Sole trader Eric Shaw, who trades as Shaw’s Haulage, has had his O-licence revoked after he believed his transport manager qualification covered him for the Driver CPC.
The Leek, Staffordshire-based operator was stripped of his permission to run HGVs by West Midlands traffic commissioner (TC) Nick Jones in July.
He was also disqualified from holding an O-licence for six months and received a four-month suspension to his vocational driving licence. He must pass new CPC examinations if he wishes to re-enter the industry.
When a truck operated by Shaw was stopped by the DVSA in October 2015, the examiner found that its MoT test certificate had expired the previous July.
A drivers’ hours prohibition was also issued.
It transpired that Shaw was driving the truck despite not having passed his Driver CPC. He believed that as he had the transport manager qualification, which he had gained through acquired rights, he did not need to complete the Driver CPC.
The business, which was authorised to operate up to five vehicles and two trailers, also had an annual test failure rate that was three-times the national average.
Following a public inquiry in June, which Shaw did not attend, Jones said he ran the business with a degree of knowledge that fell “woefully below” the minimum level required of an operator and transport manager.
“A worrying feature is that someone who sets himself out as a transport manager did not appreciate the need for all vocational drivers to undertake the CPC modules as set out in law,” the TC added.
Shaw had attempted to surrender his O-licence and vocational driving licence before the hearing, but his application was refused because the TC considered the failings too serious to avoid sanction.
