News for 2015

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…

Temporary relaxation of drivers’ hours due to Forth Road Bridge closure

The Department for Transport has agreed to a temporary relaxation of EU drivers’ hours and  working-time rules for drivers involved in the distribution of freight and…

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…

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…

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…

Descartes launches e-consent to speed up the process for checking driving licences

Gaining consent from a driver to allow licence checking is now a quick and simple 2-step electronic process with SmartLicence. Since the abolition of the paper driving…

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…

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…

Temporary relaxation of drivers’ hours

The Department for Transport (DfT) has agreed to a temporary relaxation of EU drivers’ hours rules to help drivers that are delayed due to industrial action…

Descartes Tachograph Analysis & SmartLicence Bureau Relocates

The Descartes Tachograph Analysis and SmartLicence Bureau relocated on 23rd July. The Bureau now has new telephone and fax numbers. Anyone wanting to call the Bureau should…

Have your say on the conduct of professional HGV, bus and coach drivers

The commercial vehicle industry has been invited to contribute to a consultation on how Traffic Commissioners deal with the conduct of professional truck, bus and coach…

DVSA take new steps to focus on serially and seriously non-compliant operators

The DVSA has reiterated its intent to free up resources to tackle the worst offending transport operators. Caroline Hicks, DVSA Head of Enforcement, has said in the…

SHA-1 end of support notice

If you are running Windows XP take action now. Background Due to weaknesses found in the algorithm, the IT Industry has agreed to end of life…

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…

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…

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…

How to create a “Customer Facing” supply chain

Descartes to Present on Creating “Customer Facing” Supply Chains at Home Delivery World 2015 Descartes will present at Home Delivery World 2015 on how retailers can create…

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…

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…

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…

Banned for life by Traffic Commissioner

The owners of two Maidstone haulage companies have been banned for life after an inquiry heard how their behaviour put road users at risk. The two…

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…

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…

Tachograph rules to change for local journeys

From 2 March 2015 a new European regulation – EU 165/2014 (PDF 2 MB) – will replace EEC 3821/85, setting out requirements for the construction, installation,…

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…

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 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…

Descartes acquires Airclic

Vertically-Focused Mobile Capabilities to Strengthen Descartes’ Fleet Management Platform Descartes Systems Group has acquired Airclic, a leading provider of mobile solutions that reduce the cost of…

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…