Fleet Compliance Tips for Keeping Your HGV Drivers Safe

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Mary Tinsley • Jan 05, 2018 • Fleet complianceHGV

Failures in fleet compliance are too big a risk to take, especially as problems can have a severe impact on your lead times, customer service expectations, delivery capacity and fuel costs.

In October, a road haulage company was fined £170,000 after a driver was fatally crushed between two vehicles.

On further investigation, it was discovered that the company had failed to implement a safe system of work which resulted in the frequent misuse of trailer parking brakes by drivers on site.

When it comes to HGVs, there are a number of requirements to follow to identify and manage risks, as well as ensuring that your drivers not only drive safely but do so as efficiently as possible. We explore them below.

Driver training

HGV drivers now need to do 35 hours of periodic training every 5 years to keep their Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC). Driver CPC is a set of standards established by the European Union to ensure all professional drivers are both competent and proficient. Drivers can be fined up to £1,000 if caught driving professionally without one.

Alcohol and drug testing

While you’d like to think that your drivers wouldn't put their lives, at risk, or indeed others, by coming into work under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you can never be too careful and may not be aware of the stress factors outside of work that could lead to this happening.


Therefore, the best thing for fleet managers to do is to implement a testing regime. This will avoid anyone under the influence getting behind the wheel and that they get the help they need.

Walkaround checks

It’s crucial for HGV drivers to do daily walk around checks of their vehicles before setting off. The majority of the faults at the roadside can easily be prevented if the driver had carried out their walkaround checks.

A simple fault such a defective tyre can easily be fixed but it’s much better to discover an unsafe tyre before you set off, rather than while driving at speed. Plus, a defective tyre could cost you three penalty points!

And it’s not just about making sure your vehicle is safe to drive before you set off, you should keep an eye on things during your journey too.

Accident procedures

No matter what policies and procedures you have in place, accidents can and do happen. The best thing you can do is to be prepared by creating a procedure for drivers to follow in the event of an accident. You should also ensure that every driver is aware of the accident procedure, such as hosting a training course on what they need to do in this kind of situation.

Weather warnings

Even the best laid plans can go out the window if the weather takes an unpleasant turn. Therefore drivers should stay appraised of up-to-date weather reports so they can assess whether changes need to made to the journey to keep road users safe. For example, in the case of  high winds, you may have to consider re-routing your HGVs away from open roads.

Telematics

Telematics and vehicle tracking systems can give you an advantage in terms of route planning and safety considerations. By collecting accurate data about the routes your drivers take, not only will you be able to find the quickest route, helping with efficiency and costs reductions, you’ll also be able to identify and resolve any safety concerns. For example, do your drivers have enough time to complete their journeys? Were they put under any necessary stress?

Ensuring your fleet performs to its optimum capabilities to achieve maximum profitability will undoubtedly be a top priority for all fleet managers. So if you want further expert guidance on how to ensure you are effectively managing your fleet risk, why not download, A Simple Guide to HGV Fleet Risk Management below?

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