A Somerset haulage operator has had its licence revoked, subject to a period of grace, after the Traffic Commissioner found that its director and transport manager repeatedly falsified drivers' hours records by using another driver's tachograph card.
At a public inquiry in Bristol, Traffic Commissioner Kevin Rooney heard that Andrew Tucker, sole director, transport manager and driver for TMA Haulage Ltd, had used a former employee's driver card on multiple occasions during 2025 and 2026. Mr Tucker initially denied the allegations during an interview under caution but later accepted that he had been driving while another driver's card was inserted in the vehicle unit.
The investigation was launched by DVSA following intelligence suggesting drivers at the company were using a second card to avoid drivers' hours requirements. Analysis of vehicle unit data identified repeated misuse of a driver card belonging to former employee Bradley Baulf.
The Traffic Commissioner found that Mr Tucker had falsified records by using Mr Baulf's card on three occasions in June and July 2025 and repeated the misconduct again in April 2026.
As a result, the Commissioner determined that Mr Tucker had lost his good repute as a transport manager and ordered his indefinite disqualification from acting as a transport manager.
TMA Haulage's operator licence was immediately curtailed from five vehicles to four and the Commissioner found that the business no longer met the requirements for professional competence and effective management. The licence was revoked, although a period of grace until 6 October 2026 was granted to allow the appointment of a suitably qualified replacement transport manager.
A further revocation order based on loss of good repute will also take effect on 6 October 2026 unless Mr Tucker is removed as a statutory director, replaced by an individual able to demonstrate genuine control of the business, and his shareholding is reduced to no more than 50%.
The public inquiry also considered the conduct of Mr Tucker and former driver Bradley Baulf as vocational licence holders. The Commissioner revoked Mr Tucker's LGV entitlement for 12 months, while Mr Baulf's vocational entitlement was revoked indefinitely.
In his decision, the Traffic Commissioner concluded that the repeated use of another driver's tachograph card represented serious and deliberate falsification of records, striking at the heart of the drivers' hours enforcement regime.
