Licence trimmed for prohibitions
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A West Yorkshire tipper operator has had its licence cut by two vehicles following overloading and maintenance problems. Morley-based Mone Bros (Excavations), which held a licence for 20 vehicles and one trailer, appeared before North Eastern Traffic Commissioner Tom Macartney at a Leeds disciplinary inquiry.
Vehicle examiner Geoffrey Hale reported that nine prohibition notices had been issued to the company's vehicles in the past five years. He examined three vehicles during a maintenance investigation in April, issuing one delayed prohibition for a cut tyre.
The inspection records for one vehicle were incomplete, with no records for 16 weeks. However, job sheets and records indicated that work had been carried out on the vehicle. Hale accepted that there was going to be considerable tyre damage due to the type of work.
Representing Mone, David Chant said the firm, which was operating nine vehicles and one trailer, was employing an RHA-approved consultant engineer to carry out staff training and audit inspections of two vehicles every quarter.
Director Philip More said there had been many changes in the fitting staff and he had more confidence in the current principal fitter.
He had been told that inspection records had been completed for the vehicle with the 16-week gap, but that they had gone missing. Vehicles were examined every night.
The company had its own tyre store and tyres were constantly being checked.
Questioned about several overloading incidents, Mane told the hearing that carrying different types of material sometimes confused the drivers. The weather was also a factor as heavy rain could add 20% to the weight of a load.
Every wagon was equipped with a weight gauge and canopies to secure and protect loads, he added; weighbridges had been installed at all their landfill sites.