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Transport managers need to be prepared for Earned Recognition
According to figures reported in Transport Engineer over 1 in 4 road transport professionals do not have the necessary systems or technology in place to be…
Get your tickets now for the BIFA Awards
Tickets for the 28th annual British International Freight Association (BIFA) Freight Service Awards ceremony luncheon to be held at The Brewery, London on Thursday 19th January…
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’…
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…
Is it time to extend the use of Digital Tachographs?
Following the recent news reported in the BBC concerning delivery drivers working excessive hours is it time to extend the use of digital tachograph technology to…
DfT publishes evaluation of increased HGV speed limits
The Department for Transport has published its first-year evaluation of a three-year study following the HGV speed limit increase in April 2015 to 50 mph on…
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 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…
Perspectives from leading retailers on home delivery success
New ebook: 2016 Home Delivery Benchmark Study Home delivery continues to challenge retailers as they seek to meet the expectations of customers, manage costs and exploit opportunities…
Descartes sponsors Extra Mile category of BIFA Freight Service Awards
Just one week left to register for the BIFA Freight Service Awards 2016. Descartes is sponsoring the Extra Mile category of the BIFA Freight Service Awards, an…
Is technology the enabler for “Earned Recognition”?
The DVSA has announced its plans to launch its earned recognition scheme in early 2017, rewarding operators with fewer compliance checks in return for access to their compliance data, which will help…
£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…
Gwent Police targeting HGV driving offences
Operations by Gwent Police to crackdown on offending HGV drivers resulted in four vehicles being sized over four days. The Gwent force were seeking to reduce…
Driving Licence checks increase 30% over the last 12 months
According to Freedom of Information figures seen by the Association for Driving Licence Verification (ADLV), driving licence checks carried out by fleets have risen by 30.4% over…
Road transport operator infringement classifications
Road transport operators of all sizes need to comply with complex rules and regulations. However, infringements can happen. What do the authorities consider to be the most…
12 months ago we said goodbye to the paper counterpart … what does this mean for employers?
The paper driving licence counterpart was abolished in June 2015 as part of a Government initiative to cut red tape. All employers must ensure that anyone…
Be ready for Earned Recognition
The authorities want to focus on the seriously and serially non-compliant operators, however they have to do that within their resourcing limits. Following a trial in…
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…
DVSA continue to focus on non-compliant operators
The DVSA has recently published its plan for 2016. The agency wants to continue discussions on how to improve the service it provides to meet the…
Get your SmartAlerts on a new Smartwatch for free!
Descartes will be demonstrating the new SmartAlerts enhancement to Smartanalysis, the industry leading tachograph analysis software and SmartLicence, online driving licence verification, on Stand 4H20 at the…
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…
Would your drivers tell you about receiving points on their driving licence?
According to research conducted on behalf of RAC Insurance the answer is probably no as almost 9 out of 10 motorists would not tell their employer if…
£3000 fine for tachograph offences – £500 per drivers’ hours offence!
A Co Armagh heavy goods vehicle operator and his driver were both fined £1,500 at Armagh Magistrates’ Court today for tachograph irregularities following an investigation carried…
TISPOL warns of evolving Technology for tachograph fraud
According to TISPOL, The European Traffic Police Network, manipulation of digital tachograph systems is now becoming so sophisticated that it takes technical experts to uncover it. …
Introduction of the Smart Tachograph in the EU
Progress is being made on the introduction of the Smart Tachograph in the EU. The Regulation (EU) N°165/2014 adopted in February 2014 by the European Parliament…
Do you know what is expected of your Transport Manager in 2016?
The Senior Traffic Commissioner, Beverley Bell has recently outlined the responsibilities expected of Transport Managers and the hours they should work. The revised Senior Traffic Commissioner’s…
Why Transport Operators must adopt a “compliance first” approach
With the DVSA having announced its intent to focus on the worst offending transport operators, technology can help operators demonstrate that they are actively managing their compliance. Caroline…
Do you know the risk profile of your drivers?
While the abolition of the paper counterpart may be causing short term disruption for some, having the ability to automatically and routinely check drivers licence details…
Most people should be aware that using a mobile phone or any handheld device while driving is a criminal offence. However, it is surprising how many…
It’s been a year since the deadline for existing HGV drivers to complete their first block of 35 hours of Driver CPC training. Happy birthday Driver…
From container to customer, customer experience and compliance matters – Transforming customer experience and safeguarding compliance whilst increasing profitability – myth or new reality? Descartes SmartCompliance…
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…
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…
First corporate manslaughter driving case and new sentencing guidelines to come?
A crane hire company has become the first firm to be charged with corporate manslaughter after a company driver was killed. It is alleged that the…
A ‘dangerously incompetent’ Transport Manager will damage your business
A South Wales transport operator has had their licence curtailed after employing a “dangerously incompetent” Transport Manager. Traffic Commissioner for Wales, Nick Jones, said the directors…
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,…
82% unaware of corporate manslaughter legislation
Van fleet operators need to be made more aware of corporate manslaughter legislation and how it could apply if the working condition of their vehicles were…
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…
DVLA licence checking website crashes on day of launch
The DVLA’s new online system to check driving licences following the abolition of the paper counterpart crashed on the day of its launch yesterday. Users of…
HGV Operator investigated as unlicensed driver is sent to jail
Why operators need a robust process for verifying driving licence details. An investigation has been launched into the road haulage company which allegedly hired an unlicensed…
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…
Accidents on Motorways involving foreign HGVs up 14%
Collisions on motorways involving foreign HGVs have increased 14% since 2012 according to statistics from Accident Exchange. The M25 had more foreign HGV accidents than any…
New DVSA Guide to Load Security
Load security should be of primary concern for all commercial road transport operators. Effective load securing prevents goods from falling onto roads and ensures that the…
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…
Undercover police HGV film HGV driver offences
North Yorkshire Police officers driving an un-liveried HGV drove alongside HGVs and found that almost ten per cent of the HGV drivers observed were committing offences.…
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.…
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…
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…
What are the most common offences for HGV drivers? How might they be avoided? See below HGV drivers offences from 2013 vs 2014 in numbers. Download…
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…
Abolition of the photocard licence counterpart
What does this mean for employers of professional drivers? The Department for Transport is making an important change to driving licences that will impact HGV and…
Do we need more Police Officers dedicated to Traffic enforcement?
According to the RAC the number of Police Officers dedicated to enforcing traffic offences in England and Wales has been cut by 1,279 (23%) in the…
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…
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.…
Every winter, hundreds accidents involving Heavy Good Vehicles were due to snow and ice. Statistics, from the Department for Transport, show the risks of adverse weather…
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…
The dangers of untreated Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Syndrome (OSAS)
According to research published earlier in 2014 Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) affects 5% of the population, but is often undiagnosed. Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) is…
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…
Remote Enforcement – freeing up time to focus on the serious and serially non-compliant?
The DVSA’s Remote Enforcement trial based in the Western Traffic Area is now coming to an end. Remote Enforcement frees up resource to focus on serious…
HGV driver was unaware of lost licence!
HGV driver who had no licence was three times over drink-drive limit. This is a sad and unusual case of a HGV driver caught driving when…
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…
Suspended prison sentences for drivers convicted of tachograph fraud
Four drivers pleaded guilty and were convicted at Newry Crown Court in Northern Ireland for offences connected to fraud and forgery of tachograph records. Prison sentences…
Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) overview for HGV, bus and coach drivers
The deadline for HGV drivers with acquired rights to finish their first 35 hours of Driver CPC periodic training expired on 10 Sept 2014. Driver CPC…
Driver CPC on target – panic over?
It appears that the vast majority of drivers will have completed their 35 hours’ Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) training by the September 10 deadline.…
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…
Revised DVSA Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness
According to the VOSA Effectiveness Report in 2012/13, 144,472 mechanical checks were conducted resulting in 56,144 prohibitions (38.9%). The top prohibition defects include all the basics…
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…
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…
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…
Campaign for tougher sentences wins MP an award – What does this mean for professional drivers?
Richard Graham, MP was given a national road safety award by the charity Brake and Direct Line Group for his campaign for tougher sentences for disqualified,…
Who are the real beneficiaries from the HGV Road User Levy?
The Department for Transport (DfT) revealed that almost 150 fines were issued to road transport operators for not paying the HGV Road User Levy in the…
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…
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…
Illegal, annoying and dangerous – but we do it anyway!
According to research conducted for Halfords, 32% of motorists admit to making or receiving a call on a hand-held phone whilst driving. This is despite the…
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…
Conclusions from the Traffic Commissioners report for 2012/13
The TC recently published their report for road transport and it provides some interesting reading. The number of O-licences has fallen from 110,067 in 1999/2000 to…
Have your say on Government motoring agencies
The Transport Committee has launched an inquiry into the Government’s motoring agencies. The purpose of the inquiry is to look at the user experience when interacting…
Drivers’ hours prosecutions is the No1 offence in VOSA Effectiveness Report
VOSA has published their effectiveness report for 2012 to 2013. It contains data on HGV testing and enforcement activity, with details on volumes and outcomes for both. No…
The European Commission has launched a public consultation on Driver CPC to assess: how effective it is contribution to road safety what could improve its effectiveness The…
HGV Road User Levy Bill – 6% to pay more?
On Mon 18th July Stephen Hammond MP corrected a figure quoted in debating the HGV Road User Levy Bill, on Tuesday 23 October 2012 and Tuesday…
HGV Road User Levy Bill – 6% to pay more?
On Mon 18th July Stephen Hammond MP corrected a figure quoted in debating the HGV Road User Levy Bill, on Tuesday 23 October 2012 and Tuesday…
VOSA to step up targeted checks?
With the merger with the Driving Standards Agency ahead and recent comments from the Senior Traffic Commissioner it is interesting times for VOSA. Opinion on the…
Have your say on Driver CPC exemption proposals
The Driving Standards Agency wants to hear your views and has launched a consultation on the scope of Driver CPC (DCPC) exemptions. This includes taking vehicles…
VOSA has launched a consultation on proposals to change the fees for a range of services it carries out, including: Testing of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and…
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…
Loaning HGVs can be more expensive than you might think.
A farmer was recently fined £500 after he failed to produce tachograph charts for a HGV he loaned to a friend. The driver was also prosecuted…
There appears to be some confusion about towing trailers carring goods in coomercial transport and when you need to use a tachograph. It is your responsibility to ensure…
3 points and a fine for sneezing?
Driving with a cold or flu could be far more dangerous than you realise, accounting for 2,500 accidents per week in the winter months. According to…
Whilst 2012 was a challenging year for the entire UK commercial vehicle market, HGV registrations grew by 6.4% to 45,702 units in 2012. The lucky transport…
According to research from the retail consultancy Conlumino conducted on 30 December 59% of consumers expect to cut their spending in the next six months and…
3ppl increase in fuel duty cancelled – One small step for Road Transport Operators?
Road transport operators will be giving a cautious welcome to the cancellation of the 3p per litre fuel duty increase planned for January 2013. The Chancellor…
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…
Have your say on speed limits for HGVs
The maximum speed limit for HGVs over 7.5 tonnes on single carriageway roads is currently 40 miles per hour. Whilst the speed limit for smaller HGVs…
Hands free compliance – but is it safe?
Drivers making telephone calls using a hands-free kit are just as distracted as those on handheld devices according to research recently conducted by Which? Unsurprisingly they…
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…
Want to be left alone by VOSA? – IRTE Conference 13 Sept 2012
The IRTE Conference on 13 September 2012 at the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon focused on strategies for cost effective fleet management and operations. The conference included…
Foreign truck drivers to pay £10 a day to use British roads – Be careful what you wish for.
The Department for Transport have revealed plans for new legislation to charge foreign truck £10 a day to use British roads by 2015. The new Transport…
Driver CPC – Take advantage now.
Professional bus and coach drivers have 364 days left to complete their 35 hours of periodic training needed for their Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC). …
Government cut pump prices by 5p litre.
Unfortunately you need to live in France to be able to take advantage of this. But it does show that some countries recognise that the increasing…
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…
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