Are you worried about compliance?
Do you struggle to ensure you are running legally and following the DVSA Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness?
Transport Compliance – What is it and why is it so important as an HGV or PSV Operator in London?
As a London operator, compliance is essential. Your Operator’s License is granted based on the assurance given to the Traffic Commissioner that you will conduct your vehicles, fleet, and transport business safely, efficiently, and lawfully for all your HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicles) and PSVs (Public Service Vehicles).
As an Operator, you must adhere to your undertakings, which include (but are not limited to) –
- Maintaining all your vehicles in a roadworthy condition.
- Keeping accurate and up-to-date records.
- Ensuring all maintenance is scheduled and preventative, not reactive.
You must have regular inspections and a strong maintenance program to prevent mechanical failures and improve road safety. The DVSA Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness details what the DVSA expects. Beyond vehicle safety and record accuracy, drivers must be trained, competent, hold a valid CPC (Driver Certificate of Professional Competence), and attend refresher courses to stay current with legislation and best practices.
All London operators must ensure drivers comply with the Working Time Directive and drivers’ hours rules to prevent fatigue, keeping drivers alert and maintaining legal operation standards.
Get clarity on compliance now. Contact The Transport Consultancy in London, and we will relieve your pressure by putting the right processes in place to ensure safe, efficient, and legal operations.
What should London operators do to keep their HGV or PSV Operator’s License secure?
The Transport Consultancy is here to keep your London business safe and compliant, keeping you off the DVSA and Traffic Commissioner’s radar. The best first step is completing a compliance audit to assess your current compliance status and identify what needs to be done.
Why are regular compliance audits crucial for London HGV and PSV Operators?
A professional audit goes beyond checking compliance—it strengthens your entire London HGV/PSV operations. Key benefits include:
✅ Regulatory Compliance – Ensure your fleet meets all licensing, driver hours, tachograph, and roadworthiness requirements per the DVSA Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness for your trucks, coaches, minibuses, or limousines.
✅ Safety Assurance – Minimize risk and protect your drivers, passengers, and the public.
✅ Operational Efficiency – Optimize fuel use, route planning, and maintenance scheduling.
✅ Risk Management – Identify and resolve issues before they endanger your business or Operator License.
👉 Stay audit-ready—schedule your independent audit today.
Tachograph Analysis ensures driver hours and working time directives are strictly followed.
Failing to monitor tachographs properly can result in heavy fines, license loss, or prosecution.
Tachographs provide accurate records of drivers’ hours, rest periods, and vehicle use—critical for legal and safe operation in London. They also help monitor adherence to EU Drivers’ Hours Regulations and the Working Time Directive designed to prevent accidents.
Operators and Transport Managers must review, assess, and analyze tachograph data regularly to spot and correct breaches like excessive driving, insufficient breaks, or weekly driving limit violations.
DVSA roadside checks of tachographs can occur anytime; consistent data checks protect compliance and the operator’s license. Proper tachograph analysis improves scheduling, reduces risk, and safeguards drivers and the public.
Book a Tachograph Analysis Healthcheck with our experienced London consultants for full compliance advice and support.
Worried about DVSA Roadside Checks? Is your maintenance schedule updated?
As a London HGV or PSV Operator, you must maintain your vehicles with a 6-month maintenance planner to ensure inspection, servicing, and repairs happen regularly at pre-determined intervals (from 6-week PMI to 8 or 10-week checks). This licensing requirement keeps vehicles safe, roadworthy, and compliant with DVSA standards.
Having a robust maintenance plan provides visibility on upcoming safety inspections, MOTs, and service dates, helping allocate workshop time, efficiently manage resources, and avoid missed deadlines. It also documents compliance for enforcement officers.
DVSA can inspect your maintenance planner and records anytime at your operating center, so a strong system preserves your peace of mind.
Advance six months ahead to identify issues early, minimize downtime, and prevent costly repairs or compliance failures—supporting continuous compliance and protecting your license.
Need help setting up your maintenance planner? Book a Maintenance Planning Session with us to receive a custom planner and detailed guidance tailored for London operators.
We ensure your maintenance records are complete and provide a strategic schedule to maintain roadworthiness and safety, protecting your Operator’s License.
Avoid the stress of a DVSA Desk-Based Assessment (DBA)
Having the right tools and processes in place for your London HGV and PSV operations reduces the chance of a DVSA DBA. Such assessments review your records, compliance systems, and operational procedures, and failure can lead to fines, warnings, or license suspension.
Stay compliant from the start with a proactive independent transport audit. It will identify gaps in driver compliance, vehicle maintenance, record-keeping, and transport management. Then, we assist in implementing the right tools to ensure safe, efficient, and legal operations—covering all aspects of compliance per the DVSA Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness.
Our consultants review:
- Incomplete or inconsistent records such as tachograph, driver hours, vehicle maintenance, or accident reports.
- Previous DVSA or Traffic Commissioner enforcement actions.
- Operator License applications or renewals and readiness for assessments.
- Driver management issues like repeated hours breaches or tachograph irregularities.
- Complaints or reports concerning vehicle safety or driver behavior.
- Risk profiling from DVSA data analysis.
Regular monthly reviews keep your records audit-ready year-round.
Need tachograph checking and expert analysis?
Both analog and digital tachographs must be correctly used, with driver cards inserted at shift start and removed at shift end. Data downloads are required every 28 days for driver cards and every 90 days for vehicle units.
Operators must identify, analyze infringements, and impose rectification processes to prevent repeats. Records must be retained for a minimum of 12 months; many keep longer to comply with the Working Time Directive.
Policies should address lost or damaged driver cards and manual entry requirements to maintain comprehensive driving records.
Following these steps ensures compliance with UK and EU regulations, driver welfare, and operational integrity.
Let The Transport Consultancy support you with expert tachograph training, compliance procedures, and driver discipline enforcement.
Received a PG9 from a DVSA Roadside Check?
A PG9 (Prohibition Notice) means your vehicle must not be used until defects are fixed—either immediately for serious faults or within a set time for others. After repairs, the vehicle must be cleared at an authorized test center if required, and maintenance records updated. Investigate why the defect was missed, update inspection regimes, inform your Transport Manager, and report serious issues to the Traffic Commissioner.
Multiple PG9s can trigger an Operator License review or Public Inquiry. Avoid this risk by regularly checking compliance, maintenance plans, and records.
Contact us to help you prevent PG9s and protect your Operator’s License.
Monthly Compliance Audits for London HGV and PSV Operators – Stay Audit-Ready Year-Round
Sign up for monthly audit subscriptions to keep your London business fully compliant, reduce risk, and maintain your Operator License without stress.
Is your team prepared for an audit tomorrow? Ongoing audits keep your staff and processes ready for any inspection.
SIGN UP FOR MONTHLY AUDITS