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Facing Court for Overloading Your Truck? 5 Things You Need to Know

Facing prosecution for driving or operating an overloaded goods vehicle? Received papers from the Magistrates Court? Unsure what you should do next? Here are 5 things you need to know:   1) Both the Driver and Operator can be Charged It is not just the driver of an overloaded vehicle […]

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Smoking in Trucks: What the Law Says

  HGV operators face fixed penalties for failing to stamp down on smoking. The law on smoking in commercial vehicles is very detailed, yet surprisingly poorly understood. We take a quick look at 3 of the main smoking-related criminal offences that all operators and drivers must be aware of:   […]

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How Safe is the Food in your Fridge?

  Guest Article:  By Rob Hardy, Operations Director and BREXIT Consultant at Oakland Invicta Ltd https://www.contaminatedload.com/, 44 (0)7487 256 543       The Calais migrant situation started 20 years ago. It reached its peak in 2016 when there were around 10,000 migrants at the infamous Calais Jungle.  The shanty town has gone but the risk […]

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5 Entirely Avoidable Mistakes Made by Too Many HGV Operators

  We take a quick look at 5 of the most common, but entirely avoidable, mistakes made by far too many HGV operators. This list has been compiled by the transport lawyers at specialist road transport law firm Smith Bowyer Clarke:   1. Trusting Your Drivers Too Much In a […]

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The Dangers of Not Carrying Out Regular Driver Licence Checks

Be honest – how often do you check the licences of your drivers for any endorsements? Once every 6 months? Once a year? Never?   Whether you are a goods or PSV operator, if the answer to any of the above is “yes”, you are running a very big risk. […]

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School Minibuses & Section 19 Permits – Am I Legal?

  Operating school minibuses under a Section 19 Permit can be a heavy responsibility. Unless you have a background in the transport industry, it is unlikely that you will have much experience in navigating the often complex legal regulations that govern the operation of school minibuses. When the safety of […]

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What Type of PSV Licence do I Need?

  Every year hundreds of Public Service Vehicle (PSV) operators are called to Public Inquiry with the Traffic Commissioner. A great many of these relate to the improper use of a restricted operator’s licence. An operator running PSVs under an incorrect licence can quickly find that licence revoked. It is […]

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HGV Driver Caught Speeding? – 5 Things You Need to Know

Every driver knows that exceeding the speed limit is a criminal offence which can lead to penalty points, a fine and a driving ban. For truck drivers however, the position is even more serious. If you are caught speeding and hold an HGV drivers’ licence you can expect to face […]

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ADR and Dangerous Loads – 5 Quick and Easy Ways to Fall Foul of the Rules

  What is ADR? ADR (Accord Dangereux Routier) is the European Agreement which sets out the rules governing the movement by road of dangerous goods throughout the EU. They are very strict and exist to protect the public, drivers and the environment from the harmful effect of dangerous substances. It’s […]

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Tachograph Offences, Drivers’ Hours and Card-Pulling: An Essential Guide for HGV and PSV Drivers

  For many years the tachograph system has been central to the European haulage industry. Without it, the enforcement agencies (DVSA / police / Office of the Traffic Commissioner) would have no reliable or practical way of policing the rules on working time and drivers’ hours.   But what happens […]

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