The DVSA has abandoned plans to introduce one single fully digital maintenance reporting system for Earned recognition (ER) operators. The DVSA hope this will make Earned Recognition more attractive to new entrants. A requirement for ER members to supply fully digital maintenance key performance indicators was originally set for 1 April 2022, which would have meant operators supplying compliance data via a tablet, laptop or smartphone.

Operators can now choose the validated reporting methods best suited to their operation.

The DVSA said it had listened to the industry following consultation with ER members, operators outside the scheme, as well as IT suppliers. It believes the change would make it more accessible to hauliers of all sizes. Members will still require digital reporting systems for drivers’ hours and tachograph data and the performance standards they must meet remain unchanged.

Laura Great-Rex, DVSA head of enforcement relationship management, commented in Commercial Motor “We recognise that obstacles were preventing operators from joining the scheme, and have addressed them, making earned recognition more accessible. Our priority is ensuring safety and compliance on Britain’s roads. The more members of the earned recognition scheme we have, the more industry leaders we have demonstrating their exemplar safety standards on our roads. This transparency allows for our enforcement activity to be focused on the serially non-compliant operators, helping us better protect people from unsafe drivers and vehicles.”

Descartes is a validated IT Supplier for the drivers’ hours KPIs required for achieving Earned Recognition with the SmartAnalysis tachograph analysis solution.  Users of SmartAnalysis can use the Earned Recognition KPI report to see how they are doing before taking the required steps to achieve Earned Recognition.  The first company to achieve Earned Recognition, Staples Vegetables, did so with KPIs from SmartAnalysis, you can read about it here.