Figures published by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency show that 4,818 fixed penalties, worth a total of £1,189,450, were issued in connection with non-GB HGVs between April and June 2026.
By comparison, GB-registered HGVs accounted for 693 fixed penalties worth £115,050 over the same period.
The figures come as DVSA increased the number of weight checks carried out on foreign HGVs. Inspectors conducted 894 weight checks between April and June, up 31% from 684 in the same quarter of 2025.
Of the non-GB HGVs subjected to weight checks in the latest quarter, 273 received prohibitions, giving a prohibition rate of 30.54%. For GB HGVs, 152 prohibitions resulted from 603 checks, a rate of 25.21%.
Traffic enforcement activity involving foreign HGVs was also considerably higher. DVSA recorded 8,036 traffic checks on non-GB HGVs, compared with 3,944 involving GB vehicles.
However, the picture was different for mechanical condition.
DVSA carried out 3,608 mechanical checks on non-GB HGVs and issued 595 prohibitions, equivalent to 16.49% of checks. Among GB HGVs, 858 prohibitions were issued following 3,178 checks, producing a considerably higher rate of 27%.
More than a third of offences in £300 penalty band
Separate DVSA data on the severity of offences shows that 37.16% of offences recorded against non-GB HGVs fell into Band 4, which carries a £300 fixed penalty.
A further 30.28% were Band 2 offences, attracting a £100 penalty, while 14% were in Band 3, carrying a £200 penalty.
The distribution differed for GB HGVs. Some 20.32% of recorded offences were Band 4, while a greater proportion reached Band 5, the category in which DVSA may pursue court prosecution.
The £1.19 million total does not represent a sudden surge. In April to June 2025, DVSA issued 4,763 penalties worth £1.147 million to non-GB HGVs. The latest figures therefore represent increases of around 1% in the number of penalties and 4% in their total value year on year.
The figures should not be interpreted as representative compliance rates for the British or international HGV fleets as a whole. DVSA roadside enforcement is targeted, while the published tables exclude vehicles that were sifted without undergoing a full check.
DVSA officers and police can stop commercial vehicles at the roadside, issue prohibitions where defects or other breaches are found, and impose fixed penalties for offences.
The agency’s latest vehicle-enforcement dataset, updated on 17 September, covers enforcement activity through June 2026.
