A client of ours referred us to one of his long-term suppliers as they had been stopped at a DVSA roadside check and the DVSA now wanted to interview them.
It was very obvious from the first meeting that there were a number (14 in total) of issues that the DVSA would want to talk to them about. The DVSA would also then be wanting to talk to the driver.
Before the DVSA interview we spent a day with the client going through the systems that worked and the things that did not and put systems and processes in place to rectify these 14 areas of noncompliance. We also coached the client on How the interview will go, how to work with the DVSA offficers and the sorts of preparation to make in advance. We also referred him to one of our trusted panel of solicitors.
The DVSA officers are duty bound to report what they find. On this occasion, they found an operator who had made mistakes, but prior to their visit he had taken step of his own to bring in specialist Transport Consultants and was already taking steps to improve.
This has meant that the DVSA are not pursuing a report to the Traffic Commissioners recommending a Public Inquiry, rather they are allowing us to continue to work with the client to make the changes that we have started.
On this occasion being proactive has saved the client from a lot of worry and we have helped make sure that they are Safe and Compliant much sooner.