Blog articles about Compliance
Are HGV roadside safety inspections becoming a rarity?
According to the union Unite driver vehicle safety checks are “vanishingly rare” on UK roads. A freedom of information request showed there were 114,653 on-the-spot inspections…
Shocking footage of a driver falling asleep at the wheel of a HGV travelling on the M5 in November was recently posted on YouTube. Driver fatigue…
All hand-held phone use to be illegal in 2022
The Government is closing loopholes in the use of mobile phones making it illegal to use a hand-held device under virtually any circumstance while driving. It…
Factors to consider when choosing your compliance management software supplier
Today tachograph analysis software has become a commodity available from a number of suppliers. With little real product differentiation between suppliers and competitive pricing from all…
Relaxation of enforcement of drivers’ hours extended again
The temporary relaxation of the enforcement of HGV drivers’ hours has been extended further as driver shortages continue to impact all sectors. The Department for…
The latest tachographs and telematics report from Commercial Motor and Motor Transport highlights the rate at which smart tachographs are being adopted and gives an insight…
Revised guidance on defect categories
The DVSA have updated their guidance on how defects in roadside checks are categorised. The amended rules came into effect from 1 February 2021. So, if…
97% of UK hauliers are not ready for 1 January 2021
A recent survey conducted early December with 6,000 hauliers revealed just 3% are totally prepared for new UK-EU trading arrangements. 84% require more clarity on border…
Is your HGV ready to cross the border?
From 1 January 2021 Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) over 7.5 tonnes travelling from Great Britain to the EU must obtain an electronic Kent Access Permit before…
Is this the worst case of breaching drivers’ hours rules?
A Glasgow operator has been disqualified and had his licence revoked after a traffic commissioner heard about “the worst case of breaching the drivers’ hours rules”…
Tachograph Roadside checks on the rise – Act now
There have been reports recently that the DVSA is ramping up their roadside checks. With this increased enforcement activity operators should ensure that their management of…
Maintain a compliant and safe road transport operation with COVID-19 restrictions
As a road transport operator, the current situation with COVID-19 and restrictions with social distancing present significant challenges. Some operators will be experiencing a slowdown in…
Traffic Commissioners highlight the importance of managing your drivers
In their most recent Annual Report, the Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain highlighted the importance of managing professional drivers. This includes regularly examining a driver’s licence,…
Licence revoked for failure to record drivers’ hours
An operator with 10 heavy goods vehicles had its licence revoked due to “an almost wholesale abrogation” of its responsibilities to ensure drivers hours and tachograph…
1 in 5 drivers exceed drivers’ hours limits
A recent article in Commercial Fleet reported that according to research carried out by a Fleet Management Software supplier that 22% of commercial drivers in the…
Is it time to regulate 3.5t vans with tachographs?
With over 4.3 million licensed 3.5t vans compared to around 600,000 licensed HGV’s on our roads is it time for van drivers to be regulated in…
Traffic Commissioners Annual report 2018 to 2019
The annual report from the Traffic Commissioners office provides information on all the major aspects of their regulatory and judicial role. The 2018 to 2019 report…
The benefits of joining up data in road transport operations
For too long data in many road transport operations has been isolated and burdened by inefficient data-gathering methods. Valuable information is kept out of the hands…
What are the top 5 prosecuted offences for HGV operators?
Statistics published by the DVSA (Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency) for FY 2017-18 shows that drivers’ hours and tachograph records offences are still the most common…
Guidance for Traffic Commissioners on the role and responsibilities of the Transport Manager
The Senior Traffic Commissioner issued updated guidance at the end of 2018 on the role of the transport manager and what it means to be competent…
DVSA’s Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness updated
The DVSA’s guide to maintaining a roadworthy fleet has been updated and published on Gov.UK. The guide provides a useful reference on how to keep heavy…
Drivers’ hours law and tachographs post Brexit
With the UK leaving the EU at the end of March 2019 now only 5 months away, many operators are asking what this means for drivers’…
Traffic Commissioners Annual Report 2017-18
The annual report for 2017 to March 31st 2018 provides information on major aspects of the Traffic Commissioners’ judicial, regulatory and administrative roles. As independent regulators…
Banned for 8 years for pretending to have a Transport Manager
The Office of the Traffic Commissioner revealed that a coach operator who failed to tell them that they didn’t have a Transport manager was banned from…
DVLA guidance for professional drivers
The DVLA leaflets for Large Goods Vehicles (LGV) and Passenger Carrying Vehicles (PCV) drivers provide useful guidance for new drivers and are a good reminder for…
Setting the standard with DVSA’s Earned Recognition
According to a recent article in Commercial Fleet the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) believes the Earned Recognition scheme could set the standard and become…
How do you know if a new job will cause a drivers’ hours infringement?
A customer asked me recently if there was a tool from Descartes that allows them to pre-empt any potential drivers’ hours issues when they look to…
Are tachographs coming to vans to manage drivers’ hours?
In an attempt to regulate drivers’ hours of smaller commercial vehicles, proposals from members of the European Parliament’s transport committee would like to see all vans have…
Are HGV drivers the worst offenders for not wearing a seatbelt?
According to the results of a recent police operation in Suffolk evidence suggests they are! Police in Suffolk issued over 200 Traffic Offence Reports (TORs) after…
Record number of drivers sent for retraining
In 2017 a record number of over 1.4 million drivers were sent to offender retraining courses by the police. This includes more than one million caught…
Is it time to close volumetric drivers’ hours loophole?
The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has called for action to regulate volumetric concrete mixers – some of the largest vehicles on the roads. Volumetric concrete mixers…
Everything you wanted to know about the DVSA’s Earned Recognition Pilot
The DVSA’s Earned Recognition Pilot inviting road transport operators to share maintenance and tachograph data will help the authorities focus their efforts on non-compliant operators. The…
Compliance concerns will impact your growth plans
Cases on non-compliance can not only affect your business now but can also have a detrimental impact on your future growth plans as a recent case…
What does it take to be a transport manager?
The position of transport manager is a vital one for all transport operators regardless of size. Transport managers need to have good repute and be professionally…
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.…
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…
The DVSA published their first Annual Review to promote what it is most proud of from 2016/17 and highlight some of work they will be doing in…
Tachograph download and ransomware protection
The recent ransomware attacks highlight the potential risk to corporate networks. The simple process of collecting and uploading digital tachograph data create touch points for files…
The DVSA recently published it’s 5-year strategy and business plan to improve road safety, user experience and value for money. The DVSA’s purpose is to help…
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…
HGV Operators Licence revoked by TC
A livestock haulier in Meiford will have their HGV operator’s licence revoked from May 1 2017 following a public inquiry where the Traffic Commissioner for Wales Nick…
One in eight transport operators pose a risk to other road users
A recent BBC News item highlighted that according to the DVSA around 10,000 haulage operators (one in eight) pose a risk to other road users by…
Operators Compliance Risk Score (OCRS) explained
The Operators Compliance Risk Score (OCRS) is used by the DVSA to decide which vehicles should be stopped and inspected. OCRS is used to calculate the risk…
The cost of running un-roadworthy vehicles
West Midlands Traffic Commissioner Nick Denton, banned a plant and tool hire firm from operating HGVs for 12 months after describing its vehicle maintenance procedures as…
Miss the delivery or exceed drivers’ hours?
The recent case reported in Commercial Motor of three delivery drivers being prosecuted after they were found guilty of falsifying tachograph records reinforces the need for…
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…
Failure to stop leads to driving licence suspension
The DVSA works to protect road users from unsafe vehicles and drivers. Every day you will probably see DVSA officers and examiners carrying out checks on…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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. …
How many hours should a Transport Manager work?
It all depends on the size of the fleet! The role of Transport manager is extremely important to any road transport operator and they must be…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
New to digital tachographs – What are the driver’s and operator’s basic responsibilities?
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) have reported that some transport operators have been using vehicles fitted with digital tachographs, but with no idea on…
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…
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…
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