“It was a difficult time, potentially devastating. But now we have greater confidence and knowledge.”
For Steve and Carol who run a small Oxfordshire haulage business, it was daunting enough just to have the DVSA turn up and do an inspection. But when that visit generated a report to the Traffic Commissioner, and subsequent Public Inquiry appearance, livelihoods were suddenly on the line.
Hindsight’s a powerful thing. It’s an old cliché but still holds true, and one that I see time and time again in my work with transport operators.
For example, I recently spent a day with a client. They’re a lovely couple who are unfortunately now facing the possibility of losing their Operator's Licence, and with it their business and livelihood. “If only we had come to you a year ago,” they told me. “We didn’t know there were people like you out there.”
Driver management is a headache for many Transport Managers and operators.
And this is why.
On the one hand, the Traffic Commissioner requires them to actively manage drivers to ensure they comply with the regulations (driver hours, tachographs and working time) and, if they don’t, discipline and possibly dismiss them.
With a police-backed initiative launching this week, if ever there was a time to ask the question it’s now.
With environmental issues high on the agenda, the quality of the air we breathe - particularly in our towns and cities - has quite rightly come under scrutiny. But in a bid to address pollution, have some basic economic principles been overlooked that could undermine progress?
“Driver CPC is a waste of time and money.”
“I’ve been driving for 30 years – there’s nothing you can teach me.”
Too often the answer is no. A case in point was a small operator I audited this week who operated 3, 44-ton tractor units for major container companies. The owner had been driving one of the vehicles as well as undertaking minor repairs on the vehicle following safety inspections.
The conviction and imprisonment of Matthew Gordon, the owner of the business in the Bath lorry trial was just the late confirmation that directors are personally legally responsible for the Operators Licence and the safe operation of the vehicles in a similar way the breach of Health & Safety regulations has been for many years.
We have just been informed about a Scaffolder who operates in Dorset who has been fined £100 for operating a scaffolding vehicle with an open back (no tail gate).
The DVSA has updated their guide to load securing: vehicle operator guidance on (7/7/15) See below. It is important that Scaffolders review their systems to ensure they comply
I have just completed some research for a client regarding the situation in France and whether it applied to the UK. As can be seen from the FTA and the IRU (International Road Freight Union) announcements detailed below it only “applies” to France and it is questionable whether they are acting legally. We will be watching development with interest.
Ian Dodd
Managing Director and Principal Consultant
