White Arrow targets trucker's mate scam
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• by Pete Swing,ler A leading haulier asked the Vehicle Inspectorate to carry out an investigation after suspecting that 16 of its drivers were taking part in a "trucker's mate" tachograph scam.
Five of the drivers employed by White Arrow Express of The Tything, Worcester appeared before Droitwich magistrates last week to answer 12 charges of making false entries on tachograph charts, They had pretended to share their driving time with their mates to give the impression that they were taking the statutory 46min break every 4( hours, said Elizabeth Jack, prosecuting for the Vehicle Inspectorate.
Tut the drivers' mates had been authorised by White Arrow only to help the drivers load and unload and not drive—and they did not have drivers' licences anyway," she added. in fact it was the actual drivers who did all the driving."
Jack said that tachograph records for last May were examined by VI officials last June after they were called in by White Arrow. It was discovered that false entries had been made on the sheets.
She said the drivers' mates admitted they were not licensed to drive and had not driven; instead the drivers concerned had driven all the time to avoid taking the statutory breaks, presumably to finish early.
Alan Coombes, Scott Lloyd, Kim Millward and Adrian Poole, all of Worcester, and Stephen Pressman, of Droitwich, were fined 21,000 between them with 2,420 costs after they admitted the charges.
Similar charges against 11 other White Arrow drivers will be heard by Worcester magistrates on 3 July.