Driving suspension for operator who repeatedly breached drivers' hours rules

The owner of a skip hire firm has been suspended from truck driving for a month after he repeatedly drove for longer than four-and-a-half hours without a break.

John Woodward, owner and transport manager at Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire-based Recycle London, told DVSA officers that he was too busy running his company to check drivers’ hours records.

The business had its O-licence revoked and Woodward was suspended from driving commercial vehicles until 6 April.

When his truck was stopped in July last year, the DVSA found Woodward had driven for more than the legal limit on 13 occasions and had failed to download both the vehicle tachograph unit and his own driver card.

Woodward admitted he had limited knowledge of the drivers’ hours rules.

At a public inquiry last month, he told East of England traffic commissioner (TC) Richard Turfitt he had attended a drivers’ hours and tachograph training course after being stopped by the DVSA. However, the TC noted that the course had failed to improve his knowledge and offending had continued.

Shortcomings in the operator’s vehicle maintenance paperwork, including preventative maintenance inspections and driver defect reports, were also discovered by the TC.

The operator was unable to demonstrate it had the financial standing for the one vehicle it was authorised to run on its O-licence. However, Woodward said the business had stopped operating in December.