Tag Archives: Traffic Commissioner
Do I Need a Transport Manager?
Who needs a Transport Manager? A transport manager is necessary if you hold a Standard National or Standard International Operator’s Licence. This is because there is a requirement to show professional competence for both types of licence. This is the same for both goods vehicles and passenger carrying vehicles, regardless […]
Continuation Fees: A Stupid Way to Lose Your Operator’s Licence
Those of you who have glanced at their Operator’s Licence might have noticed that there is a review date five years after the grant of the Licence. In order to continue the licence after that date the Operator must pay a continuation fee for the licence to continue. The Office […]
An Unforeseen Consequence of Being Your Own Transport Manager
If you hold an operator’s licence, there can be a number of advantages to being your own Transport Manager: You save a wage that you would otherwise have to pay. You can keep a proper overview of your drivers and their adherence to their drivers’ hours, working time and continuing […]
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: […]
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 […]
AdBlue Cheats Face Loss of Operator’s Licence
What is Adblue? You may well have seen containers of Adblue at service stations and wondered what they were for. When a diesel engine burns diesel, a number of polluting compounds and chemicals are emitted out of the exhaust pipe and into the atmosphere. Nitrogen Oxide and Nitrogen Dioxide are […]
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. […]
The Risks of Running a Restricted Operator’s Licence – How to Preserve your Licence and Protect your Business
You might think Restricted Licences are pretty cool: They allow you to operate with half the financial standing of a Standard National Licence and you are not put to the expense and bother of employing a Transport Manager. What’s not to like? Actually, quite a lot. The Traffic Commissioner […]
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 […]
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 […]