This guide is for companies buying transport. Car owners: we run our own fleet and are not adding cars from owners at the moment (why).
Quick answer
Due diligence on a transport vendor means checking six things before signing: the company (GST and MSME registration, office, years in business), the vehicles (RC, insurance, permit, fitness, PUC), the drivers (commercial licence checks, conduct), operations (backup plan, GPS, reporting), data handling (NDA, who sees employee details) and references or a pilot.
Chapter 01
What should you check about the vendor as a company?
Registration, a real office, years in business, invoicing ability and who you will deal with.
| Check | Ask for | Our answer |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | GST and MSME details | GST and MSME registered; details shared at vendor registration |
| Office | Address you can visit | Head office: Ghatlodiya, Ahmedabad. Branch: Hansalpur Circle, Becharaji |
| Track record | Years in business | Since 2018, 8+ years |
| Invoicing | Sample invoice | GST invoice; monthly, split by plant, department or cost centre |
| Payment terms | How they bill | Bank transfer; monthly invoice and a credit period agreed per company for approved accounts |
| Contact | Who handles your account | One named coordinator for large accounts; one number 24/7 |
Chapter 02
What should you check about the vehicles?
Valid papers for each vehicle on your routes, safety equipment, condition and whether the vendor owns or controls them.
- Papers per vehicle: RC, insurance, commercial permit, fitness and PUC. Ours are kept valid, shown on request, and we tell you before a document is due for renewal.
- Safety equipment: fire extinguisher, working seat belts, spare tyre with jack and tools.
- Condition: every car is air-conditioned and serviced on a regular schedule; ask to inspect the vehicles before signing.
- Control: we run our own fleet, from sedans to Tempo Travellers and buses; outside cars are attached only rarely and only commercial ones.
- Tracking: GPS on every vehicle.
Chapter 03
What should you check about the drivers?
Licence checks, briefing, conduct rules, rest, and what happens after a complaint.
Ask the vendor to describe, in writing, what happens before a driver first drives for you and what happens after a complaint. For us: each driver's commercial driving licence is checked before they drive for us; drivers are briefed on customer service and safe driving before company routes; they rest between duties and a tired driver is replaced; punctuality and complaints are reviewed and a driver with a serious complaint is taken off that company's route. On company routes drivers wear a uniform and carry an ID card.
Whatever a vendor says about its drivers, ask what exactly was checked, by whom and when.
Chapter 04
What should you check about operations and data?
The backup plan, dispatch, reporting, escalation and who sees employee details.
- Backup: for a plant shift, our backup car typically arrives within about an hour; the plan is agreed per location.
- Reporting: portal login for live location and trip history, a daily trip report by email, trip-wise records in Excel or PDF on request.
- Escalation: who calls whom when a trip is delayed. We call or WhatsApp your coordinator as soon as it happens.
- Data: employee names, numbers and addresses seen only by the office team and the driver on that route; never shared or sold; we sign your NDA.
- Audits: vendor audits allowed after signing.
Chapter 05
How should the due-diligence process run?
Questionnaire, documents, site visit, route ride, reference or pilot, then a contract that records the answers.
- Send a questionnaire. Use the six areas in this guide.
- Collect documents. Registration, sample vehicle papers, insurance, safety policy, sample reports.
- Visit and inspect. The office and a sample of vehicles.
- Ride a route. Preferably early morning or a late drop.
- Reference or pilot. A reference where a client agrees, or a pilot route for a trial period.
- Record it in the contract. Backup, reporting, data and audit rights in writing, with an SLA if you need one.
Red flags to watch for
- No office you can visit.
- Papers promised "later".
- Vague answers about backup at night.
- Claims of client names without proof of approval.
- A price far below others with no explanation of what is excluded.
Key terms
Due-diligence terms
- Vendor registration
- Adding a supplier to the company's approved list, usually with GST, PAN and bank details.
- RC
- Registration certificate of a vehicle.
- Commercial permit
- The permit a vehicle needs to carry passengers for hire.
- NDA
- Non-disclosure agreement covering employee and company information.
- Site visit
- A visit to the vendor's office, garage or vehicles before signing.
- Vendor audit
- A later check by the company of the vendor's records and practices.
In Gujarat
Where we run company transport in Gujarat
Shiv Shakti Tours & Travels runs employee and executive transport from a head office in Ghatlodiya, Ahmedabad and a branch at Hansalpur Circle, Becharaji, next to the SMG (Maruti Suzuki) plant, with some cars and drivers based near Sanand and in Vadodara.
- Becharaji and the SMG plant areaPlant gates and vendor units; our branch is at Hansalpur Circle
- Sanand GIDCIndustrial estates in Sanand; cars and drivers based nearby
- Vithalapur and MandalUnits in the Vithalapur industrial area
- ChangodarShift transport for units along the Changodar belt
- AhmedabadOffices, airport accounts and staff pickups
- Gandhinagar and GIFT CityOffice shifts and government movements
- VadodaraSome cars and drivers based in Vadodara
- Mehsana and KadiStaff pickup towns for North Gujarat plants
- Viramgam and BavlaStaff pickup towns between Ahmedabad and the plants
Short answers
Short answers from this guide
- What should due diligence on a transport vendor cover?Company, vehicles, drivers, operations, data and references.
- Which documents should a transport vendor give?Registration, profile, bank details, vehicle papers, policies, sample reports.
- What are the red flags in a transport vendor?No office, missing papers, vague backup, unproven claims, hidden exclusions.
- How do you check a transport vendor's drivers?Ask in writing what is checked, by whom and when.
- Should we visit a transport vendor before signing?Yes: office, vehicles, a route ride and the log.
- All 100 corporate transport answersOne page per question, in the Knowledge Hub
Questions
Due-diligence questions
What documents do you give for vendor registration?
GST and MSME registration details, company profile, bank details and sample vehicle papers, plus a proposal. Send us your vendor form.
Can we inspect your vehicles before signing?
Yes. Companies may inspect the fleet before signing and audit us later.
Can you give client references?
We name no company as a client without its approval. References are arranged where a client agrees, or you can run a pilot route.
Do you sign NDAs?
Yes. We sign the company's NDA or confidentiality clause.
Do you respond to tenders and RFPs?
Yes. Send the tender or RFP and we respond with our documents and a proposal.
Do you own your vehicles?
We run our own fleet; outside cars are attached only rarely, commercial cars only.
How do you check drivers?
Each driver's commercial licence is checked before they drive for us; drivers are briefed on customer service and safe driving.
Can we see a sample report?
Yes. Ask for a sample daily trip report and monthly summary.
Next step
Ask for a proposal
Tell us the company, the location and what you need to move. We reply with our vendor documents and a proposal; nothing is sent until you press a button.
Transport enquiry from a company.
Car owners: we run our own fleet and are not adding cars from owners at the moment.Keep reading
Related guides and vendor files
- A scorecard for your transport vendorEight measures to review every month
- Duty of care in employee transportWhat a company owes employees on the way to work
- The first 90 days with a new vendorFrom pilot route to steady service
- How to make us your transport vendorRegistration steps
- Transport vendor files20 files: requirements, contract steps, reporting
- All corporate transport guides20 decision guides for HR, admin and purchase
Sources
Where the facts come from
- Owner-confirmed company facts (9 October 2026 questionnaires): licence checks, valid RC, insurance, permit, fitness and PUC shown on request, backup car typically within about an hour for a plant shift, GPS portal login, daily trip report, SLA and NDA on request, vendor audits, invoices split by cost centre, utilisation reports on request.
- Owner-confirmed 29 October 2026: outside cars attached only rarely, commercial cars only.
- Terms and conditions: published per-km rates, minimum fares, night charge and waiting terms.
Cite this guide: Vaibhaviba Bhavsinh Solanki, "Transport Vendor Due Diligence: What to Check", Shiv Shakti Tours & Travels, updated 31 October 2026, https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/corporate-transport-guides/transport-vendor-due-diligence.html