https://reddit.com/link/1t6i5jv/video/i0im94yu7rzg1/player
Been looking through DVSA data and Traffic Commissioner reports lately. Same patterns keep coming up.
Thought I'd share what I'm seeing – and would love to know what you're seeing on the ground.
The usual suspects:
- 4.5 hour rule – still catching people out. No, "I couldn't find parking" isn't an excuse they accept.
- 90 hour rolling period – loads of people still think it's Monday to Sunday. It's not. It's any two consecutive weeks.
- Reduced weekly rest – two in a row is an infringement. Three is a pattern. DVSA's algorithms will find it.
- Manual entries – forgetting to record other work (loading, yard moves, waiting around) is still an offence. Your card doesn't lie.
The one that's getting worse:
Third-party drivers. Agency drivers, subcontractors, mates helping out. Nobody checks their hours properly because "they're not our employee." Doesn't work like that. If they're driving under your operator licence, you're responsible.
What's actually working?
The operators staying out of trouble are doing weekly downloads (not monthly), looking for patterns (not just infringements), and having proper conversations with drivers about why hours are being broken – not just disciplining them afterwards.
Genuine question for anyone running fleet or driving trucks:
What's the biggest driver hours headache you're dealing with right now? Parking? unrealistic schedules? drivers pushing limits? Something else?
Not here to judge – just trying to understand what's actually happening on the road.