Guides
Compliance, explained plainly
Reference guidance for operators who hold a licence but have never been formally shown what it requires. Each guide states what the standard is, where it comes from, and links to the official source so you can check it yourself.
Do I need a transport manager on a restricted licence?
The short answer is no. The longer answer is that the standard expected of your vehicles and drivers is very nearly the same either way, and somebody still has to meet it.
7 min readRestricted or standard: which operator's licence do you need?
Holding the wrong licence type is among the more serious findings a Traffic Commissioner can make, and the boundary is considerably less obvious than it first appears.
8 min readDaily walkaround checks: what the DVSA actually expects
The walkaround check is the cheapest compliance control you have and the one most often reduced to a formality. Here is the standard it is measured against.
9 min readSafety inspection intervals and the records you must keep
Your inspection interval is a decision you must be able to justify, not a number copied from another operator. Here is how the DVSA expects it to be set and evidenced.
8 min readApplying for a restricted operator's licence: what the process involves
Most applications that run into trouble do so on details settled before anyone fills in a form: the money, the operating centre, and the advert that must be worded exactly.
8 min readOLAT and CPD: what the DVSA expects of a responsible person
Restricted licences require no CPC. They do not exempt the responsible person from being able to show that their knowledge is current, and examiners ask about it directly.
7 min readRestricted doesn't mean a lower standard
There is a widespread assumption that restricted licences are held to a gentler standard than standard national or international ones. They are not, and the paperwork is judged identically.
6 min readRecording a defect isn't fixing it: defect management and the audit trail
Most operators who get into difficulty were recording defects diligently. What they could not show was what happened next — and a recurring fault with no resolution is the question you least want asked.
8 min read