Martin Barnes Project manager Charles Gee and Co East Hunstpill, Somerset
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Barnes' recollection of the advent of the 48hour week was that drivers who regularly put in 53 to 54 hours a week suddenly had their workload and their income curtailed, through no fault of their own or their managers, and extra drivers were brought in to cover the gaps.
And the only reason the costs of compliance have not gone through the roof Is the rather loose and flexible interpretation of POAs.
Without that, Barnes believes, the working time regulations could have struck a fatal blow for many hauliers.
"Until somebody gets taken to court, we will never have a proper deflation of what a POA Ls," he says. "But without POAs, costs would have been driver up immeasurably. My one concern is if te unions decide they want to push for a redefinition of them. There's no way drivers will support them if they do. It would be like turkeys voting for Christmas.
"In my opinion, the working time regulations are the biggest waste of time to come out of the EU so far.
"It has had no benefits, no impact on road safety arid simply reduced the earning potential of drivers."