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HGV Levy information for drivers and operators, including details of Euro class changes from 2 February 2019. This document outlines details of HGV Levy bands and rates for non-UK registered heavy goods vehicles. It includes details of Euro class changes from 2 February 2019....

Details of how to pay the HGV road user levy and background information on the levy. The HGV Road User Levy applies to heavy goods vehicles (HGV) of 12 tonnes or more. The aim of the levy is to ensure these vehicles contribute to the wear and tear of the road network. The levy amount varies according to the vehicle’s weight, axle configuration and levy duration. Pay the HGV Levy. On 28 March 2018 the Roads Minister announced changes to the HGV levy so that from 1 February 2019 haulage firms will benefit from a cheaper road user levy if they use less polluting lorries. The newest lorries generate 80% less nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions than older ones, so lorries meeting the latest Euro VI emissions standards will be eligible for a 10% reduction in the cost of the Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) Levy. Euro Class V and older vehicles will be expected to pay 20% more. The legislative changes to allow these rate changes were brought in as part of the 2019 Finance Bill introduced in the Budget on 29 October 2018 (in particular, see number 61 of the Budget resolutions (PDF, 168KB). On the 22 November 2017 the Chancellor announced in the Autumn Budget that there would be an open call for evidence on reforming the HGV Levy. UK registered vehicles Payments are collected by the DVLA. UK registered vehicles pay levy costs at the same time and in the same transaction as vehicle excise duty (VED). Changes to VED were announced by the Chancellor in the March 2013 Budget and were made in the Finance Bill...

It’s rare in road haulage for someone to be genuinely self-employed unless they’re an owner-driver The way that some drivers are employed in the haulage industry continues to cause problems for operators. Take this example. A business recently advertised for a new driver and received 31 applications. 29 of these were from limited companies, which had been set up by drivers. HMRC believe that some employers are wrongly treating workers as self-employed or hiring them through their own companies. These practices don’t comply with tax laws and lead to unfair competition between operators. HMRC has issued detailed guidance on employment status. In general, someone is self-employed if they’re: • in business on their own account • bear the responsibility for the success or failure of that business They’re employed if they: • personally, work under the control of their engager • do not run the risks of having the business themselves If you’re involved in recruiting employees, you can get more information from HMRC’s guidance on employment status Traffic commissioners: legal entities, November...

Traffic Commissioner says regulatory action inevitable for non-compliant operator A recent public inquiry saw an operator have its licence taken away for not putting enough importance on the undertakings it agreed to when applying for the operator’s licence. The operator had vehicles stopped on three separate occasions – each time they were overloaded. Vehicles were being driven by a driver who didn’t have the right entitlement, and the director wasn’t aware of the driver hours’ rules. A vehicle which wasn’t specified on the licence was driven for a full month without a valid MOT. An audit carried out on the company showed there was no compliance and the director had “a lot to learn”. The West Midlands Traffic Commissioner, Nick Denton, said it was clear the operator failed to understand “even the basic requirements and responsibilities relating to HGV operations and licensing”. The regulator added that the company should be under no illusion about how difficult it would be to overcome its very poor history and have any future licence application...

New licence holders who fail to provide evidence face revocation Every operator must provide financial evidence when they apply for a licence. It’s an essential part of the operator licensing scheme and helps promote fair competition. And that’s important for your business – knowing other licence applicants are required to meet the same standards. Some new operators can only show the required amount at the time they apply. That’s usually because the business has just been set up. So, the licence is granted with an agreement that they’ll send in more financial evidence when it’s available and by a set date. The Office of the Traffic Commissioner keeps a close eye on these cases. We’ll write to the operator to request the financial evidence, if it’s not sent by the deadline. And where the operator doesn’t respond, the Traffic Commissioner will propose to revoke the licence. The operator can ask for a public inquiry. But if they still can’t satisfy the financial tests then the licence will be revoked. That’s exactly what happened to a scaffolding company in the North...

Check when your test is due and get detailed MOT results All too often, traffic commissioners see cases at Public Inquiry where vehicles aren’t roadworthy or safe but they’ve been used to transport goods or passengers on public roads. Frequently, vehicles have failed their MOT test the first time and operators don’t even know. DVSA has launched a new service that can help. You can now check your MOT history online, see when your next test is due and subscribe to a reminder service as a back-up to your...

Road Safety Week: 19-25 November Our second bulletin for road safety week looks at the consequences of a professional driver’s actions and the impact on his livelihood. Director’s professional driving licence revoked for driving dangerously and falsifying tachograph records Traffic Commissioner takes action after “serious, reckless error of judgement” The director of a haulage firm has had his professional driving licence revoked after being told he should never have got behind the wheel of his vehicle. West of England Traffic Commissioner, Kevin Rooney, said the director made a “serious, reckless error of judgement” by driving when he was probably suffering from fatigue. He started at just before 6am and was driving again almost 18 hours later. He was also reported for travelling the wrong way around a roundabout. The director admitted his mind wasn’t on driving due to personal issues. This led Mr Rooney to say he should never have been behind the wheel. During a conduct hearing, the Traffic Commissioner also found the director had driven vehicles to and from maintenance providers without a card in the tachograph head. As well as revoking the director’s professional driving licence, Mr Rooney also banned him from holding or obtaining an operator’s licence for two years. The latest written decisions by traffic commissioners are published...

Digital signatures now available for transport managers Improvements introduced to Vehicle Operator Licensing service From today, transport managers can use GOV.UK Verify to sign applications digitally through the Vehicle Operator Licensing (VOL) service. This means nominating or changing a transport manager can be done online from start to finish. Over the last few months we’ve spoken to transport managers and operators about offering this service. The majority said they’d use Verify if it was available for transport manager applications. When you next use VOL to nominate or change your transport manager, there will be an option for your TM to use Verify and provide a digital signature. It normally takes around 10 minutes to verify an identity the first time someone uses GOV.UK Verify. You can find out more about GOV.UK Verify...

The licences and permits you need to operate gross vehicle weight vehicles above 3.5 tonnes on international journeys from the UK. 1. Introduction 2. Vehicle operator licences 3. EU Community Licences 4. ECMT international road haulage permits 5. ECMT international removal permits 6. Bilateral road haulage permits for some non-EU countries 7. Licences for countries the UK does not have arrangements with 8. Own account traffic 9. Cabotage 10. Penalties for the misuse of licences and permits 11. More information Introduction If you operate vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating above 3.5 tonnes on international journeys, you need several licences and permits. What you need depends on the countries the vehicle will travel to or through. Vehicle operator licences You must have a standard international vehicle operator licence to carry your own goods, and other people’s goods, both in the UK and on international journeys. This applies to all vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating above 3.5 tonnes. Operators who are issued with an international licence can also request EU Community Licences, which are required for all operations for hire or reward in, or through, EU countries. Drivers who transport dangerous goods abroad must have an International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) training certificate, unless they’re transporting small loads. Find out more about being a goods vehicle operator How to apply for a vehicle operator licence You can apply for a goods vehicle operator licence online. You also need to: • advertise your application for a licence • advertise your proposed operating centres • designate a transport manager • provide information about your financial situation...

If you have been a driving instructor in an EU country, you can transfer your registration into a British one. To transfer your European Community (EC) driving instructor registration to Great Britain. It costs £300.