Who we are
External Transport Manager Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 17444422, Suite A, 82 James Carter Road, Mildenhall, Bury St Edmunds, IP28 7DE. Contact us at enquiries@externaltransportmanager.com. We are the controller of the personal data described here.
What we collect
Account details such as name, company, email and a hashed password. Profile details that members choose to publish. Support requests, including contact details, the support needed and basic information about the operation. Certificates that members upload so we can check their qualification, which only our admin team can see. Payment is handled by Stripe, and we do not see or store full card details. We use a session cookie to keep you logged in, and a second session cookie that holds your first name so our pages can show a link to your dashboard when you are logged in. Both are deleted when you close your browser. We use no advertising cookies. We also count page views and clicks on our own server, with no cookies, so we can see which pages and buttons are used, how long pages are open, how far down they are scrolled and where visitors come from. To estimate how many different visitors we get each day, we make a one-way code from your IP address and browser details. The code cannot be turned back into either, your IP address is not stored, and the code is deleted within two days. If you arrive through a tagged link, for example from a social media post, we save that tag with your account if you register, so we know which posts bring sign-ups. If you press Accept on our cookie banner, we also set one analytics cookie holding a random code, with no name, email or IP address in it. It lets us see the pages you visit in order and how long you spend on each, whether you come back, and which tagged link first brought you, and if you register we link that code to your account. The cookie lasts 90 days from your last visit and the page history is deleted 90 days after your last visit. If you press Reject, that cookie is not set. We remember your choice in a small cookie for a year, and you can change it at any time with Cookie choices here or in the footer. If you use ETM AI, we also collect the text you type into it, and for request forms a short summary of it.
Public register data
Operator listings are built from the register of goods vehicle operator licences published by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency under the Open Government Licence v3.0. We list limited companies, limited liability partnerships and similar bodies, and we do not list sole traders or partnerships. We publish only the operator name, licence type, traffic area, authorised vehicles and operating centre town. Anyone can ask us to correct or remove a listing using the link on the listing page, and we will act promptly.
How we use it and why
To run accounts and the directory, to match requests with members, to check qualifications, and to take payment for paid plans. Our lawful bases are performing our contract with you, your consent where we ask for it (for example before sharing a request with members), and our legitimate interest in running and securing the service.
Who we share it with
When you send a request we share it with matching members. On the Free plan a member sees what the request is about but not your contact details, and on paid plans they see your name, phone and email. We also use service providers such as hosting, email, Stripe and an AI support service (see ETM AI below).
ETM AI
ETM AI is our AI-assisted feature. When you use it on the request form, in the directory search, in the box on the home page or in the chat helper, the text you type is sent to our AI support service, so that it can suggest which kind of support you need, which search filters to use or which page to send you to. Before it is sent, we remove email addresses, web links and phone numbers from the text. Please do not include personal details about other people. We also save what you type into the directory search, the home page box and the chat helper for up to 90 days, with those details removed and without your IP address, so we can see what people are looking for and improve the service. Our AI support service acts as our processor, and as far as we are aware it does not use this text to train its models. It may be processed outside the UK, with appropriate safeguards in place.
If you are a member and use it to draft your profile, the notes you type are sent to the same service for that purpose. The suggestions are automatic and only a guide. Our team reviews every request, and no decision about you is made by the AI alone. You do not have to use the box. You can choose from the list instead.
How long we keep it
Requests that lead nowhere are normally deleted within twelve months. Account data is kept while the account is open. Certificates are deleted when verification is complete and no longer needed, or when you close your account. The AI summary is kept with your request and deleted with it. What you type into the ETM AI search, home page box and chat helper is deleted after 90 days.
Your rights
You can ask to see, correct or delete the information we hold about you, object to its use, or withdraw consent. Contact us at enquiries@externaltransportmanager.com. You can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.