Transport Compliance in HGV and PSV
Are you concerned about compliance?
Do you find it difficult to ensure that you operate legally and follow the DVSA Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness?
TRANSPORT COMPLIANCE – WHAT DOES IT MEAN AND WHY IS IT CRUCIAL FOR HGV AND PSV OPERATORS?
Compliance is essential for protecting your Operator’s License and demonstrating to the Traffic Commissioner that you manage your vehicles and transport business safely, efficiently, and legally. Whether you operate HGVs (Heavy Goods Vehicles) or PSVs (Public Service Vehicles), you must maintain all vehicles in a roadworthy condition, keep accurate records, and have a preventative maintenance schedule rather than a reactive one.
You should have regular inspections and a robust maintenance program to prevent mechanical failures and improve road safety. The DVSA Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness provides detailed expectations for operators.
Drivers must be adequately trained, competent, hold a valid CPC (Driver Certificate of Professional Competence), and complete refresher courses to stay current with legislation, regulations, and best practices. Operators must also ensure compliance with the Working Time Directive and driver hours rules to prevent fatigue and maintain alertness.
For clarity on compliance, get in touch with us at The Transport Consultancy. We can take the pressure off by implementing the right processes to ensure your operations are safe, efficient, and fully compliant.
How can operators secure their HGV or PSV Operator’s License?
We help businesses stay compliant and avoid the scrutiny of the DVSA and Traffic Commissioners. The best way to start is with a compliance audit to assess your current status and identify areas for improvement.
Why are regular compliance audits valuable for HGV and PSV operators?
- Regulatory Compliance – Confirm your fleet meets all licensing, driver hours, tachograph, and roadworthiness requirements for trucks, coaches, minibusses, or limousines, no matter the vehicles in your fleet
- Safety Assurance – Minimize risk to your drivers, passengers, and the public.
- Operational Efficiency – Enhance fuel usage, route planning, and maintenance schedules.
- Risk Management – Detect and resolve issues before they jeopardize your business or license.
Stay audit-ready—schedule your independent audit today.
Tachograph Analysis: Ensuring Compliance with Working Time Directives
Improper tachograph monitoring can result in significant fines, license loss, or prosecution. Tachographs provide an accurate record of drivers’ hours, rest periods, and vehicle use, critical for safety and legal operation.
Operators must regularly review and analyze tachograph data to identify breaches such as excessive driving or insufficient breaks and ensure drivers do not exceed weekly driving limits.
The DVSA may conduct roadside checks anytime, so consistent and accurate tachograph monitoring protects your license and enhances scheduling, risk management, and public safety.
Contact us to book a Tachograph Analysis Healthcheck, where experienced Consultants will review your tachograph data and advise on compliance.
Is your maintenance schedule up to date to avoid a DVSA Roadside Check?
Operators must maintain vehicles with a 6-month maintenance planner to schedule inspections, servicing, and repairs at regular intervals (commonly every 6 to 10 weeks). This planner helps keep vehicles safe, roadworthy, and compliant with DVSA by giving clear visibility of inspection and maintenance dates.
DVSA can inspect your maintenance planner and records at any time, so robust planning gives peace of mind and ensures legal operations.
Planning reduces vehicle downtime and costly repairs, supporting consistently high safety standards and protecting your license.
Struggling with your planner? Book a Maintenance Planning Session with us. We provide custom planners, explain the necessary components, and help establish schedules to keep your fleet safe and compliant.
Avoiding a DVSA Desk-Based Assessment
A Desk-Based Assessment (DBA) can be daunting, involving detailed scrutiny of your records and systems by DVSA. Non-compliance risks fines, warnings, or license suspension. Preventive compliance is key. We begin with an independent audit to identify gaps in driver adherence, vehicle maintenance, recordkeeping, and transport management. Then, we implement processes to keep you operating safely, efficiently, and legally, following the DVSA Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness.
Our experts assess:
- Incomplete or inconsistent records
- Previous compliance issues
- License application or renewal status
- Driver management concerns
- Complaints or reports
- Risk profiling insights
Monthly reviews keep your records audit-ready at all times.
Book a Compliance Check with our specialists and manage risk effectively.
Tachograph Checks and Driver Support
Tachograph management covers analog and digital devices, recording driver times and rest. Drivers must correctly use driver cards, with data downloaded every 28 days (driver cards) and 90 days (vehicle units).
Companies must analyze data for breaches, implement corrective actions, and retain records for at least 12 months.
Policies for lost or damaged cards and manual entries must be in place. We help analyze tachograph data, advise on rectification processes, and provide driver training on compliance and discipline.
Received a PG9? What to do next
A PG9 (Prohibition Notice) means the vehicle must not be used until repaired and officially cleared. You must update maintenance records, investigate how the defect occurred, revise inspection protocols, and inform your Transport Manager and, if serious, the Traffic Commissioner.
Multiple PG9s may lead to a license review or a Public Inquiry.
Avoid these risks by regular compliance checks and maintenance audits.
Monthly Compliance Audits for HGV and PSV Operators
Stay fully compliant, reduce risk, and maintain your Operator License stress-free with monthly audits.
Would your team be prepared if audited tomorrow? Ongoing audits prepare your staff and systems for any inspection.
👉 Sign up now for monthly audits and never worry about DVSA inspections again.
