A Shropshire recycling operator has had its HGV fleet authorisation cut by half after serious failings were found in driver management, tachograph compliance and operational oversight.
Deputy Traffic Commissioner Dr Paul Stookes curtailed Kingpin Recycling Ltd’s operator licence from 12 vehicles to six vehicles indefinitely. The decision followed a public inquiry held on 24 June 2026.
The company, which specialises in the reuse and recycling of used tyres, came to the attention of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency after a roadside encounter in July 2025. A subsequent investigation identified 28 occasions when vehicles were driven without a driver card inserted.
Those journeys covered a total of 3,323 kilometres and involved multiple drivers. Investigators also found failures to produce complete tachograph and driver card records.
According to the commissioner’s written decision, interviews with drivers showed varying levels of understanding of drivers’ hours requirements. Some drivers admitted that cards had been removed to avoid recording excessive duty time.
The inquiry heard that the non-compliance occurred between May and August 2025, during a period when drivers were largely unregulated and unmanaged by the operator. Kingpin Recycling accepted that the failings were serious and warranted regulatory action, while saying the period coincided with internal management difficulties.
Dr Stookes found breaches of operator licence undertakings relating to drivers’ hours and tachograph compliance, but decided revocation would be disproportionate after considering improvements made by the company. Kingpin Recycling must commission an independent audit of its transport compliance systems and continue using specialist transport consultants until at least June 2027.