News

North Eastern traffic commissioner Tom Macartney has praised Newton Aycliffe-based John Wade Haulage for being an example to others in the way it controls staff.  The company had been called before the commissioner at a Leeds disciplinary inquiry. Macartney issued the company with a formal warning but said he thought the company seemed to have a very good grasp of how to control staff and that it was an almost exemplary case of coping with the rough end of the industry.

Vehicle examiner  Geoffrey Flatters said five immediate and two delayed prohibitions had been issued over the past five years. Last year a vehicle was given an immediate prohibition for three loose wheelnuts while in January 2007 another vehicle was given an immediate prohibition for 10 out of 10 wheelnuts loose. The initial pass rate at annual test was 66%. Flatters questioned the efficacy of the defect reporting system.

Transport manager Bruce Whitley said drivers were given induction training and all drivers had received training on defect reporting and wheel security. Refresher training would be carried out annually. A company fitter was responsible for tyre changes and the company now had its systems monitored and audited.