Within the past few years, the UK and EU governments have brought in new legislation which will make the shipping of goods safer for lorry drivers and for other road users. After being awarded your transport contract, make sure that you're aware of new and emerging laws which might affect your business and the transportation of goods in your care. Apart from these general changing laws, be wise to differences in regional speed limits for large vehicles to ensure that these variations don't lead to costly fines from local law enforcement. Below, you can read about some of the new laws that have recently come into force, or that are in the early stages of implementation.
Maximum Road Hours
The UK government has altered the maximum amount of hours that lorry drivers are allowed to be working on the roads. However, with careful planning this should not greatly effect your transport contract. Here is a brief outline regarding the changes.
• There will be an increased number of checks on drivers and their transport contract.
• Drivers may not be behind the wheel of their lorries for more than 9 hours per day; 56 hours in a seven day period; or 90 hours in a fortnight.
• Every day, drivers must have an uninterrupted 11 hours of rest - or an uninterrupted period of 9 hours and another of 3 hours.
• Every 4 ½ hours, a driver must rest for 45 minutes.
• Now, transport to and from work (driving to the dispatch centre) is included in these driving times.
• Each EU state has the power to decide the severity of the penalties, with holders of the transport contract who exceeded the maximum prescribed driving times by 20% considered making 'serious infringements'.
New Certification
Starting in 2014, haulage companies must carry out every transport contract using a driver with a special certification: Driver Certification of Professional Competence (Driver CPC). Written into legislation in 2009, this certification will help regulate the safety of the on-road transport industry. If you're already an experienced lorry driver, you'll receive the certificate through 'acquired rights' if you've been driving large haulage trucks before a certain date. After you've earned your Driver CPC, you'll need to complete 35 hours of training every five years in order to keep up to date with the certificate and to keep the certification.
James Hookham from the Freight Transport Association says that there is a 46% shortfall of drivers who have taken the test. Though these regulations don't come into effect until 2014, it would be best to start the process of certification early in order to avoid delays.
Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry across the UK and Europe. It provides services for matching transport contract opportunities and to buy and sell road transport and haulage work in the domestic and international markets.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Norman_Dulwich/621817
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