“A Vehicle Examiner from VOSA recently advised that I need to implement “quality assurance measures” with regard to my Operator Licence. What does this mean?
Supervision and Monitoring are the “hot topics” in operator licensing at the moment. It is no good having systems to deal with maintenance of the vehicles and management of the drivers unless the systems actually work. The way to ensure results is to supervise those who implement the systems. For example, who checks the drivers are actually doing their daily vehicle checks. Who checks that the outside vehicle maintainer is actually completing all areas of the service and completing the service sheets correctly? Who checks that the forward planning system is actually working. Who checks that driver’s hour’s disciplinary systems are being followed through?
Supervise those who are playing key roles within the vehicle operation. Make sure your vehicle maintainers know you are keeping a close eye on them. Use an outside bureau to check driver’s hour’s compliance, or use them at intervals in addition to your own in house analysation. Hire in a specialist in operator licensing to carry out periodic audits of your paperwork and systems, this will give you a good idea of how your transport manager is performing. Appoint a foreman to be present when the drivers are doing their daily checks.
As a holder of an operator licence you may be asked to show that you have “quality assurance measures in place. Failure to monitor and supervise key systems relating to your commercial fleet is one of the main causes of Operators being called to disciplinary public inquiries.
Practical advice on managing your Operator Licence is provided by Elizabeth Caple, Transport Law Solicitor. elizabeth.caple@blueyonder.co.uk
0117 9075699 0781 441 4374