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Drivers' hours and report defects see licence cut
Page 25
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Perthshire timDer haulier has nad its Operator's Licence cut from six vehicles to two for a fortnight following drivers' hours offences and maintenance problems.
Partners Ian and Irene Forbes, trading as Ian M Forbes of Main Road, Aberuthven, had been called before the Scottish Deputy Traffic Commissioner Richard McFarlane at a Dundee disciplinary inquiry.
Vehicle examiner Neil McPherson said that last September he had attended an accident involving one of the firm's trucks. It had overturned on a slip road flyover to the M90 and shed its load onto the motorway. He issued a delayed prohibition because of longterm wear on the trailer's shock absorber mountings.
McPherson said that a vehicle and trailer subsequently inspected at the firm's premises were satisfactory. However, the driver defect reporting system was not always used and there were few defect reports available. Over the last five years, one immediate and one delayed prohibition had been issued. The initial failure rate at annual test was 14%.
Traffic examiner John Harvey said that a check on the firm's tachograph records in February 2001 had revealed many shortcomings in drivers' hours. Ian Forbes was told there would be a follow-up investigation.
An analysis of 354 tachograph charts carried out in October revealed 49 drivers' hours offences. Two vehicles had been driven at excessive speeds and, on several charts relating to one of those vehicles, full-scale deflections of the speed stylus were detected.
Forbes said that he could not understand the recorded high speeds of two of the vehicles. Volvo had fitted them with speed limiters and they had not been touched since. He suggested that when travelling loaded, the vehicles over-ran the speed limiters. The full-scale deflections had been caused by a faulty starter motor which, when turned over, drained the current from other electrical items in the vehicle.
The firm's vehicles were involved in a lot of off-road driving but he had now introduced sheets on which such driving was recorded.
The DTC said that the firm's standard of maintenance was reasonably satisfactory but record-keeping had been lax. Forbes had probably been working so hard checking tachograph charts that other parts of his role as transport manager had not received adequate attention. He had not ensured that the drivers employed by the firm had sufficient knowledge of the drivers' hours rules.