Which laws and best practices does a transport manager need to know?
Trucks and their drivers have the potential to cause harm if they are not operating within the law, and it is largely a transport manager’s role to ensure that everything has been done to keep trucks and drivers compliant and safe. Some of the key areas of law and best practices to be aware of are as follows:
Driving hours limits
One of the most common offences related to commercial drivers concerns the number of hours they work. There are strict laws in Great Britain that stipulate the maximum time a driver can be behind the wheel and the required break period before returning to work. This is to prevent drivers from becoming tired while driving, as tiredness can lead to drowsiness, loss of concentration, or loss of alertness. When this happens, a driver is likely no longer in full control of a vehicle, the consequences of which can be deadly.
Drivers of any goods vehicles weighing over 3.5 tonnes must not be behind the wheel for more than 9 hours in any given day, although this can be increased to 10 hours twice a week if consent is given by the driver.
This means that no more than 56 hours of driving should be completed in a week, and in any consecutive two-week period, no more than 90 driving hours can be logged. Drivers must also take at least 11 hours rest per day, which can be split into 2 periods, including a 45-minute rest period when they have been behind the wheel for 4.5 hours. All of this information should be recorded in a tachograph, which is located in the cab of a vehicle.
As a transport manager, you need to be aware of how long each of your drivers is on the road for and must ensure that they are taking the appropriate breaks. This will involve reviewing routes and ensuring that realistic deadlines have been set, so that drivers do not feel pressured to break the rules.
Safety features
There are a number of safety features that every lorry should have, which every driver should make use of. These include:
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seatbelts, which should be worn at all times
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a hands-free mobile phone set up, and
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a range of warning sensors and alarms
These are all to ensure that everyone on the road is safe. Failing to use these features when necessary can constitute a breach of the law and lead to accidents, as well as the imposition of penalty points and fines. As a transport manager, it is essential to ensure that every cab is equipped with the correct equipment and that this equipment is properly checked and maintained.
Drivers’ licences
Many drivers on the roads are found to be driving without the correct licence or with one that has expired. When you recruit a new driver, it is up to you to ensure that they have all of the correct licences in place and to make a note of any expiry dates. When a licence is due to expire, you should contact the driver concerned and get a copy of the new one when it arrives. Without a proper and valid licence, you cannot allow them to drive for you.
Speeding laws
Speeding is often thought of as a fairly minor offence, but it can be extremely dangerous, especially in a truck. It is essential that you ensure your drivers understand the importance of adhering to speed limits.
When planning routes, it is now possible to view the speed limits of roads, allowing you to plan effective journey times and ensure that your drivers are aware of any changes that might catch them unawares.
Restrictions for clean air zones
Clean air zones and ultra-clean air zones are being set up in various cities across the country to try to reduce emissions in particular areas. This puts restrictions on vehicles of certain sizes, fuel types, and ages, so you need to be aware of how your vehicles fit into this. You should then help your drivers plan alternative routes where possible, organise relevant permits, or pay the penalties that are incurred.
Vehicle maintenance requirements
Many problems arise from trucks that have not been properly maintained. It is your job as a transport manager to ensure all vehicles are regularly inspected and, if they’re not up to standard, taken off the road until they are once more up to safe and legal standards.
Staying on top of changes
Understanding the rules when you first take on transport manager duties is one thing, but laws can change, and new restrictions or guidelines can be brought in at any time.
If you’re the transport manager of a business, it is important that you know what these changes are and understand all of the implications that they might have for your business. Some of these might be applicable across the country, or they might only apply in certain areas, so you need to work out which drivers and routes are most likely to be affected by any given changes.
Once you have come to grips with a legal change, it is your responsibility to ensure that any necessary alterations to vehicles, rules, or processes are implemented to comply with the change. This should start with a process of education and training to ensure that your drivers and anyone else within the business who might be affected are fully aware of the changes.
You may need to update paperwork, make adjustments to your vehicles, or allocate funds for additional costs to ensure that everyone in the fleet complies with the new rules as soon as they take effect. In the eyes of the law, ignorance is not a defence, so you need to keep yourself informed.
A transport manager’s role
Whilst you cannot control what a driver does behind the wheel, you can ensure that all necessary measures have been taken to keep your drivers and their vehicles safely within the law.
To learn more about keeping safe on the roads, read Rocket Lawyer’s guide on Road traffic offences. If you have any questions about legal issues related to trucks and transport, you can Ask a lawyer for assistance.
