Policies for Transport and Haulage Companies

Policy Pros writes bespoke policy and procedure documents for hauliers, logistics companies, couriers and van fleet operators across the UK. Whether you hold a goods vehicle operator licence or run a van fleet below the O-licence threshold, we produce the documented systems that DVSA, the Traffic Commissioner, FORS auditors and your clients expect to see.

Bespoke, audit-ready policies from £65 + VAT per document. Get a quote or call 020 3951 2875 for a free scoping conversation.

Policies Transport and Haulage Companies Need

Legally Required

• Health and Safety Policy Statement - a written policy is required with 5 or more employees under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
• Vehicle Maintenance and Safety Inspection Procedure - keeping vehicles fit and serviceable is an operator licence undertaking under the Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995
• Driver Defect Reporting Procedure - your O-licence undertakings require drivers to report defects in writing, with records kept for at least 15 months
• Drivers' Hours and Tachograph Procedure - the limits in assimilated Regulation (EC) 561/2006 are law, and observing them is an O-licence undertaking
• Working Time Policy for Mobile Workers - the Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations 2005 cap average weekly working time at 48 hours, with no individual opt-out
• Data Protection Policy - UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 apply to tachograph, telematics and camera data, all of which are personal data
• Employment contracts and core HR policies - written particulars are required from day one under the Employment Rights Act 1996

Expected by Regulators, Clients and Accreditation Schemes

• Driver Licence Checking Policy - permitting an unlicensed driver is an offence under section 87 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, and Traffic Commissioners and FORS expect scheduled checks
• Drug and Alcohol Policy - a standing expectation of Traffic Commissioners and a FORS Bronze requirement
• Driving at Work and Road Risk Policy - HSE treats work-related driving as a workplace activity under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
• Mobile Phone and In-Cab Device Policy - all hand-held phone use at the wheel is illegal, and auditors expect a written rule covering devices, sat navs and cameras
• Fatigue Management Policy - expected by Traffic Commissioners and required for FORS accreditation
• Workplace Transport and Yard Safety Policy - HSE expects documented traffic management wherever vehicles and pedestrians share depots and loading areas

What the Traffic Commissioner Expects to See

When your operator licence was granted, you signed undertakings, including that vehicles will be kept fit and serviceable, drivers will report defects in writing and the drivers' hours rules will be observed. Those undertakings are commitments to run documented systems, and the goods vehicle operator licensing guide makes clear that failing to honour them puts the licence at risk.

When DVSA carries out a maintenance investigation, examiners ask for safety inspection records, the forward planner, driver walkaround check and defect reports, and evidence that reported defects were fixed before vehicles went back out. The findings go to the Traffic Commissioner, and missing paperwork is treated as a failed system rather than an administrative slip.

The DVSA Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness is the benchmark examiners audit against. We write maintenance and defect reporting procedures that follow it, so your paperwork matches what an examiner expects to find.

Drivers' Hours, Working Time and Fatigue

Drivers of most goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes must follow the assimilated drivers' hours rules and record their time on a tachograph. Lighter vans usually fall under the GB domestic rules instead, which still set duty time limits and require records.

The Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations 2005 sit on top of the hours rules. Mobile workers are capped at an average 48-hour week with night work limits, they cannot sign an individual opt-out, and DVSA enforces the regulations.

Traffic Commissioners also expect operators to manage impairment risk. Our guides to tiredness and fatigue policies and drugs and alcohol policies explain what those documents should cover.

FORS and Client Audit Demands

FORS Bronze is now a routine contract condition on construction, infrastructure and major distribution work. The annual audit asks for written evidence of policies and procedures covering maintenance, licence checking, driver fitness, in-vehicle technology and more, approved by management and reviewed regularly.

Only the smallest fleets, with fewer than five vehicles and fewer than five staff, may explain some requirements verbally at audit. Everyone else needs the documents, which means the demand for written policies comes from procurement teams as much as from regulators.

Depots and Drivers Off the Road

Haulage compliance does not stop at the cab door. Depots, yards and loading bays need documented traffic management, covered in our guide to workplace transport policies, and staff who use cars on company business need driving for work and road safety policies.

The same applies to the employment side. Agency drivers, disciplinary rules for hours infringements and absence management all rely on HR policies and procedures that reflect how a transport operation actually runs, alongside your wider health and safety policies.

What Policy Pros Delivers

• Bespoke documents written around your fleet, your operating centres and your O-licence undertakings, not a generic template
• A fixed-price quote before any work starts
• Review rounds included, so you can adjust the wording until it matches your operation
• Final documents supplied on professionally branded templates, ready for an auditor or examiner

Extremely professional and thorough. The policies were tailored perfectly to our sector and delivered ahead of schedule.

You can read more reviews of Policy Pros on Trustpilot.

How to Get Started

Tell us about your fleet, your licence type and any audits or contracts on the horizon. We will scope exactly which documents you need and give you a fixed-price quote with no obligation. Get a quote or call 020 3951 2875.