Statutory Document 6: Why Good Driver Management Matters
Good vocational driver conduct starts with clear expectations, relevant training and effective management.
The Senior Traffic Commissioner’s Statutory Document No. 6: Vocational Driver Conduct, updated on 7 November 2025, explains how Traffic Commissioners approach conduct concerns involving Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) and Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) drivers in Great Britain. It covers circumstances in which vocational driving entitlement may be suspended or revoked and drivers may be disqualified.
For fleet managers, transport managers and operators, the practical message is clear: driver compliance needs active support. Policies, training and supervision must work together to help drivers make safe decisions every day.
Vocational drivers are held to a higher standard
Professional drivers are expected to meet a higher standard than ordinary licence holders because of the vehicles they operate and the risks involved. PCV drivers also carry responsibility for the safety of their passengers.
Where conduct raises concerns about a driver’s fitness to hold vocational entitlement, the case may be referred to a Traffic Commissioner.
That makes everyday driver management important. A policy stored in a handbook has limited value unless drivers understand it and managers consistently reinforce it.
Expectations should be clear on mobile phone use, speeding, drivers hours, tachograph records, vehicle heights and incident reporting.
Driver CPC training should address real operational risks
Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) training is part of a vocational driver’s continuing professional development. Drivers who need to maintain their Driver CPC generally complete 35 hours of periodic training every five years.
Statutory Document 6 encourages training that reflects the driver’s needs, with necessary training undertaken promptly and the remainder spaced throughout the cycle.
Completing training late in the cycle is not, by itself, a compliance breach. However, it may be viewed negatively where delayed training leaves a driver without essential knowledge and contributes to an offence.
For managers, the useful question goes beyond whether a driver has completed their hours:
What training will help reduce the risks we are seeing in our operation?
Repeated tachograph infringements, poor route planning or unsafe driving behaviours should help inform that decision.
Mobile phone use can have consequences for the operator
The guidance treats the use of hand-held mobile phones and other electronic devices while driving as a serious road safety risk.
Where a vocational driver is communicating with an employer or customer while using a hand-held device, the Traffic Commissioner may also consider the implications for the operator’s repute.
A clear mobile phone policy therefore needs support from the wider business. Managers, planners and customer-facing teams should understand how their communication expectations affect drivers.
Drivers should never feel that answering a work call or responding to a message takes priority over safe driving.
Drivers hours and tachograph compliance need consistent oversight
Drivers hours and tachograph rules help protect drivers and other road users. Deliberately falsifying records can lead to serious regulatory action, and the guidance indicates that falsification may be regarded as more serious than the offence it conceals.
For managers, the lesson is straightforward: delivery targets, schedules and customer demands must support lawful, safe driving.
Effective oversight means monitoring compliance, investigating recurring infringements and addressing the reasons behind them. Training should reinforce those controls.
Bridge strike prevention is a management responsibility too
Bridge strikes can put lives at risk and cause major disruption to road and rail networks.
Statutory Document 6 expects drivers, operators and transport managers to use available guidance to prevent collisions with bridges and other infrastructure. Following an incident, the Traffic Commissioner may also examine the responsibility of the operator and transport manager.
Route planning, vehicle height awareness and relevant training should therefore be active management controls.
Managers need confidence that drivers understand the height of their vehicle, have suitable route information and know what to do when a planned route becomes unsuitable.
How Driving for Better Business supports good driver management
This focus on prevention aligns with the approach promoted by Driving for Better Business, a free National Highways programme that helps employers reduce work-related road risk, manage associated costs and improve compliance.
Its mission centres on improving safety through good management practice. Resources such as its Driving for Work Policy Builder, gap analysis tools and safety guidance can help businesses review their arrangements and strengthen driver management.
For operators reviewing their approach to vocational driver conduct, these resources offer a practical starting point for turning written policies into everyday action.
Visit Driving for Better Business to explore its free tools and resources.
What should transport managers and operators do now?
Traffic Commissioners consider each driver conduct case on its individual facts. The document’s starting points are not automatic outcomes: the seriousness of the conduct, previous history and relevant positive or negative features all matter.
The practical response is to focus on prevention:
- Review driver policies: make expectations clear, accessible and understood.
- Plan relevant training: address identified risks and individual learning needs.
- Monitor compliance: use records and incident reports to identify recurring problems.
- Act on warning signs: investigate concerns early and follow up on corrective action.
- Support safe decisions: give drivers confidence to raise concerns without pressure to compromise safety.
Good driver compliance starts with good management. Relevant training, clear policies and consistent supervision help protect drivers, passengers, other road users and your operator licence.
