Hauliers that don't follow drivers’ hours regulations often have lower turnover than their competitors, the Swedish Transport Agency has recently found. Sometimes, these businesses are letterbox companies that can easily be shut down and restarted. The government department fears the formation of some of these firms could be motivated by the fact that fines for multiple transport violations in Sweden are connected to turnover.

Swedish Transport Agency suspects hauliers are using subsidiaries to pay lower fines

A Turkish HGV driver in Norway was heavily fined and deported from the country because of several serious drivers' hours offences and a tachograph manipulation. On one occasion, he drove for 28 hours without taking a proper break.

HGV driver fined €4,000 and deported for multiple drivers’ hours violations

Does dual citizenship entitle one to drive a lorry twice as much as the regulations allow? An HGV driver, who not only had two passports, but also two tachograph cards, must have thought so. The inspectors, however, made it clear to him that truck driving rules did not work like that and helped him have plenty of free time to rest from his intense work behind the wheel.

Dual citizen loses HGV licence for three months after using two tachograph cards

German police came across a saggy trailer whose bottom was only a few centimetres from the ground. Following the inevitable inspection, the trucker was prevented from continuing his journey and the police confirmed it would investigate the matter further. Meanwhile, just a couple of days later, the same road police department handed out a four-digit fine to another lorry driver for a major breach of drivers' hours rules.

Germany: trucker forced to unload cargo from “conspicuously bent” trailer

The terrible situation in Ukraine is causing a lot of people to ask what more they can be doing to provide humanitarian aid to the war-torn country. The UK Government has strongly recommended that any aid be provided via the Disasters and Emergencies Committee Appeal or by way of donation to a registered charity. If however, you want to transport your own humanitarian aid to the region, you must be aware of the operator licensing and drivers’ hours rules, and what exceptions may apply.

Transporting humanitarian aid to Ukraine:  operator licensing and EU drivers’ hours rules 

Earlier this week, we brought you the news that <a href="https://www.tv2fyn.dk/odense/fynsk-vognmandsfamilie-er-anklaget-for-storstilet-fusk-med-foererkort?fbclid=IwAR2JcNHbsfJW4QuTc-vjXkLgd1fSloQb0lceZ30JaR9xVggwtCt3VY24GZU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">900 charges had been submitted against a Danish haulier</a>, mostly due to its use of different tachograph cards to avoid being caught for breaching drivers' hours regulations. The boss of the haulage company, as well as his partner, were both facing “extraordinarily severe" punishments; fines and imprisonment.

Update: Danish haulier handed prison sentence over road transport offences

Around 6% of HGV drivers on the roads of Europe either violate rest times, manipulate or cheat with their tachographs, ROADPOL has found following the results of most recent inspection.

Roadpol: 1 in 3 truck drivers violate regulations, tachograph manipulations increasing

Poland has relaxed drivers’ hours’ regulations. The temporary changes mean that among other things, HGV drivers are allowed to drive for 11 hours a day.

Poland relaxes drivers’ hours regulations until April

Sweden has followed the likes of Ireland and the United Kingdom in deciding to <a href="https://www.trailer.se/artikel/chaufforsbrist-skapar-lattnader-i-kor-och-vilotider" target="_blank" rel="noopener">implement a temporary relaxation of the EU drivers' hours rules</a>. 

Sweden becomes latest European country to relax drivers’ hours rules

In a document that was released today to mark the 2nd anniversary of Brexit, the UK Government has listed the recent relaxations of drivers' hours rules and cabotage as being Brexit benefits. This is despite the fact both measures have been subject to a noticeable amount of criticism from a number of British hauliers and drivers - including some who supported Brexit. 