Issue 3 - Summer 2023

In this issue: FOCUS

ON EARNED RECOGNITION

Everything you need to know about ER, with Phil Breen from the DVSA also sharing information on the new ‘road to DVSA Earned Recognition’ scheme

Customer Spotlight

Both JPE Aggregates and Waste-a-Way Recycling discuss their ER journey

By

APPY DAYS

How the new Aquarius App will help improve the user’s experience

CONTENTS Issue 2 - Summer 2023

PAGES

Page 2 WELCOME

From Director Mark Johnston, welcoming everyone to this summer issue of Connected.

Page 3/4

A STEP CLOSER TO THAT PANACEA

Chris Cuffe shares his independent views on how the field of IT for tachograph analysis has developed over the last 15 years and his advice for getting a step closer to that panacea.

Page 5 NEWS ROUND UP

The latest company news from our IT, support, and compliance teams.

Page 6 CUSTOMER TALK

A round-up of our customer’s news and recent successes, with this issue having an eco-theme.

Page 7/8

CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT

The award-winning JPE Aggregates provides a deeper insight into their excellent operational achievements, including ER in line with the theme of this issue.

Page 9/11 CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT

The second of our customer spotlights for this ER issue, is with Waste-a-Way Recycling who discuss their ER journey, and how it has also revolutionised their business model and created far-reaching benefits.

PAGE 12

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Aquarius’s Director Mark Johnston provides an update on the re-designed Aquarius App.

PAGE 13/14

EARNED RECOGNITION

Everything you need to know about ER, with Phil Breen from the DVSA also sharing information on the new ‘Road to DVSA Earned Recognition’ scheme.

PAGE 15/16 VIEWPOINT

Chris Cuffe discusses the topical conversation of how Aquarius customers can benefit from an independent desktop compliance audit.

PAGE 17/19

TALKING COMPLIANCE

Marc Caplin, our Compliance Manager asks ‘Is your tachograph analysis software fit for purpose?’. There is also an update from Guy Reynolds on the technical glitches that have been affecting some GEN2 tachographs.

PAGE 20

TAKE THE EARNED RECOGNITION TEST

Have you got what it takes to gain ER status and are you ready to take the test?

Get in touch with our team using the contact details provided below.

Customer Support: 0330 333 8788

Sales Team: 0330 333 8789

WELCOME

To the Summer issue of CONNECTED. This is now our third issue, and we hope you have enjoyed reading all our news stories and hearing from some of our customers about how they manage their compliance responsibilities. To this end, as much as we, the Aquarius team, enjoy sharing our news and technical advice, we know its our customer stories that resonate the most – they provide valuable, practical insight and sometimes a different perspective. From talking to customers at the recent shows, we love how this cross-fertilisation of ideas is helping to provoke positive conversations. Over the coming months we’d therefore like to share even more customer stories, from both large and small operators – let us know if you’d like to be included in a future issue.

Keeping with the focus on customers; as a team we have enjoyed working with many of our customers over a number of years, and many we would consider more than just colleagues or customers – they are friends as well as our brand champions who will often freely recommend us to other operators and even invite them into their offices to show them how they use the software. They are incredible.

Hopefully this is testament to the quality of the products and services we provide, and the fact we listen, respond and support all of our customers equally. I also believe, our unrivalled levels of support stem from the fact that our sales, technical and compliance teams, have been with us since the beginning, and they have longterm, intimate knowledge of the software, the industry and importantly, they understand what our customers - whether they are new to digital or digital connoisseurs – need (and if they don’t know they will quickly find out).

Earned Recognition (ER), which was first introduced by DVSA in 2018, is a great example of how we can support customers.

The benefits of the ER scheme are clear for operators, but for many it does mean a shift from running a paperless (or part-paperless) operation to a digital operation for managing and reporting on both driver and vehicle data. In this issue, coming back to my original point about sharing our customer’s journeys, we have spoken to two operators who have achieved ER accreditation, but who both went on a different journey - and who have both gained so much more

than just ER accreditation since going digital.

We hope you enjoy reading this issue of CONNECTED, and please do get in touch if you’d like to be featured, or have ideas for technical or compliance related stories.

Mark Johnston Director

FRESH APPROACH

A STEP CLOSER TO THAT PANACEA

Chris

I can’t believe that I have worked in the tachograph field for 15 years already. My working life since 1983 has always been related to IT in both senior technical and sales roles; I guess this gives me a good vantage point for how the industry has developed. From the days of IBM dominance and countless fruits and vegetables (Apricot, Tulip, Acorn, Tangerine and Apple of course) to the massive growth of PC-based applications and now mobile apps. All these developments have impacted our lives tremendously and predominantly in a positive way.

The field of compliance is therefore no exception with two landmark dates that really thrust the market forward; 2006 with the introduction of the digital tachograph and 2010 with the introduction of remote tachograph downloading. With all data now digital and the potential to automate the process of data collection, there was very little to slow down the uptake of analysis software. You are now unlikely to find a substantial fleet that does not use analysis software.

I have worked with all the key software providers supplying download equipment and automation solutions, and I have seen first-hand the great contribution these companies have

made to the availability of data and analysis, resulting ultimately, in safer roads.

So, what else have I noticed since 2008? Well with a thirst for data well and truly whet, companies have naturally been demanding more. Historically; compliance, maintenance, planning, and purchasing have all worked independently with separate software systems, but companies are realising that this has a high cost and risk in security, maintenance, duplication, and loss of efficiency. The panacea is a single system with a single login that can handle all of these tasks.

So, is a single system possible? The answer is not straightforward as all of the required elements are different and have their own complexities. Think of trying to replicate established and complex systems such as Netsuite, Sage, or Quickbooks into your logistics system; this is years of development for a large team so makes no commercial sense.

For software companies it’s not always about reinventing the wheel it’s about the selective integration of value-added services and integrating with other leading software products where appropriate. The drive to a single software solution is however likely to apply pressure on software products that

By

Cuffe, who shares his independent views on how the field of IT for tachograph analysis has developed over the last 15 years and his advice for getting a step closer to that panacea.

could now be considered too niche, particularly if they have become outmoded.

Taking Aquarius as an example; when I first worked with the team as a supplier in 2009 the offering was focussed on its core roots of compliance but gradually functionality expanded in line with its in-house compliance and technical expertise, to include Walkaround Checks, Document Management, POD, Time and Attendance, Asset Maintenance and eSIGN, which allows drivers to qualify and sign for their infringements on a phone or tablet.

What Aquarius has successfully done is to feed from its well-established customer base to gradually add required functionality at a pace that has allowed the business to adapt. Each new service has new demands and potentially a new audience, so it’s important to put in place the right expertise so as not to alienate existing customers.

Over the years I have noted software companies outside the tachograph analysis field trying to include tachograph analysis within their offering. Compliance is technically difficult to programme and maintain, and therefore requires substantial knowledge and investment. I think that collaboration between software providers is preferable in compliance, as total accuracy is essential when it comes to infringement reporting in particular. Some analysis providers such as Aquarius already include the ability to collect data using APIs for use in other applications.

My takeaway for customers is to consider how you could benefit from the increasing convergence of software.

How much could you reduce subscription charges and maintenance? Think of the benefits of a single repository for all assets and their management. Consider the competitive advantage that could be derived.

Unless your needs are minimal and will remain so, I would always suggest looking at software providers with a strong offering across multiple disciplines as it gets you a step closer to that panacea.

All of this has major advantages for customers as they can start with a single service and gradually add services as they grow in confidence and size. For larger corporates, this approach helps IT departments to create a clear project plan for changeover. Aquarius has also developed integrations with third parties to provide data for their applications, which vary from key telematics providers to accounting systems.

About Chris Cuffe Aquarius has known and worked with Chris for more than 15 years; since his early days at Tachosys when he was the Sales and Marketing Director. Today, using his vast experience of tachographs and software, he works as a freelance consultant alongside the management team at Aquarius.

” ” Fresh approaches, particularly with Asset Maintenance, stand to shake up the sector.

SHOWED OUT!

Its only July, and we are already three shows down. The team had a great time meeting customers and colleagues at the CV Show, ITT Hub and Road Transport Expo– three completely different shows, with each proving us an opportunity to showcase our integrated software solutions to new audiences. Thanks to everyone who also came to see Marc Caplin present in the CV Show’s ‘Road Ahead’ Theatre where he discussed the new Smart TACHO VERSION 2, and what the arrival of this new technology later this year will mean for operators.

ENJOYING A ROUND WITH EXPORT & FREIGHT

It’s always fun at an Export & Freight event in Ireland, and we were once again proud to support their 10th annual Golf Masters event in June, and keep all their guests (many of our customers) refreshed at the 10th hole.

OPTIMIZING THE FUTURE

In April, we were thrilled to support our partners Optimize with their launch and hear all about their aims to reduce fleet carbon emissions. As a company, they help fleets optimise, decarbonise and transform using powerful algorithms based upon artificial intelligence. This is proven to reduce costs, increase productivity and cut emissions. At the launch, Ross Conroy, Head of Research and Development, confirmed the new Optimize algorithm will have the capacity to deal with more complex transport optimisation tasks, delivering improved efficiencies faster.

Rachel Riley MBE (from Countdown) who was recently appointed as their brand ambassador with the aim of driving market reach and brand recognition was also at the launch. As a graduate of applied mathematics, Rachel spoke about the crucial role algorithms play in enabling organisations to be more efficient and to decarbonise.

MOTOR TRANSPORT ANNOUNCE 2023 AWARD FINALISTS

Congratulations to everyone that have been shortlisted for a 2023 Motor Transport Award. We’d also like to give a special mention to our customers who have been shortlisted for an award:

Best Use of Technology - JM Clark Ltd

New Talent Development Stanton Logistics Limited

Operational Excellence - Abbey Logistics Group and JPE Holdings Ltd

Team of the Year - Abbey Logistics Group and Collett & Sons Ltd

Good luck, and we look forward to celebrating all your achievements at the awards ceremony on the 6th of September where as sponsors, we will also be presenting the Service to Industry Award.

Net Zero CUSTOMER TALK

THE FIRST NET ZERO UCC OPENS

IN CAMBRIDGE

Congratulations to the team at Welch’s Transport who are set to open the first Net Zero Urban Consolidation Centre (UCC) to be built in Cambridge. The new venture support’s the city’s sustainability goals by delivering clean, emissions-free lastmile deliveries and is at the heart of the company’s new net-zero logistics fulfilment operation which also includes one of the first fully electric HGVs in the country.

ROAD TO NET ZERO

We are proud to be supporting Welch’s Transport at their ‘Road to Net Zero festival’ this month. We’ll be providing a full report in the next issue.

WE DO LIKE TO BE ON THE E-SIDE

In the Spring issue of FORS’ Standard magazine, a headline caught our eye - “We do like to be on the e-side”-and we were delighted to read that FORS Gold Accredited Operator Fox Brothers of Blackpool has made history by putting the UK’s first battery-electric tipper trucks into service. The two Volvo FE Electric 6x2s, which were delivered in 2022, are the first such vehicles of their kind in the UK and have cemented Fox Brothers’ status as a pioneer on the UK’s route to a net zero transport industry. Fox Brothers also runs some battery-electric plant items, including diggers and rollers, as the UK’s construction industry is also faced with a net zero target.

ON BOARD WITH SUSTAINABILITY

As a supply chain specialist, the Woodland Group is committed to doing its bit in reducing single use plastic in the supply chain, and with pallet-wrap and packaging essential to everyday global logistics operations, they have invested in sustainable solutions to cut down on the reliability of singleuse plastic across its locations around the world. Reading their sustainability strategy, they have also implemented a range of brilliant measures to lower energy consumption, switched to zero tailpipe emission forklifts, and is proud to say that 75% of their equipment is electric battery powered.

CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT

SHINING A LIGHT ON OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

At last year’s Motor Transport Awards, JPE Holdings won the coveted Operational Excellence Award, and this year it’s been announced that the family-based company that specialises in the delivery of virgin, recycled and blended aggregates has been shortlisted as a finalist again in the same 2023 award category.

To celebrate, Subir Gupta, account manager for JPE, caught up with Lindsay Smith, the company’s Compliance Manager, to get a deeper insight into their excellent operational achievements, including Earned Recognition in line with the theme of this issue.

First, Subir asks for a little bit of background information on JPE’s operation.

We are based in the West Midlands, and since 1994 we have specialised in the delivery of virgin, recycled and blended aggregates. Our fleet consists of 35 rugged Volvo 8-wheelers, 2 Volvo Grab Wagons, 7 Volvo FH Arctics and Trailers. The company also owns three quarries, excavates, delivers and collects upwards of 1,250,000 tonnes of aggregates every year for a cross-section of customers that serve or operate in the construction and highways industries.

Congratulations for the win last year and reaching the finals again this year! Aside from winning the MT Awards Operational Excellence Award, what are you most proud of achieving in your role as Compliance Manager?

I think it’s the fact that we continue to operate to the utmost standards in safety, efficiency and profitably. As such, year on year we always strive to achieve operational excellence - an example of this is attaining an overall weighted ER compliance score of 99.52% this year, for both drivers and vehicles, which is a further improvement on last year’s score of 99.12%.

With these impressive compliance scores, I guess it made sense for you to consider Earned Recognition – what motivated you to go for it?

We were invited by the DVSA to become a member of their ER scheme in 2022. The business was already FORS Gold accredited and the immediate advantage that ER offered was the ability for a government accredited body to independently audit all aspects of transportation compliance and safety every 4 weeks at no cost to the business. Plus, all the expert and communication support that comes from the DVLA scheme – and the fact that our vehicles are exempt from roadside spot checks ensures no customer delays, which is critical in the construction industry.

On a non-practical level, our ultimate aim in gaining ER accreditation was so that we could be recognised for the high standards we maintain as an organisation, and to show how conscientious and committed we are.

At that time too, being accredited as an exemplary operator, meant we met the pre-requisites required by transport operators wanting to tender for work on the HS2 project.

Talk us through your journey to becoming ER accredited and how we might have helped?

Until 2020, JPE’s transport operation was ‘old-school’ and reliant on pencil and paper and excel spreadsheets – it was burdensome and labour-intensive to manage.

To achieve ER, it was a case of formalising our company’s procedures and policies in relation to driver and vehicle compliance, and as you know Subir, having an approved software system in place which is when we first met.

You and the Aquarius team helped us embed and integrate all the new IT systems we needed to manage and report on all the driver and vehicle performance measures specified by ER - including tachograph analysis, asset maintenance and

driver defect software. With your support, you also worked with our maintenance provider to ensure that digitised maintenance inspections go straight into the Asset Maintenance portal – as an aside from ER, this transformed the way we work because it provides a full audit trail and complete paperless storage solution for all our vehicles requiring periodic maintenance or inspection.

How has going digital helped you on a day-to-day basis?

With all these systems in place, monitoring and maintaining our compliance has also become an easier task, and why we subsequently invested in Remote Downloading, Time & Attendance, PODs and Licence Checking. In fact, apart from the drivers, I’m not sure what else we can digitalise and analyse with such fine detail.

As part of this investment in new technology, we also upgraded and invested in the best vehicle telematics, live tracking and camera systems, which together with Aquarius software solutions has created companywide efficiencies, directly increased profitability, and exceeded both driver and customer expectations.

I know you value the data and statistics that you can report on from the software; would you be happy to share any of your recent KPIs to illustrate your operational excellence?

We are really proud of our high levels of tachograph compliance in line with Drivers’ Hour’s Law and over the last 12 months, our overall driver’s tachograph infringement count is 99.64% compliant. Our vehicle maintenance stands at 99.4% and most serious incidents is 100%.

Has anything else come from being ER accredited?

In October 2022 we were given the opportunity to become the first ER Operator to achieve certification in the Transport for London (TFL) Module by working closely with DVSA to demonstrate the standards the business maintains.

Finally, can we touch on that in addition to your industry leading credentials in both compliance and safety, you are now looking to lead the tipping industry in your mission to reduce CO2 emissions?

Yes, we want to reduce CO2 emissions by 25% and last year we became the first UK operator to order the new heavyweight FMX Electric 8x4 tipper from Volvo. This forms part of our 10-year strategy for reducing our carbon footprint, as part of our commitment to operational excellence across all areas of the business.

Thanks Lindsay, and good luck at this year’s awards – we will see you there.

Aquarius helped us integrate all the new IT systems we needed to manage and report on the performance measures specified by ER

CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT

WASTE-A-WAY GAINED MORE THAN JUST EARNED RECOGNITION WITH AQUARIUS

Waste-A-Way Recycling Ltd who provides specialist bulk haulage for the disposal of waste and recycling materials across the South and East of England, the East Midlands, and London, had an interesting journey on its way to achieving Earned Recognition (ER). It included a complete change in the way its depots in Basildon, Colchester, and Rochester operate and report on driver and vehicle data. And it was a move with the help of Aquarius that not only helped them achieve ER accreditation, it also revolutionised their business model and created far-reaching benefits.

The first step on the journey, came when Ian Malone, the Transport and Health & Safety Manager at the Rochester depot (pictured opposite) called Subir, our National Account Manager, to discuss his motivations and aspirations for becoming the first waste disposal and recycling haulier to achieve ER – at the time WasteA-Way was using Aquarius’s tachograph analysis software. It’s important to note that before starting on the pathway to ER each of the Waste-A-Way depots worked autonomously when it came to managing driver and vehicle data.

After consultation with Ian, Subir advised the first step forward for ER, as per the DVSA’s application criteria, would be for all three depots to combine and amalgamate their driver databases through one tachograph analysis software system. This way the company’s full driver compliance rating could be assessed against the ER standard, using Aquarius’s approved ER system.

On completion, they could see where the infringement gaps were and what steps were needed to achieve ER. Overall, the tachograph results were very good for Waste-A-Way, and by working with Subir to embed Driver Debrief and E-sign for example, and the company investing in remote downloading, Ian said infringements “soon dropped off a cliff”.

Alongside this, Waste-A-Way had put out a tender for a DVSA-approved ER vehicle maintenance software solution and subsequently agreed to put Aquarius’s Asset Maintenance on trial. Previous to this they had always used a paper-based system to manually manage vehicle PMIs.

They immediately saw all the benefits of having an integrated tachograph analysis and asset maintenance IT solution, which gave them full visibility in real-time of all the depots’ drivers and vehicles. As busy transport offices, maintaining one data set made the process of managing compliance much easier and meant they could drill into, and report on, linked driver and vehicle information easily – and remotely.

A great example of this is with their in-house team of mobile fitters who do all the PMIs for each of the depots. Ian explained, that before Asset Maintenance, the mechanics worked across all three depots, but there was no visibility, it was difficult to track their movements and there was no cohesiveness; but now, with all the depots working together on one live system, our mobile mechanics can immediately see where and which vehicles need fixing, creating massive time and cost efficiencies.

The final stage of the digital roll-out came via the Aquarius App, by introducing driver defect checks.

With Asset Maintenance and Driver Defect combined, when comparing with similar vehicle systems, systems, Ian said they preferred the flexibility and useability of Aquarius’s systems and it has significantly helped to reduce VOR days. Integration with the Defect Check App, has enabled defects and PMIs to be instantly assigned to the mobile mechanics with a simple click of a button, providing 360° integration.

As a waste and recycling company, the number of assets, and the different types of assets the company manages is huge. Whilst for ER, Aquarius’s approved Asset Maintenance system naturally ticked every box as it provided a full reportable audit trail for all vehicles requiring periodic maintenance or inspection, Waste-A-Way also wanted to go one step further.

Uniquely, they also wanted as part of the daily walkaround and maintenance checks for all their 161 assets to be included and integrated into the App and Asset Maintenance, including tractor units, walking floor trailers and fleet support vans, as part of their overarching aim of having full visibility and creating measurable efficiencies across the three depots.

With ‘other’ driver defect apps they wouldn’t have been able to achieve this, but by working with Aquarius’s in-house IT development team, a solution was created.

Test

Assess

28 day trial

Whether it’s tachograph analysis, defect reporting or Asset Maintenance, signing up for a trial enables you to:

CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT

ER was a full-on fifteen-month journey for Waste-A-Way, of which Aquarius provided critical support for over six months. Not only did Waste-A-Way become the first waste disposal and recycling bulk haulier to successfully achieve ER, but they have also completely changed the way they work at every touch point of their business.

Ian Malone said: “This journey began by us wanting to achieve ER, so that we could stand out as a business and be formally recognised for operating to the highest standards of compliance - show customers how conscientious and committed we are. We achieved all of this, in no small part thanks to Aquarius – in fact at one stage, while we were sorting out all the checks for the asset listings, Subir was a constant feature on my recent calls list!”

“Moreover, operationally for us as a team working across three depots on a day-to-day basis, we have gained so much more than just ER by implementing this company-wide digital process.

“Moving away from a paper-based system to manage all our vehicle and asset maintenance procedures digitally and the integration with defect checking and tacho-analysis has been a game changer for us.

“We’ve been able to deploy people’s time more efficiently and quickly, including our mobile mechanics; and having full visibility in real time of our driver / vehicle / asset data for all three depots on one system is not only helping us keep our excellent ER compliance rating, but it’s also completely revolutionised the way we work for the benefit of our staff and customers,” confirmed Ian.

ER was a full-on fifteenmonth journey for WasteA-Way, of which Aquarius provided critical support for over six months.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT APPY

DAYS

By Mark Johnston, Aquarius Director, who has led the development of

the new Aquarius App.

We are excited to announce that our new re-designed App will officially launch later this Autumn, and it will support our full range of integrated driver and vehicle support services, from driver walk around checking, maintenance records, company training and policy documentation and electronic time sheets.

Our original App primarily started out many years ago as a driver walk around check, and as our digital portfolio has grown, as well as how technology has advanced, we decided to redevelop this new App from the ground-up. This gave us the opportunity to completely rethink its design and create a technically intuitive and robust App; and use customer feedback to enhance its useability and make all the features easier for drivers to use. We also wanted to create a future-proof platform that will allow us to further expand the capability of the App in line with the development of our digital services.

The new Aquarius App has been designed to improve the user’s experience, and make it even easier for drivers to record, interact and access information on their mobile or tablet. Built with the driver in mind, the enhanced customer-oriented interface, which features updated ‘service’ icons that reflect our branding, also makes the navigation process between each of the services more efficient, and quicker and simpler to use.

The App, which removes the need for manual paper trails, fully integrates with our tachograph analysis and asset maintenance software systems, with driver and vehicle data seamlessly, and securely delivered from the driver back to the road transport office in real time for monitoring, actioning and in-depth reporting.

This development forms part of our commitment to delivering ‘real’ integrated business solutions; and especially because the Aquarius App plays a central role in supporting the day-to-day reporting of driver and vehicle data within our software, and provides an important service in facilitating two-way communications between a company and its drivers.

The App drives many of our core compliance and ER-approved software and safety services, so it is important that we continually review its functionality in line with our own technological developments, while also thinking about how all the processes are used every day by drivers.

EARNED RECOGNITION

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

The DVSA Earned Recognition (ER) scheme is a voluntary scheme for all operators of lorries, buses and coaches who can demonstrate a strong track record of compliance and adherence to standards. Operators must be able to show they have robust systems and processes that promote effective and proactive transport management. Once successfully accepted into the scheme, these operators will enjoy the benefit of a reduced burden of enforcement.

Operators who successfully achieve ER status will possess a proven culture of compliance. By allowing DVSA to remotely monitor their compliance systems, checks can be carried out which will provide the assurance and confidence that the operator is effectively managing the transport operation and functioning in a compliant manner.

In exchange, these operators may benefit from a reduced number of inconvenient and costly roadside checks and visits from enforcement officers thereby reducing the administrative burden of regulation on those who achieve high levels of compliance.

The scheme ensures that compliant operators with ER status obtain best business value from the enforcement regime and creates a model that will drive up compliance and enable others to aspire to. It also enables DVSA to divert its resources to target the serious and serially non-compliant where the risks to road safety are highest.

Benefits for the Operator

• Be an exemplary operator, and be able to prove this when you bid for contracts

• Be less likely to have your vehicles stopped at the roadside for inspections

• Be less likely to have DVSA enforcement staff visit your premises

• Be able to use the DVSA earned recognition marque on your website and other publicity materials and on signage a at your premises & sites (But not on your vehicles)

• Direct access to the DVSA earned recognition business team

• Be able to bid for certain contracts

• Efficiently saving through having digital systems in place

• Have access to exclusive best practice DVSA workshops, summits, and information services

• Have access to commercial modules such as HS2 & LPT2 (London Power Tunnel2)

• Be part of a unique compliant group, where you have a direct feed into DVSA

Other benefits

• Improved road safety due to re-investment of DVSA resources to focus activities on the non-compliant. It also provides a platform for future DVSA initiatives.

PLUS, as you’ve seen from our customer case studies, by implementing all the required digital systems for monitoring and reporting on driver and vehicle compliance activity, lots of wider business benefits will be achieved in terms of efficiencies and costs savings.

Approved driver and vehicle software

To be eligible for the ER scheme - in order to be able to report on the Key Performance Indicators required to demonstrate compliance for both maintenance and driving activities - operators are required to have a ‘DVSA-approved’ IT system. Aquarius digital solutions for both reporting on driver and vehicle data were one of the first integrated systems to be accredited by the DVSA for the ER scheme, and since 2018, the team has helped many operators work towards ER and achieve recognition.

Another company, the Aquarius team has helped achieve ER accreditation is Wickes Building Supplies Limited (“Wickes”), and Mark Wheeler, Wickes’ National Transport and Compliance Manager, said: “As a company that operates to the highest standards of compliance, there are so many benefits to gaining formal ER accreditation, and going digital has made monitoring and maintaining our compliance a much easier task. For ER; at the click of a button, we are able to report our figures every month to the DVSA who monitor our vehicle maintenance KPIs.”

If you’ve been inspired by our customer’s ER stories in this issue of CONNECTED, and you are an exemplary compliant operator, you can test out your ER status using our ER approved IT systems for Tachograph Analysis and Asset Maintenance. Contact us for details

DVSA OPENS ‘ROAD TO DVSA EARNED RECOGNITION’ PROGRAMME TO SUPPORT NEW LORRY, BUS AND COACH OPERATORS

New HGV and PSV operators can ALSO now get support and guidance to become fully compliant by joining the ‘Road to DVSA Earned Recognition’ from DVSA. The trial programme, which launched on the 14th June, is available to new operators who have been issued with a licence in the last 6 months.

Being on the programme will help them build best practice and good compliance in their business, so they can confidently apply for Road to DVSA Earned Recognition status in the future.

For existing operators, it strengthens DVSA’s commitment to ensuring there is a level playing field when operators are competing for business. By having closer ties to DVSA, operators who join the road to earned recognition programme are more likely to meet our standards and can work towards membership of the earned recognition scheme.

During the 2-year programme, DVSA will work to provide support and guidance to those who join the road to DVSA earned recognition. This will include a structured learning programme and one-to-one contact with DVSA.

“I’m excited that DVSA have launched this new programme. For me road safety and compliance are key to our industry, Earned Recognition has set a clear standard around both of these subjects and is highly regarded within our industry. To be able to expand the brand with a new programme aimed at new operators is a great development. I’m huge believer in trying to get things right, so supporting new operators with clear milestones over a two-year programme means we encourage compliance and road safety from day one. This will help operators get it right with support from DVSA, as well as ensuring a safety & compliance culture is developed within their business; rather than trying to unlearn bad habits,”

Phil Breen Earned Recognition National Account Manager

Operator applications for R2ER started on the 14th June. For further information please email r2er@dvsa.gov.uk

‘REACH FOR THE SKY’ WITH AN INDEPENDENT DESKTOP COMPLIANCE AUDIT

In the second of his articles for CONNECTED, Chris Cuffe discusses the topical conversation of how Aquarius customers can benefit from an independent desktop compliance audit.

For the interests of this feature, Chris uses a fictional character called Woody to set the scene:

Unlike his cartoon namesake, Woody is no cowboy when it comes to compliance. He has been a Transport Manager for seven years and he knows the challenges involved in driver compliance and he knows the stakes are high for the company if things go wrong. Demands on Woody’s time have been increasing as the fleet has grown, and rule changes have made his ‘sheriff’ role yet more onerous and stressful.

On the face of it, Woody seems to be doing everything in his power to stay compliant – ‘pulling all the strings’ metaphorically speaking - but there is always that nagging doubt in his mind that makes him think; what would a DVSA examiner find if we were investigated? Are we really picking up every issue? Are there trends in the data I am missing? Is there a rogue driver(s)?

I am sure these questions are commonly asked in transport offices and by senior managers, and with a bit of time and investigative work the answers are all available within the Aquarius suite of products. Let’s face it though with most software, we as users are just scratching the surface and we need Google, a colleague, or the online manual (oh heavens!) to reveal those additional features.

Some of our existing customers however have decided to leave nothing to chance and have asked us to act as a set of independent eyes to look for more hidden issues in their data, and to create an audit document with findings and an action plan. These audits have not been limited to larger organisations; in fact, the largest companies will naturally have more dedicated resources to handle these processes.

I would suggest that any company where the fleet is growing rapidly, or there are multiple sites, should consider whether an audit could be of benefit. It could also prove to be an important step towards Earned Recognition if that is an aim.

In recent years the DVSA has been tightening up its requirements and in particular they want to see a strong handle on continuous data, which means the inclusion of the correct manual entries. They also want to see effective management and debriefing of infringements together with tangible evidence of walkaround checks and defect detection and management. They are also taking a keen interest in missing mileage and driving without a card.

For further information about our auditing and training services contact the Aquarius team.

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It could also prove to be an important step towards Earned Recognition if that is an aim.

Problem solving

In recent audits we have uncovered a range of issues;

• Missing driver and vehicle data for a number of reasons

• Missed walkaround checks or too short to be effective

• Missed walkaround checks when swapping vehicles

• Missing trailer checks

• Data stuck in the import queue as wrongly assigned

• Vehicle data with no associated driver and vice versa

• Vehicle over speeds due to incorrect calibration

• Driver ejecting a card then continuing to drive

• Failure to account for large amounts of missing mileage

• Failure to debrief large numbers of infringements

• Incorrect manual entries leading to unnecessary infringements

The audit report which takes 1 or 2 days depending on the scale of your organisation outlines in detail case examples and recommendations for their detection in the future. We leave no stone unturned to find ways to help the organisation. We give statistics to help to highlight the extent of any problems. We don’t hesitate to point out all the positive areas too.

In terms of the action plan, we highlight any additional training required, which once actioned will inevitably lead to greater confidence and hopefully a marked reduction of issues in the future. There is no witch hunt here and the audit is confidential - we are all on the same side looking to improve outcomes for managers and drivers.

Our audits are not exclusively limited to compliance as the Aquarius suite is extensive and some of our customers have asked us to include Asset Management; again we analyse the data looking for incomplete schedules, missing data, and ways to improve the use of the system and reporting to avoid anomalies.

Given that software is improving all the time and Aquarius is adding features almost on a monthly basis, it becomes hard for users to be fully abreast of everything. We hope that the audit process can help companies to ‘reach for the sky’ with their compliance responsibilities, or as close as possible, and get the most out of their investment in Aquarius’ software in all areas.

TALKING COMPLIANCE

With Marc Caplin, our Compliance Manager

IS YOUR TACHOGRAPH ANALYSIS SOFTWARE FIT FOR PURPOSE?

Ever since the introduction of digital tachographs back in 2006, operators have been required to download data from their drivers’ cards and vehicles into some form of software to analyse the information. This approach was new to many operators at the time, some of whom would have been used to analysing their analogue charts manually, or by a third-party analysis provider.

As you would expect, there was some initial resistance to this change of approach and, although comprehensive packages such as ClockWatcher were available from day one, some operations did not fully appreciate the value of employing full analysis systems and were content with more basic “entry-level” software. This is certainly true of smaller operations where driving was not their primary function with the explanation of “we only have X drivers” given as a justification as to why full analysis was deemed unnecessary. As such, there remains a huge amount of these packages in use across the UK; this being the case, I thought it might be useful to examine what a tachograph analysis package needs to provide in 2023.

It is our perception that the expectations of what an operator needs to evidence in the event of any sort of intervention by enforcement authorities has only become more rigorous over time so operators need to ensure that their analysis system is able to provide the relevant information.

You need to keep an eye on downloading!

As a minimum, systems need to give clear information regarding when driver cards and vehicles were last downloaded. Many systems such as ours will have a colourcoded “traffic light” system that can be configured to reflect the downloading policy of the company. Gone are the days where the legal download intervals of 28 days for the driver card and 90 days for the VU are viewed as sufficient with many operators downloading cards daily and vehicles weekly.

How are you managing infringements?

The primary function of any analysis system has always been to manage driver infringements and there are still some software packages out there that do not provide automatic analysis of Drivers’ Hours and Working Time (RTD). This means that the onus is on the operator to manually calculate the data and decide whether or not drivers have committed infringements. This is now an outdated approach and is, inevitably, prone to human error. The best approach is to employ a system that will automate this for you and allow you to generate reports for the driver to sign off.

This leads us on to driver debriefing; operators are required to provide a clear audit trail evidencing any debriefing conversations that they may have had with the driver, along with any subsequent actions. Often, this can be carried out

electronically, for instance using something like Aquarius’ eSign system, but operators can still use paper-based reports, so long as a clear audit trail can be evidenced.

In turn, this debriefing procedure must be clearly integrated with the operator’s own internal policies and procedures. It is surprising how many companies we speak to that don’t have anything written down that outlines what the expectations are for the drivers, or what will happen in the event of repeated infringements. Many operators seem content that simply having a system is sufficient, not appreciating that it is only part of the story!

What about Working Time (RTD)?

Although the Road Transport Directive is often viewed as a poor relation to Drivers’ Hours and sometimes gets neglected by both drivers and operators, they are still required to monitor it both on the road and as an overall operation. If your analysis system is not able to provide infringement data against Working Time or does not allow you to track Working Time averages across a Reference Period, you are leaving yourself vulnerable to enforcement action.

Keep an eye on record-keeping!

Less comprehensive systems may not contain seemingly basic functions such as a clear driver calendar that graphically displays driver data across time. In this current age of 24/7 roadside record-keeping, the absence of this would leave the operator unable to track whether or not drivers are making the relevant manual entries on their driver cards. Yes, the onus is on the driver to make these records, but the

inability to monitor this would be seen as a failing on the part of the operator as it is their responsibility to ensure drivers are trained on the current regulations and record-keeping methods.

Analysis of vehicle data is crucial!

Rewind the clock 10 or 15 years and the emphasis was very much on driver infringements with less of a focus on vehicle data. Over time, attention has been increasingly turned to various aspects contained within the VU file, usually centring around three main areas; unaccounted or missing mileage, unaccounted vehicle movements, and vehicle overspeeds.

If your analysis package does not provide this information, it’s worth giving serious consideration to upgrading to a more comprehensive system to avoid being caught unawares in the event of any enforcement action. A compliant system should enable the operator to add explanatory notes to any occurrences of missing mileage and fully investigate any instances of a vehicle being driven without a card, as well as record any driver debriefing that may follow from this.

In summary, whether you are an owner-operator, if haulage is not the primary element of your business, or if you run a multi-depot road haulage company, the compliance requirements are the same and will be enforced in exactly the same way regardless of fleet size. On that basis, ALL operators

must ensure that any compliance software they are using is fit for purpose and covers all the required areas. Choosing a proven software provider that’s at the forefront of the legislation and who are experts in their field will ensure you have all the tools to manage all your compliance needs.

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” ALL operators must ensure that any compliance software they are using is fit for purpose and covers all the required areas.

TALKING COMPLIANCE

TACHO GLITCH DRAGS ON

Confirms Guy Reynolds, Co-founder of Aquarius

Almost a year ago we broke the news about there being a ‘technical glitch’ with remote downloading on some GEN2 tachographs, and seemingly no resolution has been made yet. As a result, this continues to cause huge administrative headaches for several of our UK customers.

For background, we were told in November 2022 that a “fix would be released imminently”. At the time my initial response was, “what does imminently mean? Does this mean tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year?” We are now in June 2023 and still no fix has been released.

With the new Smart TACHO VERSION 2 being released in August this year (2023), could a fix for the current units now be ‘imminent’. Let’s hope so, because on top of this, we’ve also heard that some dealerships and OEM truck manufacturers are refusing to replace the faulty tachograph unit as part of the warranty.

As always, we would be happy to discuss this matter with any customers and we are open to questions – email myself, Mark Johnston or Marc Caplin.

ROADWORTHINESS UPDATE

In May, the DVSA published an updated version of its Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness. Of note, is the importance of ensuring that advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane departure warnings are in full working order.

DVSA describes the Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness as providing the industry “with best-practice advice on operator and driver responsibilities to ensure that their vehicles are safe to be on the road.” Please refer to the latest document here: