How can an idle truck earn in Tanzania? Three lawful routes: hire the truck to an operator at a daily or monthly rate; share revenue with an operator who brings the work; or pair the truck with a licensed driver and take contracts yourself. Each needs the TRA registration card, insurance, an inspection certificate, a LATRA goods vehicle licence for work for hire, and a written agreement.
What the law requires before a truck works for hire
A goods vehicle carrying for hire or reward in Mainland Tanzania needs a goods vehicle licence from the Land Transport Regulatory Authority (LATRA). The annual fee is set by payload under GN 1083 of 2024: TZS 50,000 up to 1 tonne, 100,000 above 1 to 5 tonnes, 150,000 above 5 to 10 tonnes, 250,000 above 10 to 20 tonnes and 350,000 at 20 tonnes and above (register ID F0817). The application form is TZS 20,000 and a transport company registration certificate is TZS 100,000 (register ID F0818). The vehicle also needs valid motor vehicle insurance, at least third party under the Motor Vehicles Insurance Act, Cap. 169, and a current inspection certificate.
The registration card from the Tanzania Revenue Authority names the registered owner. A transfer of ownership costs TZS 50,000 for a motor vehicle (register ID F0296); a duplicate card TZS 50,000 (register ID F0299). Hire and revenue share do not transfer ownership, which is the point: the card stays in the owner's name.
Who should read this
Owners of tippers, flatbeds, tankers, prime movers and light trucks that sit for more than a few days a month. Contractors and farmers who need capacity without buying. Licensed drivers who want a vehicle to work with. Transport companies with a bench of idle units after a contract ends. Advocates and insurers advising any of them.
Which route fits which owner?
| Route | Who brings the work | Owner's income | Owner's risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry hire | The operator | Fixed daily or monthly rate, paid in advance | Wear and misuse; covered by deposit, inspection and insurance terms |
| Hire with driver | The operator | Rate per day or per trip, fuel as agreed | Lower; the owner's driver controls the vehicle |
| Revenue share | The operator | A stated share of gross or net trip revenue | Depends on honest reporting; needs a tracker and a reconciliation |
| Driver pairing | The owner, with the driver's contacts | Full trip revenue less driver pay and running costs | Highest income, highest management load |
Fursa365 lists all four as routes under the vehicles category. The owner states the route in the offer; the matching desk pairs owners with verified operators or with licensed drivers from the skills room.
What evidence does the listing need?
- The TRA registration card in the owner's name, or a written mandate from the registered owner.
- A current insurance certificate and the inspection certificate.
- The LATRA goods vehicle licence, or a statement that the operator will hold it.
- Photos taken this month, with plates out of frame until the NDNCA.
- Service record and odometer reading.
- Any finance or lien: a vehicle under a bank's charge needs the bank's written consent to hire.
How should the rate and the terms be set?
State the rate as a band. For dry hire of a 10 tonne tipper the market in Dar es Salaam and Mwanza runs in a range per month; state the range you would accept and the minimum term, such as three months. Rent is paid monthly in advance, into the owner's bank account, under an agreement drafted by an advocate. The agreement covers the deposit, who insures and at what level, who services, maximum monthly kilometres, permitted regions, driver qualification, breakdown and recovery, and return condition.
For revenue share, the share is a percentage of gross trip revenue, or of net revenue after fuel, with a tracker report and a monthly statement the owner can check against waybills. A share without reporting is a gift.
Who is the driver, and who employs them?
In driver pairing the owner engages a licensed driver with the right class for the vehicle, class C to E for heavy goods under the Road Traffic Act, Cap. 168, as a worker or a contractor on written terms. Fursa365 verifies the driver's licence class and references at listing, and the owner and driver agree pay directly: a day rate, a trip rate or a share. Fursa365 is not an employer and not a recruitment agency; it never charges a driver to be introduced. The owner's obligations as an employer, including NSSF, WCF and PAYE where the driver is an employee, are the owner's, and an accountant confirms them.
A worked example: three tippers in Mwanza
An owner in Mwanza has three 2019 tippers of 16 cubic metres that have been parked since a road contract ended. A contractor with a quarry contract needs tippers for eight months. The owner offers dry hire at TZS 4.5 million to 5.5 million per truck a month, minimum three months, deposit of one month, operator to insure comprehensively and to hold the LATRA goods vehicle licence (TZS 250,000 a year per truck for the 10 to 20 tonne band, register ID F0817).
The contractor's request is verified, the match is accepted, both sign the NDNCA, and the advocates draft an eight-month hire at TZS 5 million per truck a month. The owner receives TZS 15 million a month in advance, TZS 120 million over the term, and keeps the registration cards. Stamp duty on the hire agreement is the parties' matter under the Stamp Duty Act, Cap. 189; withholding tax on rent paid to a resident for other assets is outside withholding (register ID F0218), which the contractor's accountant confirms. The figures are illustrative; rates vary by region and season.
What are the hard-to-spot issues?
- A vehicle still under a bank's charge, hired without the bank's consent.
- Insurance for private use only, which does not cover hire or reward.
- No inspection certificate, which stops the vehicle at the first checkpoint.
- An operator with no LATRA licence, which puts the owner's vehicle at risk of impounding.
- A revenue share with no tracker and no waybills.
- Plates and chassis numbers in listing photos before the NDNCA, which invites cloned plates.
What to do now
- Gather the documents: registration card, insurance, inspection certificate, service record, bank consent if charged.
- Choose the route that matches how much management you want: dry hire, hire with driver, revenue share or pairing.
- State the rate as a band with the minimum term and the deposit.
- List on Fursa365 with photos taken this month, plates out of frame, and an end date.
- Sign the NDNCA when matched and let the operator inspect the vehicle.
- Sign the hire or share agreement drafted by an advocate, with insurance, LATRA licence and return condition stated.
- Take rent in advance into your bank account and reconcile monthly.
Key dates
| Item | When |
|---|---|
| LATRA goods vehicle licence | Annual, before the vehicle works for hire |
| Motor vehicle insurance | Annual; hire use must be on the policy |
| Inspection certificate | As the Road Traffic Act and TRA schedule require; keep it current through the hire |
| Rent | Monthly in advance |
| Fursa365 offer end date | 30 to 90 days suits most hire offers |
How Zatra helps
Zatra Consultants Limited screens the owner's right to offer, the documents and the route before the listing is shown, and verifies the operator's identity, mandate and capacity before a match. As the client's adviser under a PSFA, Zatra structures the hire or share, coordinates the inspection and the advocate, and records completion. Zatra does not insure, license, drive or hold money; LATRA, TRA and the insurer decide their own matters and Zatra does not decide or guarantee any authority's outcome. Zanzibar vehicles follow Zanzibar's own transport licensing, which the parties confirm.
Sources and status
Accurate as at 3 Nov 2026. Figures are from the sources below and from the Zatra government fees register, quoted with their register IDs so they can be checked line by line.
- LATRA goods vehicle licence fees, GN 1083 of 2024, Second Schedule. Land Transport Regulatory Authority, December 2024. Accessed 3 Nov 2026.
- TRA motor vehicle fees: transfer of ownership and duplicate registration card. Tanzania Revenue Authority, 2026 fee schedule. Accessed 3 Nov 2026.
- Motor Vehicles Insurance Act, Cap. 169. TanzLII, consolidated. Accessed 3 Nov 2026.
- Road Traffic Act, Cap. 168. TanzLII, consolidated 2002. Accessed 3 Nov 2026.
- Income Tax Act, Cap. 332, withholding on rent. Tanzania Revenue Authority, Taxes and Duties at a Glance 2025/2026. Accessed 3 Nov 2026.
- Stamp Duty Act, Cap. 189 R.E. 2023. TanzLII, consolidated 2023. Accessed 3 Nov 2026.
- Zatra Tanzania Government Fees Register 2026, transport and motor vehicle chapters. Zatra Consultants Limited, 2026 edition. Accessed 3 Nov 2026.
Figures to confirm before you act
- LATRA goods vehicle licence by payload band (register ID F0817)
- TRA transfer of ownership TZS 50,000 (register ID F0296)
- Withholding on rent for other assets paid to residents: none (register ID F0218)
General information prepared by the Fursa365 deal desk, Zatra Consultants Limited. It is not legal, tax or investment advice and does not decide or guarantee any authority's outcome. Confirm current rules and fees with the authority named and your own advocate before you act. Mainland Tanzania is described; Zanzibar has separate laws and bodies.
Questions readers ask
Do I pay to list my truck on Fursa365?
No. Listing and matching are free. If you engage Zatra as your adviser to structure the hire and see it through, that is a professional fee under a PSFA, paid on completion. The operator pays you directly, never through the platform.
Who holds the LATRA licence, the owner or the operator?
Whoever carries for hire or reward. In dry hire the operator usually holds it for the period of the hire; in driver pairing the owner holds it. Put it in the agreement and keep a copy in the cab.
Can I hire out a truck that is still on finance?
Only with the bank's written consent. The charge is usually registered against the vehicle and the loan agreement restricts hire. Screening asks for the consent, and a listing without it is returned.
What stops the operator disappearing with the truck?
The NDNCA, the verified identity and capacity of the operator, a deposit, a tracker, insurance in the right name and an agreement with a clear return clause. Fursa365 shows your truck only to verified requests, never to the public.
Is revenue share better than hire?
It can earn more when work is steady and reporting is honest, and less when either fails. Owners who cannot check waybills monthly should choose a fixed hire rate. Many agreements use a minimum monthly amount plus a share above it.
Does a driver pay to be listed?
No. Fursa365 never charges a worker to be introduced. The driver's licence class and references are verified, and the driver and owner agree pay directly on written terms.
What insurance do I need for hire?
A policy that covers hire or reward use, in the name the agreement states, with the operator or owner as the insured and the other noted. A private-use policy will not respond to a claim during hire.
Engineer. Execution of registrations, licences and authority follow-up. Ten years in operations and industrial engineering.
