Liverpool-based Armet Logistics has been hit with fines and costs totalling £14,100 for tachograph offences. Armet pleaded guilty at Liverpool Magistrates Court to one offence of failing to produce charts and ten of using vehicles when drivers failed to use a tachograph.
It was heard that a traffic examiner requested six months worth of tachograph charts in September 2006, which revealed an initial shortfall of 67,000km. A further 26,000km worth of charts were found but the rest were never produced, although analysis showed half of them existed.
Mileages missing off the charts were often modest but timesheets and gatehouse records showed the duty time omitted from the records was substantial. In almost every case the drivers had not taken a full daily rest before setting out again.
The company argued the initial missing 67,000km represented 3% of the total and it was claimed there was no significant excess driving. It said a training manager had now been appointed. Drivers had received disciplinary action for breaches of tachograph chart analysis and one driver had been sacked.
