Between two rocks
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Attempting to avoid the dangers of hijacking or illegal stowaways is understandably high on any driver's list of priorities, but is that a reasonable excuse for breath of drivers' hours regulations?
Norbert Dentressangle is now awaiting a decision by Eastern Traffic Commissioner Geoffrey Simms, who could suspend or even revoke its Eastern Area licence as a result of multiple drivers' hours and tachograph offences abroad. How much allowance he will make for the company's explanation about the dangers of travelling abroad and the large distances between suitable stopping places remains to be seen.
This is not the first time Commercial Motor has reported on a haulier who felt more or less obliged to break the hours law in order to avoid problems like this abroad, and it is clear even at this early stage of implementation of the new immigration legislation that hauliers are caught between a rock and a hard place in more ways than one.
Many might wish to see Norbert Dentressangle knocked back a step or two for competitive reasons, but if Simms does come down harshly on them it will bode ill for other international hauliers who will feel unable to avoid stopping by the clock, no matter how great the risk.
• The haulage industry is finally to have its say on the appeals procedure relating to fines for illegal stowaways. We hope the RHA and FTA will go in all guns blazing. However, since they're talking to the people who happily apply the current system and have rejected every appeal, we wonder if the URTU will indeed end up taking the matter to the European Court.