Wincanton in time trouble
Page 7
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II by Michael Jewell
The alleged belief of the Wincanton managers responsible for a contract with Avonmore Dairies that no drivers' hours rules applied because the carriage of raw milk was exempt from tachographs has been described as ''mind boggling" by the company's solicitor. Geoffrey Jones.
Wincanton was appearing at a Birmingham disciplinary inquiry. Traffic Commissioner David Dixon was considering action against the company's West Midland licence for 694 vehicles and 1,0213 trailers.
In January Wincanton was fined 129,200 and ordered to pay £1,465 costs by Walsall magistrates after it admitted allowing 12 drivers to exceed the permitted 11-hour day under the domestic drivers' hours rules (CM 28 Jan-3 Feb).
The IC will give his decision in writing at a later date.
Jones suggested that the incident should be looked at in the context of the company's blameless record and the fact that it involved a fraction of the total operation. Wincanton's 14 other raw milk contracts were being operated in accordance with the law, he added.
Wincanton found it hard to credit that because the collection of raw milk was tachograph exempt. the three managers, supervisor Frank Lakin, transport manager John Sandy and regional contracts manager Mike Flavell, considered that the drivers' hours rules didn't apply. Whatever they might have believed, the re-issue of the drivers' handbook in September 1997 would have disabused them.
The company was satisfied that Flavell issued these guides to all drivers except those on the Avonmore contract.
All three of the managers concerned have since been dismissed by Wincanton.
Divisional managing director Ernest Zeida said Wincanton already had very robust procedures in place. He concluded that the company had learnt lessons and tightened controls evert further.