Indefinite vehicle reduction for business which grew too quickly
Operator admits he spent too much time driving and not enough managing
Finding ways to grow your business is important to its future. Getting more work can help you to improve your operations, employ more staff and make investments.
Most operators, like you, make sure the right procedures are in place to manage this growth.
But some businesses don't adjust and that’s when compliance starts to suffer.
In a recent case, an operator told Traffic Commissioner Simon Evans that his business probably expanded too quickly.
He’d been in the industry most of his life and set up his own operation with a single vehicle, which he drove. This eventually grew to 4 vehicles, with a margin if needed.
So what happened?
- the operator spent too much time driving
- he was hands-off when it came to being a transport manager
- he didn’t pick up sub-standard work by his fitter quickly enough
- he wasn’t getting measured brake tests for vehicles
- two further MOT failures were recorded after the DVSA vehicle examiner’s visit
- there was a 100% prohibition rate on the licence
What did the traffic commissioner say?
Mr Evans said the operator had shown a high level of naivety and this was unacceptable, both as an operator and transport manager.
Although the business had no previous history at public inquiry, the TC told the owner that he needed to refresh his skills and show a much greater readiness to make hard decisions.
He reduced the operator’s licence from 5 to 3 vehicles indefinitely and said his repute as a transport manager was severely tarnished.
The operator agreed to an undertaking that he won’t drive for more than two days a week.
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