TC praises strength of Collett's PI defence
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Haulage boss was clearly able to prove that the company had introduced robust safety checks and systems.
A TRAFFIC Commissioner (TC) has praised a haulage MD for presenting "one of the best prepared cases" he has seen by an operator at a public inquiry (PI) for years-.
North-Eastern TC Tom Macartney described David Collett, who was representing his Halifax-based company Collett Transport (previously known as R Collett & Sons (Transport) Ltd) at a hearing in Leeds into maintenance matters, as having done "at least as good a jobas any professional transport advocate.
Macartney described Collett Transport as an -exemplary" firm and said he would take no action against it.
Michael Brown. VOSA vehicle examiner, told the hearing that his organisation began a maintenance investigation into the heavy haulage specialist in December 2009.
This was two months after a driver at Collett's picked up an S-marked prohibition, when his 44-tonne truck was found by a VOSA inspector to have a deep cut in one of its tyres.
The examiner added that Collett's had picked up 13 roadside prohibitions over a five-year period, with between one-third and a half of these "driver re porta hie-.
Collett told the hearing that the company has recently tweaked its new driver induction form so that defect reporting now forms part of the process.
The firm had also employed a consultant to improve its procedures governing driver vehicle checks, he added.
A new computer system introduced in April this year included a daily maintenance diary. This shows that a vehicle has been checked or is due to be checked. Collett added: "We have also introduced a first-time use inspection procedure for every trailer."
The TC told Collett: "ft is quite clear you have good systems in place and extensive in-house maintenance Macartney also told the hearing it was commonplace for hauliers due to attend PIs to receive approaches from up to 40 transport consultants offering to represent them, and that fees quoted can range between £1,850 and £3,500.
He added: "You have provided wellprepared bundles [of evidence], seven days in advance. We welcome operators who can come to a PI and represent themselves properly."