easily tell when a driver is using a phone, as cars weave across lanes. We also spot some incredibly late lane changes, as cars shoot off onto slip roads at the last possible moment. PC Blood is able to recite their regis- tration numbers straight away. Of the vehicles that are being
pulled in, around 50% will be under 3.5-tonnes and the other half heavier vans and trucks. International hauli- ers will be searched by the Border Pa- trol officers and all paperwork checked. One major problem is drivers import- ing huge numbers of cigarettes to sell privately, as a sideline to their main driving job.
The ladders on the back are unsecured and there are cones and other
equipment rolling around in the back
“
just want everyone to act responsibly and get home safely. “We are passionate about Opera-
tion Tramline. The worst day we had 54 offences in 6-8 hours. Load security in particular is a huge issue.” We cruise up alongside a truck and PC Blood lifts his hand-held camera. We can see in the other truck’s mirror that the driver is not wearing a seat- belt. As we draw level he waves to the driver and indicates his own seatbelt.
The other driver quickly grabs his belt and gives a thumbs up. He could have been stopped and fined £100, but the feeling is very much that encourage- ment is better than punishment. “We would rather educate than
write tickets. If that driver earns £200 a day, he just lost a morning’s work,” said PC Blood.
“If he had an accident, he could lose a lot more than that,” adds PC Russell. The two experienced officers can
Above: Another van is guided onto the
scales and is, unsurprisingly, overweight
As we watch the morning progress, a scaffolding truck makes its way into the services behind a police bike. Most of the ladders on the back are unse- cured and there are cones and other equipment rolling around in the back. A pick-up comes in with a two-axle trailer, carrying steel beams. The load is secure, but the trailer tyres are prac- tically bald. The DVSA is particularly interest- ed in towing at the moment, but is also focussed on tyres. A new ban on tyres over 10-years old came into force last year for the front axles of trucks, coach- es and buses. It also relates to any axle with single wheels on a minibus. Another 3.5-tonne Sprinter rolls in, the rear end of its extra-long body al- most scraping the ground. It is car- rying flat-pack furniture and is obvi- ously way over its weight limit. The driver seems genuinely surprised to have been stopped, but he’ll be there for some time before he can get a friend to come and take some of the load away in another vehicle. Operation Vertebrae will progress up the M6, involving police forces in Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire, Warwickshire and the Cen- tral Motorway Police Group. Wherev- er your drivers are working, take the time to ensure that loads are within weight and secure, and that your vans are operating legally and safely.
JUNE 2021 • VANUSER 17
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