Blog
Guidance for people running transport operations
Practical writing on Operator Licences, Driver CPC and drivers' hours, from the team building FleetOptix.
Driver CPC, explained: the 35-hour rule that keeps a licence valid
Professional LGV and PCV drivers need 35 hours of periodic training every five years — miss the deadline, and the right to drive commercially lapses, regardless of how experienced the driver is.
Drivers' hours rules, explained: daily and weekly limits
9 hours daily driving, 56 hours weekly, 90 hours over any two weeks — the limits themselves are fixed, but the exceptions and reductions are where most confusion actually happens.
The four undertakings behind every Operator's Licence
Vehicle maintenance, driver conduct, operating centre control and financial standing — each one is a promise made at application, and each is independently checkable at any time.
How much does fleet compliance software actually cost?
Pricing in this market is rarely published upfront, and most quotes vary by fleet size, module count and contract length — here's what actually drives the number, and what to ask before a sales call.
How often should you actually check a driver's licence?
DVSA's own guidance recommends checking at least every six months — but a licence can pick up a new endorsement the day after a check, which is worth understanding, not just the schedule itself.
What is OCRS, and how does DVSA use it to decide who to stop?
The Operator Compliance Risk Score is a traffic-light system that follows an operator over time — and it's built from accumulated encounter history, not a single roadside check.
Rest and breaks: what actually counts under the drivers' hours rules
A 45-minute break has to be structured a specific way if it's split — and daily rest can be reduced, but only a limited number of times per week.
Fuel and mileage reconciliation: catching the numbers that don't add up
Fuel spend and recorded mileage should broadly track each other — when they quietly stop doing so, it's usually one of a small number of causes, and none of them fix themselves.