Blog posts about Compliance
Fees to be increased for graduated fixed penalties
The Department for Transport have announced that fixed penalty levels will increase from July 2013. The increases affects most motoring fixed penalties offences, graduated fixed penalties…
Driver CPC – New 13/11/13 exemption regulations clarified
New regulations that will come into force on 13 November 2013 concerning changes to Driver CPC exceptions were put before Parliament on 21 October 2013. These…
Dig deeper into unaccounted distance
Smartanalysis users can now dig deeper into unaccounted distance with a brand new Tachograph Analysis Report. In response to requests from customers the existing Descartes Smartanalysis…
Tachograph cheat is banned for three years
An Aberdeen-based owner-operator has had his O-licence revoked and been disqualified from driving HGVs for three years after using magnets to interrupt digital tachograph recordings. The…
Disqualified for encouraging drivers to commit drivers’ hours offences
The director of a haulage firm with operations in Shrewsbury and Coalville has been disqualified for two years after the Traffic Commissioner for the West Midlands,…
DVSA’s Earned Recognition Pilot starts with 30 organisations
take advantage of Earned Recognition with Smartanalysis.
Smart tachograph specification informally agreed
Improving road safety and ensuring fair competition in road transport in the EU. The Specification for a new generation of digital tachograph for trucks and buses…
Driver CPC exemptions take effect
Regulations which came into effect Wednesday 13 November clarify the Driver CPC exemptions. The new rules affect people who occasionally drive HGVs, buses or coaches as…
Haulage firm to pay almost £2,500 after admitting drivers’ hours offences
D Jenkins and Son and five of the company’s drivers appeared in court on charges of failing to take the regulatory required rest breaks following an…
False tachograph records shrinks the fleet for coach operator
A coach operator has had its fleet cut from 91 to just 35 vehicles following a Public Inquiry with the Traffic Commissioner for the North of…
Banned, licence revoked and fined for drivers’ hours and tachograph offences
A haulier and transport manager that demonstrated “poor in the extreme” knowledge of drivers’ hours and tachograph compliance will lose his operating licence from 3 February…
Devices for tampering with drivers’ hours found in HGVs
Police in Nottinghamshire have found 6 tachograph manipulation devices fitted in HGVs since January 2018. The devices are used to interfere with the recording of drivers’…
Optimised Route Planning, Mobile Tracking & Compliance Management – £1 per driver per day.
Route. Track. Comply. Descartes, world leaders in uniting the people and technology that move the world have launched On Demand Route Planning, Mobile Tracking and Compliance…
HGV driver fined £900 for drivers’ hours offences
A HGV driver was given on-the-spot fines totalling £900 after he tried to falsify his drivers’ hours record. The driver was stopped on 13 December during…
HGV Driver Fined £1000 for failing to take a break
A County Down Commercial Goods Vehicle Operator was fined a total of £1,000 at Omagh Magistrates’ Court for tachograph (drivers’ hours) offences. The charges came after…
HGV driver disqualified for poor records and ignoring breaks
A West Midlands HGV driver was been disqualified for over twelve months for failing to observe required breaks and keeping poor records. The Traffic Commissioner for…
Maximise efficiency and stay compliant. Descartes have launched a new web site to maximise the efficiency and profitability of road transport operations whilst safeguarding compliance. The…
New rules on drivers’ working conditions are coming
Updated rules from the EU to fight illegal practices in road transport and to help improve drivers’ employment conditions were approved by the Transport Committee in…
£1,500 fine for tachograph and drivers’ hours offences
A haulage company was fined a total of £1,500 and ordered to pay court courts at North Antrim Magistrates’ Court on Fri 1st March. Patrick Bradley…
HGV Driver banned for false tachograph records and drivers’ hours infringements
The HGV driver was called to the Deputy Traffic Commissioner in Edinburgh in February after the authorities reported him for drivers’ hours infringements. He was originally…
School coach service suspended for drivers’ hours infringements
A Coach firm providing transport for school children was suspended for two weeks for ‘significant shortfalls’ in drivers’ hours records management. The coach operator was found…
HGV driver jailed for falsifying tachograph records
A HGV driver caused “danger to the public” by driving for about 500 hours more than he should have done. The driver admitted ten offences of…
Smartanalysis reporting for Earned Recognition at Multimodal 2017
The extensive reporting capabilities of Smartanalysis will accommodate the requirements DVSA set for transport operators to achieve Earned Recognition. Visitors to Multimodal 2017, taking place at…
Coach firm loses licence for drivers’ hours abuses
A “dangerous” coach firm that operated school runs and carried professional sports teams in Hampshire has had its licence revoked by a traffic commissioner. The firm…
The HGV Road User Levy Act becomes law
On 28 February 2013 the HGV Road User Levy Act became law. The Department for Transport says that this will pave the way for a fairer…
“Truckcam” results in 180 offences being reported in two weeks.
Merseyside Police target HGV drivers in covert operation. Merseyside Police issued 180 road traffic offence reports, 17-fixed penalty notices and seized four vehicles during operation ‘Truckcam’,…
Take immediate action to safeguard your compliance with SmartAlerts
Busy Transport Managers can now get automatic email alerts regarding their licensed drivers and their digital tachograph downloads using SmartAlerts from Descartes. This saves time and…
A HGV driver who broke drivers’ hours rules has been disqualified from professional driving for a year. The driver was found to have driven excessive hours…
Weekly Rest Period Clarification for HGV drivers’ hours
A statement by the Advocate General of the European Court of Justice has advised that a ‘normal’ 45-hour weekend break cannot count as ‘rest’ for tachograph…
Descartes launches mobile driver vehicle safety checks
From October 2018, Descartes mobile driver vehicle safety checks will be available as part of the SmartCompliance suite. Transport operators of all sizes will be able to…
Route, Track, Comply – Descartes at the Commercial Vehicle Show, NEC Birmingham, 9 to 11 April 2013
Integrated route planning, mobile tracking and compliance management available in the cloud, visit Descartes, stand 3H81 at the CV Show. Descartes acquired Exentra Transport Solutions in…
HGV drivers targeted using unmarked lorry in Humberside
Following the success of operation “Truckcam” in Merseyside a similar initiative was undertaken by Humberside Police to target offences committed by HGV drivers. An unmarked lorry…
Haulage director disqualified for three years
The director of a Sheerness-based haulage firm was disqualified for three years from 28 January for breaching several safety and licensing standards. The director was found…
Descartes will showcase the new SmartAlerts enhancement to its SmartCompliance Software-as-a-Service products at this year’s Commercial Vehicle (CV) Show. Road transport operators visiting stand 4H20 at…
Road freight weights must be declared by shippers
All cargo owners must now provide road haulage operators with the weight of cargo goods to be transported in the EU. This is an extension to…
SmartCompliance solutions at the CV Show, 30 April to 2 May 2019
Descartes are attending the 2019 Commercial Vehicle show to showcase SmartCompliance solutions for fleets of all sizes. Come and speak to the SmartCompliance team on the stand…
Breathalyser fines delayed indefinitely in France
The French Minister of Interior has announced an indefinite delay on the fines for motorists that do not carry a breathalyser kit with them in their vehicle.…
HGV Road User Levy Act starts 1 April 2014
The HGV Road User Levy Act 2013 imposes charges for vehicles over 12 tonnes gross vehicle weight for using UK roads. The act applies to UK…
HGV driver fined £1000 for tachograph offences
A HGV driver has been fined £1,000 for tachograph and drivers’ hours offences after admitting thirteen charges when he appeared at Perth Sheriff Court. On 11 dates in March…
New guidance on drivers’ hours and tachographs
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has updated the published guidance on drivers’ hours and tachographs. The guidance is for drivers and road transport operators…
Driver CPC Validation with SmartLicence
The latest release of Descartes’ SmartLicence online driving licence management and verification solution has been enhanced to accommodate Driver CPC and Digital Tachograph card validation. In September…
We are hiring – New opportunities at Descartes SmartCompliance
Due to continual strong growth in the Descartes SmartCompliance business we are seeking to fill a number of exciting new software development positions, see Software Developer.…
Convictions for drivers’ hours and tachograph offences fall
According to the latest figures from VOSA the number of convictions for drivers’ hours and tachograph offences has almost halved since 2009. However, breaches of drivers’…
Smartanalysis gets smarter at the CV Show – Stand 4F118.
Descartes’ Smartanalysis, the UK’s leading tachogragraph analysis and compliance management Software as a Service has become even smarter with SmartLicence, an integrated driving licence management and…
The most complete lack of compliance ever seen?
The Traffic Commissioner for the North-east said a Middlesbrough minibus operator showed the “most complete lack of compliance” he has ever seen, as he revoked their…
12 month ban for drivers’ hours offences
A HGV driver has been given a 12-month ban by Nick Denton, the Traffic Commissioner for the South East and Metropolitan area, after he illegally used…
DVSA launch Earned Recognition Pilot
Roadside checks cost operators time and money. Earned Recognition will help the DVSA target non-compliant operators. Earned Recognition proves that you meet driver and vehicle standards. …
Descartes launches its SmartDownload Telematics Hub for downloading tachograph data
Descartes is unveiling its fully integrated, complete range of smart compliance management solutions. At the CV Show, 30th April – 2nd May, NEC Birmingham, Stand 5G110,…
6 months in jail for tachograph fraud & abuse of drivers’ hours.
On Friday 4 January 2013 Mr G. Davidson from Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire was jailed for six months at Carlisle Crown Court for tachograph fraud. The defendant was first…
Descartes Launches Driving Licence Management and Verification Service
Descartes Systems Group, the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, announced the launch of Descartes SmartLicence™, an integrated driving licence management and verification service…
Tachograph rules changed for Farmers
From March 2015 farmers no longer need a tachograph fitted to their vehicles if the distance travelled is less than 100km from their operating base. Before…
Turners enhances driver compliance with Descartes’ SmartCompliance
Descartes Systems Group announced that one of the largest independent haulage companies in the UK, Turners (Soham) Ltd., is using Descartes’ SmartCompliance™ solutions to gain efficiencies and improve…
Banned for 3 years for vehicle maintenance & drivers’ hours infringements
The director of a Birmingham builders’ has been banned from operating HGVs for three years for showing no interest in vehicle and driver safety standards. The…
Putting Digital at the heart of compliance management and how to unlock additional value from compliance data. Descartes SmartCompliance is featured in the latest issues of…
Suspended custodial sentence for tachograph cheat
On Monday 17th December 2012, Richard Samuel Dewart, 44, owner of Dewart Transport, Waringstown, Northern Ireland was convicted of forgery and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment,…
Transport Manager loses his repute over CPC training & drivers’ hours infringements
A Transport Manager recently lost his repute indefinitely for failing to make sure his drivers had started their Driver CPC training and the drivers’ hours infringements…
New integrated compliance management solutions at CV Show 15
Descartes will be showcasing its latest comprehensive Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions to help road transport operators achieve compliance at this year’s Commercial Vehicle (CV) Show taking place…
Smart tachograph specifications published
The Regulation on the new digital smart tachograph specifications was published on 27 May 2016. The digital tachograph was first introduced in 2006 as a device…
Three year ban for falsifying drivers’ hours & tachograph records
An HGV driver was banned from professional driving for three years after falsifying drivers’ hours and tachograph records. Government inspectors had found that the driver used…
Descartes in the News – FACTS Issue 152
Descartes is featured in the latest issue (152) of FACTS – The Pan-European Transport and Logistics Magazine. This issue focuses on compliance management with features on…
Custodial sentences for operating illegal tachograph centre
A father and son were handed custodial sentences for operating an illegal tachograph centre at Craigavon Court 20 November 2013. The sentences of two years six…
ILT increases fines for tachograph infringements in Netherlands
The Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) recently announced that the fines for manipulation of the tachograph will go up sharply. TLN the Dutch Association for Transport…
Driving without a digital tachograph driver card costs operator almost 3,000 Euros.
An Enniscorthy company was fined 2,500 Euros and ordered to pay costs of 400 Euros excluding VAT for a tachograph offence in 2014 in one of…
Coach operator disqualified for drivers’ hours offences
A Dundee coach operator has been disqualified for two years from 31 May 2016 by Scotland’s Traffic Commissioner after breaching drivers’ hours and tachograph rules that…
Driving tired is ‘worse than being on drugs’
According to recent research, driving in state of fatigue has contributed to more road accidents in Great Britain than those impaired by taking drugs. The study…
DVSA publish their 2018 to 2019 Annual Review
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency work hard to keep everyone safe on our roads. They have just published their Annual Report for 2018 to 2019.…
HGV Road User Levy Bill passes second reading
Secretary of State for Transport, Mr Patrick McLoughlin, introduced the second reading of the HGV Road User Levy Bill in the House of Commons on Tuesday…
Driver CPC information is now in one place
DVSA has now collected all the information regarding Driver CPC in one place on GOV.UK. No need to navigate through several different pages to find what you need. Simply go to…
Suspended prison sentences for breaching tachograph and drivers’ hours regulations
A coach driver admits falsifying tachograph records and was handed out a six-month jail sentence suspended for two years and ordered to pay £500 costs after…
Disqualified for five years for drivers’ hours offences
A South Wales operator was disqualified by Traffic Commissioner for Wales, Nick Jones, for five years after committing over 100 driver’ hours offences. The owner operator…
Fines of up to £1,500 for historic commercial drivers’ hours offences
New rules mean the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will be able to issue on-the-spot fines for any drivers’ hours offences committed in the previous 28…
Temporary relaxation of EU drivers’ hours now ended
A temporary relaxation of the EU drivers’ hours rules for a 30-day period, for drivers was announced on 18 March 2020 to help with COVID-19. The…
Lifetime ban for haulier after tampering with tachograph for a second time
Traffic Commissioner Joan Aitken informed George Davidson that he would be disqualified from driving HGVs and could not re-apply for his professional licence until his 75th…
Fixed penalties increased from 16 August
Department for Transport announced that fixed penalty levels will increase from 16 August 2013. Graduated fixed penalties and financial deposits for vans, trucks and buses are…
Haulier suspended for drivers’ hours offences & false records
A Telford haulage operator has been suspended from running HGVs after Traffic Commissioner Nick Jones found that drivers had driven excessive hours, broken speed limits and…
Haulage firm shut down over drivers’ hours breach
Banned from running haulage firm after failing to give drivers rest breaks to comply with drivers’ hours requirements. Joan Aitken stripped the Operator Licence for Heavy…
91% of hauliers want online driver CPC data checking alongside driving licence checks
A survey of over 100 senior UK haulage fleet managers, conducted by the Association for Driving Licence Verification revealed that 91% of respondents want driver CPC…
A HGV driver has been disqualified from professional driving until June 2038 after his driver card was used by another employee to commit serious offences. The…
Tachographs & Telematics Report
The introduction of Smart Tachographs in June 2019 offer opportunities to make better operational use of tachograph and drivers’ hours data. The report conducted by Commercial…
£300,000 fine and £150,000 in costs for falsifying driver records
Former Director of Alba Transport of Halifax, Danny Steven Sawrij, was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay £150,000 in costs for falsifying driver records at Kirklees…
Haulier fined after driver was found with an invalid driving licence
Haulage firm LMK International Transport was fined £400 and ordered to pay costs in Belfast Magistrates’ Court following the discovery that one of its HGVs was…
Transport Manager disqualified for 5 years
Stephen Drever-Marshall, the nominated Transport Manager on two licences – in the North of England was disqualified by North East Traffic Commissioner Kevin Rooney for five…
O-licence revoked for drivers’ hours offences
Numerous records and drivers’ hours offences led to a haulage firm based in Motherwell being stripped of its O-licence. The offences were unearthed by the DVSA…
Indefinite ban from running HGVs
An Enfield-based fruit and vegetable retailer was banned indefinitely from running heavy goods vehicles following a history of non-compliance. Evidence presented convinced to Nick Denton, Traffic…
The BBC reported on an increase in tachograph tampering in the UK roads with over 440 HGVs crossing into the UK last year with manipulated tachographs.…
New and improved SmartCompliance User Interface makes managing your compliance easier
SmartCompliance will be updated to Release 20.4 on 5 May 2020. The new release will feature a new and improved SmartCompliance User Interface making it even…
U-turn on Driver CPC exemptions?
The Driving Standards Agency has announced that individuals such as mechanics, driving heavy vehicles for short distances for delivery or repair, will be made exempt from…
Waste disposal firm penalised for drivers’ hours offences
Scotland’s Traffic Commissioner, Joan Aitkin ruled on 3 October that Dow Waste Management will be prevented from expanding for 12 months. The company’s operations are to…
National speed limit for HGVs to be increased
The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, Claire Perry, announced yesterday that the government is proposing to increase the national speed limit for HGVs over…
ADLV Urges for regular licence checks to identify high risk drivers
The ADLV (Association for Driving Licence Verification) www.adlv.co.uk is calling for fleet managers to make more regular checks on driver licence entitlement. This includes quarterly checks…
Paying the ultimate price after encouraging drivers to work excessive hours
Paying the ultimate price after encouraging drivers to work excessive hours
Three-year ban for misleading DVSA & missing tachograph downloads
A haulage firm director admitted that he deceived Government inspectors over employment of a transport manager and was disqualified by the West Midlands Traffic Commissioner, Nick…
COVID-19 update: Changes to Driver CPC
Driver CPC periodic training changes announced. The Government has announced temporary changes to professional driver requirements as part of its response to the coronavirus outbreak. Whilst…
Fined over £40,000 for drivers’ hours offences
Following a VOSA investigation, Ian John Trussler, a partner and transport manager; and Kenneth Trussler, a partner of Goldline Taxis and Coaches both received suspended prison…
Cash-in-transit Company fined £600 for tachograph offences
Following an investigation by DVA Enforcement Officers into the operation of 19 vehicles owned by Brinks Ireland Ltd, the company was fined £600 on 15 October…
Gist Expands Use of Cloud-Based Descartes Smartanalysis™ for European Road Transport Compliance
Descartes Systems Group today announced that Gist, a leading supply chain services provider, has expanded its use of Descartes Smartanalysis™, a tachograph analysis and compliance management solution,…
False tachograph records lead to busload of problems for coach firm
A coach operator, whose staff were prosecuted at Crown-Court over false tachograph records is now facing a two-day public inquiry in Leeds on December 1. The…
DVSA improves OCRS to focus on the least compliant operators
The DVSA use the Operator Compliance Risk Score (OCRS) system to help decide which vehicles should be stopped for roadside checks. It gives a score for risk…
Prison for breaking drivers’ hours
A HGV driver was handed out a six-month prison sentence for failing to take rest breaks and drivers’ hours offences. The driver was stopped by DVSA…
New SmartAnalysis Driver CPC Module
Descartes is pleased to announce the availability of SmartAnalysis Driver CPC, a powerful and flexible on-line tool for recording and managing driver CPC. Bus, coach and…
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