A Scottish traffic commissioner has ordered the revocation of an LGV driver’s licence and an indefinite disqualification after finding repeated tachograph manipulation and widespread drivers’ hours breaches. In the same case, the company’s former transport manager was issued with a formal warning and “flagged” for any future transport manager or operator licence involvement.
The Deputy Traffic Commissioner for Scotland, Hugh J. Olson, found that driver Darren Wade had used another person’s driver card on 30 occasions, creating false records that concealed 47 drivers’ hours offences.
The decision describes a pattern where Craig McDonald’s card appeared to have been used during trips seen by ANPR in England and during international movements including France, the Netherlands and Belgium, despite statements to the DVSA examiner that Mr McDonald only drove locally.
Separately, the commissioner found Darren Wade had driven without a driver card on 18 occasions, including longer periods of 16 minutes, 17 minutes and 1 hour 16 minutes. The decision rejects the explanation that these gaps were linked to “out of scope” activities such as using facilities at customer sites, concluding the missing mileage indicated the vehicle was being driven without a card.
Fatigue risk and competitive advantage
The ruling highlights fatigue as a core concern. It notes instances of extremely low daily rest, including 3 hours 27 minutes and 4 hours 6 minutes, and concludes it was reasonable to infer the driver was on the road while fatigued, creating an actual and potential danger to other road users.
The commissioner also states that the offending gave the operator an unfair competitive advantage, because longer driving time allowed more work to be done than compliant drivers could legally perform.
Darren Wade was found not fit to hold an LGV licence under the Road Traffic Act 1988. The commissioner directed that his LGV licence be revoked and that he be disqualified indefinitely, with the sanction taking effect at 23:59 on 1 May 2026 (allowing time for any appeal).
Transport manager warning and future “referral to public inquiry”
The former transport manager, Lorraine Wade, was issued with a warning for failing to prevent (1) driver-card misuse and (2) driving without a card. The decision directs that if she applies in future to be a transport manager, to hold an operator’s licence, or to be a director/partner linked to an operator licence, the application should be referred to a Traffic Commissioner for determination after a public inquiry, taking account of her conduct at DLZ Continental Transport Ltd.
The ruling also records that both Lorraine Wade and Darren Wade did not attend the public inquiry / driver conduct hearing, which the commissioner treated as non-cooperation with the Office of the Traffic Commissioner.
Compliance takeaway for operators
For UK and EU-facing hauliers, the case is a reminder that:
- Card-sharing is treated as serious tachograph manipulation, comparable in gravity to other concealment methods in regulatory guidance.
- “Short moves” without a card can still escalate, especially when missing mileage suggests deliberate non-recording.
- Weak compliance systems (e.g., no working time monitoring and no infringement/missing mileage reporting) can quickly become part of a wider regulatory case.
More Traffic Commissioner cases
How a haulage licence bleeds out: Traffic Commissioner suspension explained
Haulier stripped of licence over tyre safety failures and ‘nil defect’ paperwork
Traffic Commissioner puts a price tag on knowingly running overloaded vehicles
UK haulier loses licence over “helping hand” arrangement
Fitness “tarnished”: operator hit with one-month curtailment after DVSA findings
