TC suspends drivers for tactic) luse-pulling
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Scottish DTC McFarlane suspended two drivers for 'fuse-pulling' but cleared their employer of any wrongdoing
rocier.hrowniarbi.co.uk SCO I' FISH DEPUTY Traffic Commissioner (DTC) Richard McFarlane has suspended two drivers for "fusepulling", but cleared their Aberdeenshire-based employer William J Will Transport of wrongdoing.
The DTC said sole trader William Will, of Insch,Aberdeenshire would not lose his repute but disqualified Darren McDonald from driving an HGV for six months and Phillip Andrew for four months.
VOSA conducted a tachograph chart investigation into the operator — authorised for three vehicles and five trailers, with two vehicles currently specified on the licence — for the period August to October 2008.
A public inquiry and driver conduct hearing in March heard evidence that Andrew had made live false records and failed to take sufficient daily rest on two occasions, while McDonald had made seven false records and failed to take sufficient daily rest on one occasion. Billy Will, the operator's son, was cleared of one allegation that he had created a false record relating to a journey on 21 August 2008. Andrew admitted that he had "pulled the fuse" on five occasions.
When asked by VOSA officer Dunlop if he had ever done anything to affect the correct recording of his tachograph, for instance pulling a fuse. Andrew replied: "Yes. You cannot hide it can you? Just to help myself out really."
McDonald admitted he had occasionally "pulled the fusebut that he had been under constant pressure from Will to complete jobs and there were continuing problems with tachograph batteries.
Will's established practice had been to analyse the charts with a hand-held device but he now realised this had not been "good enough".
He accepted he had previously provided no tachograph training for drivers but had assumed they knew what was required.
Will had received expert advice from training firm, Transport Training Scotland, and was now checking charts against fuel receipts.
McFarlane said he also believed Will had -addressed the shortcomings identified by VOSA in his systems".
He added: "I am satisfied that there was no culture of falsification of charts by drivers employed by the operator.
"Such activities are confined to drivers Andrew and McDonald and are not associated with his long-term and continuing employees."
The DTC stressed that "at no time during the course of the evidence" was "anything negative or untoward" suggested about Aberdeen-based ARR Craib Transport or their working relationship with Will, who was employed full-time in the Craib transport office.