Knowledge hub

Roadworthiness · 4 min read

Brake testing and roller brake tests explained

DVSA expects brake performance to be measured at every safety inspection, normally by a laden roller brake test on a calibrated machine. It checks efficiency, imbalance and binding, with broad HGV pass figures of 50% service, 25% secondary and 16% parking, and the printout kept as evidence.

Updated 02 Sep 2026

Roadworthiness · 3 min read

Bringing a vehicle into service - the first-use checklist

Before a new, leased or hired-in vehicle carries its first load, check it is within your licensed vehicle authority, carry out and record a first-use safety inspection including a brake test, add it to your maintenance planner at your declared interval, and open a maintenance file.

Updated 02 Sep 2026

Roadworthiness · 4 min read

Load security for HGV operators

Load restraint must resist the full weight of the load forwards and half its weight sideways and rearwards, using rated straps, chains and headboards in good order. Friction alone is not enough. DVSA can prohibit an insecure load on sight, so build checks and driver training into daily operation.

Updated 02 Sep 2026

Roadworthiness · 3 min read

Preparing an HGV or trailer for its annual test

Present the vehicle at the ATF clean and in the roadworthy condition it should be in every day, not tidied up for the occasion. Run a pre-test safety inspection covering the common failure items - brakes, lights, tyres and steering - because your first-time pass rate is visible to DVSA.

Updated 02 Sep 2026

Roadworthiness · 3 min read

Speed limiters for HGVs - the rules and your duties

Most goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes must have a working speed limiter set so the vehicle cannot exceed 90 km/h (about 56 mph). Tampering with a limiter is a serious offence that damages good repute, and the limiter is checked at the annual test and should be confirmed at each inspection.

Updated 02 Sep 2026

Roadworthiness · 4 min read

What a safety inspection covers

A safety inspection, or PMI, is a systematic check to the DVSA inspection manual covering brakes, steering, suspension, tyres, lights, chassis and coupling, with a measured brake test. Every listed item must be assessed and marked, defects rectified, and the sheet signed by a competent person.

Updated 02 Sep 2026

Roadworthiness · 4 min read

Wheel and tyre safety - preventing wheel loss

Wheel loss is rare but can kill, and it is almost always preventable. Torque wheel fasteners to specification with a calibrated wrench, re-torque after a short distance in service, fit torque-indicator markers for the daily walkaround, and keep tyres within tread, condition and rating limits.

Updated 02 Sep 2026

Roadworthiness · 4 min read

Driver walkaround checks and defect reporting

A driver must complete a walkaround check before a vehicle is first used each day, covering lights, tyres, brakes, mirrors, load security and the trailer coupling. Record every check, including nil defects, take unsafe vehicles off the road, and keep the report-to-repair loop evidenced.

Updated 01 Sep 2026

Roadworthiness · 4 min read

O-licence maintenance records - what to keep and for how long

Operators must keep maintenance records - safety inspections, laden brake tests, driver defect reports, repairs and test history - for at least 15 months and be able to retrieve them fast. A record you cannot produce on request is treated as a record you do not have.

Updated 01 Sep 2026

Roadworthiness · 4 min read

HGV, PSV and trailer annual test - how to check expiry, trailer IDs and what the result history tells you

Heavy-vehicle annual test results sit on the GOV.UK MOT history service; look up lorries and buses by registration and trailers by their DVSA trailer ID. There is no grace period after the expiry date, and first-time pass rate feeds OCRS, so present vehicles fully inspected and brake-tested.

Updated 30 Aug 2026

Roadworthiness · 4 min read

Safety inspection intervals - the DVSA 4-13 week table and how to plan by ISO week

You choose and declare a safety inspection frequency on VOL using the DVSA 4 to 13 week bands, and it becomes an undertaking. Plan by ISO week, inspect within the due week, run a brake test at each inspection, and never stretch an interval without updating VOL first.

Updated 22 Aug 2026

Drivers · 3 min read

Driver induction and the driver handbook

A driver induction and written handbook set your standards before the first shift and prove you set them. They should cover the vehicles, walkaround and defect reporting, drivers' hours and tachographs, key policies and document checks, be acknowledged in writing, and apply to agency drivers too.

Updated 02 Sep 2026

Drivers · 3 min read

Driver medical and eyesight requirements

LGV and PCV drivers must meet the higher Group 2 medical and eyesight standards, evidenced by a D4 medical, with renewals more often as they age. A lapsed medical means a lapsed entitlement, and drivers must notify DVLA of notifiable conditions, so track each medical renewal date.

Updated 02 Sep 2026

Drivers · 3 min read

Drug and alcohol policy for professional drivers

A written drug and alcohol policy sets a clear standard, sober behind the wheel, and proves the operator managed the risk rather than ignored it. It usually covers zero tolerance including the morning after, testing regimes, consistent consequences and support, and should reach agency drivers too.

Updated 02 Sep 2026

Drivers · 3 min read

Right to work checks for drivers

Every operator must confirm a driver's right to work in the UK before employment starts, using an approved method and keeping dated evidence. Get it wrong and you face civil penalties charged per worker plus damage to your good repute, so check everyone and diarise time-limited permissions.

Updated 02 Sep 2026

Drivers · 4 min read

Using agency drivers compliantly

When an agency driver drives under your O-licence, you carry the compliance duties, not the agency. Check their licence, CPC, tacho card and right to work before they take a vehicle, and get their recent hours - a shift worked elsewhere that morning can put you in breach by the afternoon.

Updated 02 Sep 2026

Drivers · 3 min read

Driver CPC explained - who needs it, the 35 hours, and the DQC expiry trap

Most professional LGV and PCV drivers need Driver CPC: 35 hours of periodic training every five years, evidenced by a Driver Qualification Card that must be carried while driving. A lapsed DQC means the driver cannot drive in scope and the operator commits an offence, so track every expiry date.

Updated 22 Aug 2026

Drivers · 4 min read

Driver licence checks - how often, what to check, and the consent you need first

Check every driver's licence before their first shift and then on a risk-based cycle - commonly 12 months for 0-3 points, 6 months for 4-8, and 3 months for 9 or more points or any disqualification. Use a GOV.UK check code or DVLA Access to Driver Data with signed driver consent, and record the result.

Updated 22 Aug 2026

Drivers' hours · 4 min read

GB domestic drivers' hours rules explained

The GB domestic rules cover certain goods journeys made wholly in Great Britain that are out of EU scope. The limits are 10 hours driving and 11 hours on duty in a working day, with records kept. If a vehicle is in EU scope for any part of a day, the EU rules apply for that whole day.

Updated 02 Sep 2026

Drivers' hours · 4 min read

Tachograph infringements and driver debriefs

Analysing tachograph data is only half the job; the Traffic Commissioner wants to see you act on it. Categorise each infringement by severity, debrief the driver in a documented conversation, and have them sign to confirm - the signature is the evidence, and repeat offenders need escalation.

Updated 02 Sep 2026

Drivers' hours · 3 min read

Working time rules for drivers (RTWTR) explained

The Road Transport Working Time Regulations are separate from drivers' hours: a 48-hour average week, a 60-hour weekly ceiling, a 10-hour night-work limit and breaks after six hours. A driver can be legal on driving time yet still breach working time, so operators must watch both.

Updated 02 Sep 2026

Drivers' hours · 4 min read

Drivers' hours rules explained - EU/AETR, GB domestic and working time in one page

Three rule-sets apply to UK drivers. Under the assimilated EU rules the main limits are 9 hours daily driving (10 twice a week), 56 in a week, a 45-minute break after 4.5 hours and 11 hours daily rest. GB domestic rules and the Working Time Regulations cover other work on top.

Updated 22 Aug 2026

Drivers' hours · 4 min read

Tachograph download rules - 28 days for cards, 90 days for vehicle units

Operators must download each driver card at least every 28 days and each vehicle unit at least every 90 days, keep the data for 12 months, and actually analyse it. Cards hold only about 28 days of activity, so leave it longer and the oldest days are overwritten and lost for good.

Updated 22 Aug 2026

Enforcement · 4 min read

How to avoid a public inquiry

A public inquiry is usually the end of a trail, so avoid one by not building it: keep safety inspections and brake tests on time, close the defect loop, download and debrief tachographs, keep records retrievable, evidence financial standing, and respond to DVSA promptly while fixing root causes.

Updated 02 Sep 2026

Enforcement · 3 min read

Overloading and axle weights - staying within your plated limits

Every vehicle has plated gross, train and axle weight limits, and you can breach an axle limit while under the gross weight if the load is badly distributed. Overloading brings prohibitions and fines at the roadside, so weigh loads you are unsure of and plan where weight sits.

Updated 02 Sep 2026

Enforcement · 4 min read

Preparing for a public inquiry with the Traffic Commissioner

A public inquiry is a formal hearing where the Traffic Commissioner can revoke, suspend or curtail your licence and disqualify a director or transport manager. Prepare with an independent audit, fix what it finds before the day, and bring the evidence that you will comply in future.

Updated 02 Sep 2026

Enforcement · 4 min read

Preventing bridge strikes

Bridge strikes are almost entirely preventable and land on the operator, not just the driver. Make sure every driver knows the actual travelling height for today's combination and it is displayed in the cab, plan routes with truck-specific mapping, and re-check height after any trailer or load change.

Updated 02 Sep 2026

Enforcement · 4 min read

Preparing for a DVSA maintenance investigation

A DVSA maintenance investigation checks whether you are keeping your licence promises: inspections on time, laden brake tests, defect reporting and 15 months of retrievable records. The usual failure is not that work was undone but that the operator cannot prove it was done.

Updated 01 Sep 2026

Enforcement · 4 min read

Prohibitions and PG9s - what to do after a DVSA roadside stop

A PG9 prohibition stops a vehicle being used until a roadside defect is put right; immediate prohibitions ground it at once, delayed ones give a short period. An S marking means a significant maintenance failure and weighs heavily, so clear it properly and fix the system, not just the vehicle.

Updated 01 Sep 2026

Operations · 3 min read

Carrying dangerous goods - ADR basics for operators

If you carry dangerous goods above the exemption thresholds, ADR applies on top of your O-licence. It requires ADR-trained drivers, suitable placarded vehicles and equipment, correct transport documents, and in most cases a qualified Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser to oversee compliance and report annually.

Updated 02 Sep 2026

Operations · 3 min read

Clean Air Zones and low emission zones for HGVs

Older diesel HGVs below Euro VI usually pay a daily charge in Clean Air Zones and low emission zones in London and several English cities. Euro VI diesels generally avoid charges, so audit each vehicle's Euro standard, plan routes and vehicle allocation around the zones, and pay on time.

Updated 02 Sep 2026

Operations · 3 min read

Direct Vision Standard and the HGV Safety Permit

To run an HGV over 12 tonnes in Greater London you need a free HGV Safety Permit under Transport for London's Direct Vision Standard. Permits depend on the cab's zero-to-five star rating; vehicles below the minimum must fit the Progressive Safe System of cameras, sensors and guards to qualify.

Updated 02 Sep 2026