Get a behind-the-scenes look at life as a compliance officer in the haulage industry — from tacho nightmares to DVSA paranoia.
Monday: Paper Trails and Panic
Started by chasing missing defect sheets from last week. Found one in a truck footwell, soaked in Fanta. Another was used to wrap a sandwich. Lovely.
Lesson: Drivers will store anything anywhere — except where it should be.
Tuesday: Tacho Timebombs
Ran infringement reports. Found one driver with seven rest period violations. His excuse? “I didn’t know weekends counted.” DVSA would love that.
Highlight: No actual visit this week. Yet.
Wednesday: Policy Woes
Spent most of the day rewriting our drug and alcohol policy after a legal update. Everyone’s too busy to read it, but heaven help me if it’s not on file when the auditors arrive.
Moral: Compliance is what happens when you’re not firefighting.
Thursday: Inspection Incoming
Got word we’re being spot-checked next week. Cue mass panic. Spent five hours in the archive room. Found two inspection records filed under “misc.” Thanks, team.
Win: Everything now labelled correctly. For today, anyway.
Friday: Still Breathing
Finished the week with a clean sheet. Well, almost — I’ll take a single missing PMI as a success. Celebrated with a coffee and a sigh of relief.
Takeaway: No news from DVSA is good news.
Final Thoughts
Being the compliance officer means being the watchdog nobody loves until they need saving. It’s thankless, relentless, and slightly masochistic. But absolutely vital.
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