Blog posts about Drivers’ hours

Updated rules and guidance on drivers’ hours

Drivers’ hours rules and guidance have been updated on GOV.UK. If you drive a goods vehicle or a passenger-carrying vehicle you must follow the rules on…

DVSA extends period for VU digital tachograph downloads

The maximum limit for downloading digital tachograph VU data has been extended from 56 to 90 days to bring the UK in line with the rest…

Belgian authorities to clamp down on weekend rest taken in cabs?

The Belgian authorities may be taking a stricter approach to drivers taking their normal 45-hour weekend rest period in their own cab and France may also…

Volumetric vehicle exemption loophole to close?

There is growing support to bring ten vehicle exemptions into the O-licensing scheme. It is estimated that this could affect around 40,000 goods and engineering plant…

HGV operator fined £1,900 for drivers’ hours offences in Northern Ireland

Eight charges relating to HGV drivers who failed to take the required daily rest resulted in a fine of £1,900 for a County Antrim-based HGV operator…

Is enforcement of driver’s hours working?

Figures reported in February this year reveal that prosecutions for drivers’ hours and tachograph offences fell by almost 30% in 2015. Figures disclosed in recent parliamentary…

EU Drivers’ hours compliance – A summary guide for new drivers and operators

All professional LGV, bus and coach drivers are governed complex rules concerning the use of the vehicle tachograph and their drivers’ hours.  This summary guide provides…

No excuses for drivers’ hours offences

The Traffic commissioner for London and the South East, Nick Denton has called on road transport operators to manage their digital tachograph downloads or face the…

What does the latest Fleet Compliance Checks report tell us?

The latest Fleet Compliance Checks report (2013 to 2014) was published at the end of October. The Department for Transport commissions this report. It is produced…

£1,000 fine for 20 tachograph & drivers’ hours offences

A licensed heavy goods vehicle operator was fined a total of £1,000 at Armagh Magistrates’ Court last week after being found guilty of 20 offences relating…

Ramping up enforcement of drivers’ hours and tachograph regulations in the EU

Thirteen HGV drivers were found guilty of tachograph fraud during a large Police Operation that took place in November in Aalter in Belgium.    In total fifty…

Tachograph and drivers’ hours offences are still No1

Tachograph and drivers’ hours offences remain the two most common offences reported by the DVSA and over 85% of the offences reported by DVSA result in…

Guide to GB domestic drivers’ hours rules

If you are not familiar with GB domestic drivers’ hours rules or just need a refresher this guide will give you the basic information you need.…

Disqualified for three years

The director of a food wholesaling business that committed a number of drivers’ hours, overloading and Driver CPC offences has been disqualified from holding an Operator’s…

Tachograph fraud and abuse of drivers’ hours does not pay

Haulage bosses ordered to pay back over £1.6m or face more time in jail. Following a joint operation between Cumbria police and VOSA the bosses of…

Over 50% of HGV drivers on M5/M6 exceeded drivers’ hours in 12 months

In a year-long operation on the M5 between and J4 and the M6 between J6 for Spaghetti Junction and J14 more than 200 HGV drivers were…

25% of motorists admit to driving while tired

According to resent research conducted to coincide with Road Safety Week almost one in four drivers admit to driving while tired with men more prone to…

Breaches of drivers’ hours – an inconvenient truth?

The latest figures from VOSA on their roadside inspections makes interesting reading. In July, Aug and Sept 2012 52,186 vehicle inspections were carried out. This is a…

Ramping up drivers’ hours enforcement in EU

EU laws regarding tachographs and drivers’ hours are ineffective if there is inadequate enforcement of them. In the UK the DVSA and Police are responsible for…

No excuse for concealing excessive driving hours

The Traffic Commissioners Office has called on operators and transport managers to be extra vigilant over drivers using more than one card to hide excessive drivers’…

Digital driver cards and your responsibilities.

If you are a HGV or PSV driver and holder of a digital driver card you need to be aware of your responsibilities. If you are…

Free EU Drivers’ Hours Law Guide

Download our free guide to EU Drivers’ Hours Law. If you want help in managing your compliance with drivers’ hours see Smartanalysis, the leading tachograph analysis…

Drivers’ hours and tachograph offences are still No 1 for HGV Operators

Statistics published by the DVSA (Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency) for FY 2015-16 shows that drivers’ hours and tachograph records offences are still the most common…

Tachograph reports help Industrial Tribunal dismiss fraud case

The recent case of Brian Yeardley Continental’s successful defence of a “whistleblowing” case brought by a disgruntled ex-employee highlights the importance of having your tachograph and…

Have your say on EU Tachograph regulations

On 4 February 2014 the European Commission published EU Regulation 165/2014 (the new Regulation) on tachographs in road transport. The Regulation can be found here.   This new…

DfT simplifies drivers’ hours and working time advice

The DfT has attempted to improve its guidance on EU drivers’ hours and working time by simplifying the advice. The new and updated guidance is available…

RHA call for Drivers to go to jail for breaking drivers’ hours rules

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has recently called for tougher action to be taken against truck drivers who falsify their driving records.  Drivers’ hours infringements and…

Simplified guidance on EU rules on drivers’ hours and working time

Simplified but far from simple. The Department for Transport have published a new 23 page guide to simplify the EU drivers’ hours and working time rules.…

Suspended for drivers’ hours breaches

The owner of a skip hire firm was suspended from driving HGVs for breaching drivers’ hours regulations after driving for more than four-and-a-half hours without a…

Time to get a grip of your HGV drivers’ hours?

Drivers’ hours infringements regularly top the offences reported by the authorities.  Road transport operators need to demonstrate they understand the requirements of law regarding the digital…

Free Guide to GB Domestic Drivers’ Hours Rules

Download our free guide to GB Domestic drivers’ hours. If you want help in managing your compliance with drivers’ hours (EU or GB) see Smartanalysis, the…

Jailed for using gadget to hide drivers’ hours

Judge James Sampson reinforced the fact that ‘tired drivers kill’ as he jailed a HGV driver for using a gadget that allowed him to exceed legal…

HGV Task Force issue 450 prohibitions and warnings for drivers’ hours offence in 4 months

The dedicated HGV Task Force (a joint venture with Transport for London (TfL), DVSA and the Police) issued over 600 prohibitions for un-roadworthy vehicles in just…

Compliance vs. Optimising Efficiency

Compliance management practices can transform the customer experience. Techniques for optimising road transport operations have become critical in meeting the increasing demands of customs and reducing…

Drivers’ hours exemptions for utility service maintenance

Some vehicles used in connection with sewerage, flood protection, water, gas and electricity maintenance may be exempt from the EC drivers’ hours rules. For vehicles to…

Are your drivers’ counting the cost of non-compliance?

Two recent cases have highlighted the significant potential cost to drivers for drivers’ hours and tachograph infringements. Driver A – Convicted on two counts of false…

Hauliers disqualified for misleading authorities

Nick Jones, The West Midlands Traffic Commissioner, has disqualified two haulage firms following investigations by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) for drivers’ hours offences and…

Off the rails and off the road

The boss of a Newhouse haulage firm has been given a two-year industry ban after an investigation and public inquiry into drivers’ practices. Scotland’s Traffic Commissioner,…