Transport News – GB Tachopak Ltd: Blog

35 Years Service in Transport Stationery

136,500 minutes!

That is 35 years of 15 minute Walk Around Checks

GB TachoPak, the Premier Supplier of Transport Industry Stationery, have been with you, every step of the way.

Love it or loathe it, the 15 minute walk around check is a necessary part of a drivers life, and we have been supplying the stationery to make that job as pain free as possible, for you for 35 years.

35 years of experience, knowledge and expertise goes into revising and updating all of the stationery you need to keep your business growing and you compliant.

There a three different types of 15 minute walk around check pad:

1. The LGV Drivers Defect Report Pad

For all classes of HGV vehicle, keeping your vehicles and drivers safe. and compliant. You can order yours here >>

The PSV Drivers Defect Report Pad

For all classes of PSV vehicle, keeping your coaches, buses and drivers safe and compliant.

You can order yours here >>

The VAN Drivers Defect Report Pad.

If you have a van you need to be filling out one of these every day and/or new driver.

You can order your Van Defect Report Pads Here >>

When GB TachoPak started providing stationery for the transport industry, in 1980 there was:

The new Vauxhall Astra replaced the Vauxhall Viva
British Leyland sold MG Cars to Aston Martin Lagonda
Alton Towers opened
Inflation rose to 21.8%
John Lennon was shot dead in New York
The average wage was £6000 pa, a litre of petrol cost 28p, a pint of beer cost 35p a loaf of bread 33p

VehoCheck: Daily road worthiness inspections

VehoCheck provides an efficient, cost effective solution for company drivers to conduct their daily road worthiness inspections, record the outcomes and ensure compliance in line with the DVSA guidelines.The VehoCheck dashboard for the transport manager offers in depth real-time reporting down to a granular level of vehicle inspections, common defects and the regularity of checks.

Information can be recalled instantly to satisfy any roadside authority inspection or depot visit.

For more information >>

Do your Walkaround Vehicle Checks warns VOSA

918-lgv-defect-report-pad1 VOSA have stated that 85% of issues found during roadside inspections should have been detected by the driver carrying out a proper walk-around inspection prior to taking the vehicle out on the road, or by noticing changes in the vehicle handling or behaviour whilst in use.

These common issues can result in fixed penalties or, in certain cases, endorsements being issued to the driver, a record of failing on the operators licence and changes to the operators OCRS (Operator Compliance Risk Score).

The most important element of carrying out these pre-use inspections is that they reduce accidents and incidents on our roads, they improve vehicle longevity and they save lives.

The drivers check is the final inspection before a vehicle hits the road. It is an important one. Make sure it is carried out correctly.

GB Tachopak are able to offer Daily Defect Report Pads containing the elements required for walk-around checks for both HGV and PCV. The books can be purchased online http://www.tachopak.co.uk/tachograph-systems.shtml or by phoning our Sales Team on 01472 210102.

Digital Tachograph Cards in Sweden

NEWS: The Swedish Transport Agency (Transportstyrelsen) has awarded a contract to Morpho (Safran) for the production of secure drivers’ licenses and digital tachograph cards that record the driving and rest times of truck and bus drivers.

The new licenses and tachograph cards integrate new security features to comply with current European Union standards. They also add extra protection against document fraud.

Sweden started issuing the licenses this past January. It will introduce the new digital tachograph cards later this year.

This is not Morpho’s first project with the Swedish government. It has also installed a criminal ID system that’s now being upgraded with new biometric technology

Possible Speed Limit Change

New Speed Limit 50mph The government are currently in consultation regarding increasing the speed limit on single carriageways for HGV’s over 7.5 tonnes from the current 40mph to 50mph matching the limit for HGV’s between 3.5 tonnes and 7.5 tonnes.
» Read More Here

The consultation closes on 01st February 2013.
Watch this space for updates on the outcome.

Winter Driving. Don’t Get Caught Out!

We are now well into autumn and winter is just around the corner and with the excitement of Christmas comes the dreaded winter weather.

Don’t get caught out when driving in extreme conditions. Please ensure you have the right equipment with you for every eventuality.

RoSPA have produced a ‘Winter Driving Tips’ information sheet with a recommended list of equipment for an emergency kit. This should include your in-cab First Aid Kit.

» GB Tachopak offer a range of First Aid Kits to suit all commercial vehicle requirements.

CMR Consignments Note for International Haulage

International Haulage : Road Consignment Notes
(also known as CMR Consignment Notes)

According to the UK Government website:
If you use a provider to transport goods internationally by road, there is a standard contract you should use. This is a road consignment note – known as the CMR consignment note – which confirms that the haulage company has received the goods and has a contract from the supplier to carry them.

On all international journeys – ie other than between the UK and the Republic of Ireland – a haulier must have a CMR note if carrying goods on a commercial basis.

Completing a CMR note

The CMR note can be filled out by the company sending the goods abroad, the haulier or by a freight forwarder, but must contain prescribed information.

You will need three copies of a CMR note, including one:

for the supplier of the goods
for the eventual customer
to accompany the goods while they are being transported

» You can buy pre-printed pads of CMR Consignment Notes from various haulage outlets or buy online with GB Tachopak.

Proposed 90 day period for Tachograph Data Downloads

The Department for Transport planning to consult on tachograph data downloads…

According to “Commercial Motor” magazine website the UK Government want to extend the period allowed for Transport Operators to download Digital Tachograph data from 56 days to 90 days.

These proposed plans to extend the time required between tachograph data downloads is an effort to ease the regulatory burden on UK hauliers and operators and remove barriers for industry growth.

The current regulations state that operators must download tacho’ data from vehicle units at least every 56 days, but the government is proposing to increase this to 90 days.

The idea was proposed in a DfT Logistics Growth Review published last year, but was thought to have been originally suggested in the Red Tape Challenge earlier in 2011.

However, the Freight Transport Association said it wasn’t aware of members raising time limits as a problem.

For more information on storage, download and analysis of digital tachograph data and card readers please check out our free “Guide to Digital Tachographs” or visit or website.

Operators Licence Revoked – Unsafe Loading Practices

Reporting accidents is extremely important in the Transport Industry.

A car crusher / scrap car company recently had its O licence for nine trucks and nine trailers revoked, by the Scottish Traffic Commissioner. (STC) The company directors were disqualified for five years.

» Get Help with Compliance and Driver Regulations

The STC’s decision follows an incident when boxes of acid-filled batteries were shed from one of its trucks on the A96. The scrap car business, had been in trouble with the STC before as it was reported that police had previously stopped one of its timber lorries on the A9 in 2009. There was also a previous warning to directors about maintenance issues in 2007.

» Information about Accident Reports Forms and Kits for Transport Operators

RHA Support for a Custodial Sentences

Recently a driver was jailed after falsifying his hours records 79 times. The RHA chief executive Geoff Dunning expressed his support for the custodial sentence of eight months handed to the truck driver who pleaded guilty to 79 offenses of creating false driving hours records.

Ipswich Crown Court had heard from VOSA that Jasvinder Arora, from Feltham, driving for Ocean Xpress Logistics, had driven for 24 hours without taking proper rest. VOSA had already warned the driver.

RHA Policy for “Safer operation and fairer competition in road haulage”

The RHA had previously called for mandatory prison sentences for those found guilty of falsifying their tachograph records as part of a broader compliance strategy paper, Safer operation and fairer competition in road haulage:

» Download 2012 RHA.Policy Document (PDF)

» More about the Working Time Directive (Drivers Hours)

Electric Vans and Trucks

I though we could share this with you… Smith Electric Vehicles !!

Smith-Electric-Truck

Smith Electric Vehicles manufactures and sell zero-emission commercial electric vehicles and durable all-electric trucks. They are now available worldwide.

There are some amazing examples on their website which also explains the benefits such as its “green” credentials, lower costs to own an run, performance in urban areas.

See what you think, read the details here

> Digital Tachograph for Drivers