Institute of Road Transport Engineers
IRTE, formerly the Institute of Road Transport Engineers, was a UK based membership organisation, with global branches, originally founded in 1944, Which merged in 2001 with the Institution of Plant Engineers (IPlantE) to form the Society of Operations Engineers (SOE). IRTE continues as a best practice professional sector of SOE, and publishes the monthly magazine Transport Engineer, as well as a wide range of technical guides. IRTE, through SOE, is a partner in the CV Show, a commercial vehicle exhibition.
The Irtec license is a professional certification for auto technicians in the U.K. Established in 2002, the Irtec licence is a voluntary scheme that assesses the competence of automotive technicians who maintain and repair vehicles in the following 4 classes; Heavy Goods Vehicle (above 7.5t), Light Commercial Vehicle (below 7.5t), Light & Heavy Commercial Vehicle (combined) and Bus and Coach. An Irtec licence certifies the individual, rather than the employer, and can be used to demonstrate a common standard of skills from one company to the next.
The Irtec licence is offered at several benchmark levels:
- Vehicle Safety and Inspection Technician Licence
- Service Maintenance and Repair Technician Licence
- Advanced Technician Licence
- Master Technician Licence