An AA poll in October 2020 revealed that half of all drivers are now doing fewer miles than they were before the pandemic. Now that schools are opening again, and non-essential businesses won’t be far behind them, you may need to use the car more often. But, vehicles that have not been used frequently can face some common problems with tyres, lights and screen wash. Many British drivers don’t have a basic knowledge of vehicle maintenance – or how to check their vehicle is safe. Research from Halfords estimates that millions of us cannot – or do not want to know how to – check straightforward f ..read more

Updated rules for 2020/2021 The latest MovinOn blog has confirmed that tyres over 10 years old on HGVs and PSVs will be banned. The legislation takes effect on 1 February 2021 and applies to any HGV or PSV tested at Authorised Testing Facilities (ATFs), as well as some vehicles in the MOT scheme (vehicles with more than 8 passenger seats that are not used commercially). Vehicles with tyres over 10 years old on the front axle (or on any single wheel for minibuses with 9-16 passenger seats) will fail their annual test. This also applies for vehicles that don’t have a legible date code displ ..read more

A heavy goods vehicle (HGV) daily walkaround check plays a significant role in ensuring road safety standards are upheld and vehicles are kept roadworthy.  They form part of the commitment that operators make to achieve their O Licence. Drivers are therefore legally required to complete a walkaround check on a daily basis before taking their vehicle on the road. In this comprehensive guide we will be outlining what a HGV daily walkaround check is, why they are so important to maintaining road safety and the availability of your fleet, and the options available to you to streamline your wa ..read more

The Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness is a DVSA (Driver Vehicle and Standards Agency) document curated for transport managers and fleet owners to inform them how to comply with safety legislation and keep commercial and passenger-carrying vehicles safe and roadworthy. Any updates to their guidance are of importance for operators, drivers and all those who are responsible for operating, maintaining or providing commercial goods and passenger-carrying vehicles.  As of 18th April 2023, there are a number of changes to the DVSA’s guide – failure to comply with these updates can result in a ..read more

Last year the DVSA released new guidance for Daily Walkaround Checks regarding bridge strikes and vehicle height. Now, The Office for the Traffic Commissioner (OTC) has released new guidance, advising operators to use route planning software in order to avoid low bridges. What happens when the vehicle is too high to safely pass under a bridge? Whether caused by a miscalculation or a lapse in judgement, attempting to pass a vehicle under a bridge that is too low can cause damage to both the bridge structure and the vehicle, including any passengers. This in turn leads to serious delay to rail s ..read more

We’ve all heard the age-old common excuses of ‘the dog ate my homework’, ‘I can’t get out because of the snow’ and ‘I’ve got one of those 24-hour bugs’’, but when it comes to ordering a replacement V5C document, UK citizens have been pulling out some particularly unique excuses.  The V5C, sometimes referred to as a Vehicle Log Book, is the document that states the current and previous registered owners of each individual vehicle.  Do you know where your V5C is? Sorry if that question sends you into panic (I’m pretty sure I know where mine is)… But, don’t worry too much as it is possi ..read more

The way we categorise vehicle defects is changing. From the 1st February 2021, there are a number of changes to vehicle defect categories in the DVSA’s guide to maintaining roadworthiness. The Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness is the DVSA (Driver Vehicle and Standards Agency) document for transport manages and fleet owners to understand how to comply with safety legislation and keep commercial and passenger-carrying vehicles safe and roadworthy. Learn more about what the guide to maintaining roadworhiness has to say about: Driver daily walkaround checks Regular and first-use checks Using el ..read more

Now that Road Safety Week (which ran from the 16th to 22nd November) has drawn to a close, now seems like a good time to reflect on the mission at the heart of this year’s campaign to “stop road deaths and injuries”. So how can the transport & logistics sector help to keep road users safe? The good news: Fewer commercial vehicles are involved in road accidents than ever before Statistics from the DfT (Department for Transport) show that commercial vehicles (buses/coaches, vans/light goods vehicles, and heavy goods vehicles) are now involved in less than 10% of personal injury road acc ..read more

Changes to EU drivers’ hours and tachograph rules EU rules on drivers’ hours and tachographs have changed, with the new guidelines that came into force on 20th August 2020. The Department for Transport (DfT) announced the changes earlier this month. The rules now include: A requirement for drivers to ‘return home’ every four weeks Drivers must return to either their employer’s operational centre or to their own home, for at least one of their regular weekly rest periods within each consecutive four-week period. Operators must also “document how it fulfils that obligation, and keep the doc ..read more