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Licence halved as transport manager loses his repute

5th July 2007, Page 35
5th July 2007
Page 35
Page 35, 5th July 2007 — Licence halved as transport manager loses his repute
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A haulier suffering from a string of problems is called before the Deputy Traffic Commissioner. Mike Jewell reports.

OLDBURY-BASED Derek Greenhill has had his 0-licence halved and lost his repute as a transport manager following a string of vehicle maintenance, drivers' hours and tachograph problems.

Greenhill, trading as UK Express Systems, had been called before West Midland Deputy Traffic Commissioner Roger Seymour, who cut Greenhill's licence from six vehicles and one trailer to three vehicles and one trailer, and suspended his LGV driving licence for seven days.

Vehicle examiner Austin Jones said he had examined three of the four vehicles in use, and issued a delayed prohibition and three defect notices. Inspection records were not satisfactorily completed and there was a 79% failure rate at annual test. In the past five years, four immediate and five delayed prohibitions had been issued, two of which were S-marked (for a serious lapse in maintenance). Systems were in place, hut there seemed to be a lack of management and quality.

Traffic examiner Robert Lees said that after a vehicle was stopped and the driver was found to have committed three 41/2-hour driving offences, an examination of the tachograph records for August revealed 1,871 kilometres were unaccounted for-11% of the total.There were 15 41/2-hour driving offences. Two of these had been committed by Greenhill, who had also driven a 38-tonne vehicle after his LGV entitlement had expired three years earlier. He was subsequently prosecuted and ordered to pay .£1,098 in lines and costs.

It appeared that drivers were under pressure to complete collections and deliveries. One driver had said: "He thinks we've got wings."

Greenhill said a driver who had worked for him for 23 years looked after the tachograph records and safety inspection sheets. He did not have an answer as to why there were missing charts; he was sure they would have been handed in.

Greenhill said he tended to rely upon drivers to know the law and comply with it. His own 41/2-hour driving offences were due to miscalculations. He had taken on a woman who was being trained to check the tachograph charts, which were now serially numbered.

He added that maintenance was now contracted out, he had never had a reminder about his LGV driving licence, and had purchased weigh pads following two overloading convictions. He gave a number of undertakings, some in relation to his maintenance arrangements and the production of a written disciplinary code.

Giving Greenhill three months to appoint a transport manager, the Deputy TC said it meant he would take on additional help in an area where he "desperately needed it". •


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