, in writing or in the app | |
| Transit insurance arranged for valuable goods |
Book a verified truck with Truck Lagbe
Post your trip on the Truck Lagbe app, compare bids from registered owners and keep every detail of the truck and driver in one place. Download the Truck Lagbe app to book your next shipment.
Frequently asked questions
What does a verified truck mean?
A truck whose registration, fitness certificate, tax token and route permit have been checked and are current, with a known owner and a driver licensed for its weight class.
What licence does a truck driver need in Bangladesh?
A professional licence in the right weight class: light up to 7,500 kg, medium up to 12,000 kg and heavy above that. A heavy licence also covers lighter vehicles.
Does Truck Lagbe insure my goods?
No. Truck Lagbe’s FAQ says cargo insurance is not yet available. For valuable goods, buy an inland transit policy from a general insurer.
How can I check a truck’s papers?
Ask the owner for photos of the registration certificate, fitness certificate, tax token and route permit before the trip, and check that the dates are current and the registration number matches the truck.
What should I do if my goods are damaged?
Note the damage in writing before the driver leaves, take photos and contact the owner and the platform’s customer care. If you have transit insurance, notify the insurer straight away.
