Compliance & Advice

FTA Ireland understands the challenge that road transport operators both national and international face with keeping up-to-date with, and on top of regularly changing legislation and developments within transport policy.

Our members can access a range of detailed information, guidance and support to apply to their road transport operations.

From compliance advice on adhering to your Transport licence requirements and support on the latest updates to drivers’ hours rules to best practice guidance on increasing your fuel efficiency, there is valuable easy-to-understand advice available.

Own account operators

Membership is also available to all organisations that operate their own goods vehicles. Whether you have just one HGV, a fleet of vans or a multi-national mixed fleet, this membership is for you.

Environment

Like many human activities the transportation of goods from A to B by rail, water, road or air all of it has an impact on the environment. Some modes more damaging than others, but the FTA Ireland works with all to reduce their effect. We were the lead proposer for the setting of a working group on alternative fuels.

TruckSafe Standard

One of the compelling reasons for FTA Ireland’s existence is to improve compliance levels and industry image, both at home and abroad. The development of TruckSafe scheme is designed to ensure members have the systems in place to ensure compliance.
Set your fleet apart with TruckSafe FTA Ireland’s robust standard designed by our members for our members throughout the freight industry.

By reaching a standard your company shows your commitment to driver safety, road safety, environmental issues, safe and secure loads, the roadworthiness of your fleet and compliance with all legislative requirements of the Road Safety Authority.

The Road Safety Authority, Health Safety Authority DTTAS and insurances companies have shown recognition to companies that reach a TruckSafe Standard.
Have confidence that your fleet is operating at the highest standard…,

Currently Bronze Standards ensure that there are systems in place to manage the following:

• fatigue
• road worthiness
• driver competence
• road traffic rules
• safe and legal loads
• Road Haulage Operator Licence
• professional competence
• good repute
• sustainable operations
• contractor and support services management
Silver and Gold Standards will critique the effectiveness of these systems

Van Fleets

Do you operate one or more vans? Find out more about how FTA Ireland can support your van operation with our new VanSafe operation systems Compliance Audits.

VanSafe provides operators with the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to safer, more efficient and sustainable van fleets.

It also provides confidence to you and your clients that your operation is compliant with current legislation and best practice.

Fuel

Find out what we are doing to help members reduce the burden of fuel prices. FTA Ireland members can see real benefits through our EcoDrive training program and enjoy the following benefits

Improve energy performance in L/100km (mpg)
Increasing profit
Reducing emissions
Meet their energy efficiency obligations
FTA Ireland TruckSafe Standard Silver and Gold levels focus on sustainable performance
Enprova are providing funds to members to help them achieve Silver and Gold
Standard.

Services

Visionfta?

A powerful platform allowing users to manage driver and fleet compliance via a single portal.
Born from decades of experience leading the industry and our clients’ driver and fleet compliance, Vision has been specifically designed to incorporate insights from our industry-leading services such as Tachograph Analysis, Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS), Training and more.

The amalgamation and analysis of data through a single platform provides a unique view of your organisation through a single view of your drivers and fleets.

Vision also offers integration with third party data, such as telematics and remote downloads, to feed critical compliance-related data into the system for storage, analysis and management.

Vehicle Inspection Service

What is this service?
Our wide range and type of vehicle inspections are carried out on everything from vans and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) to buses and specialist lifting equipment. All our inspections are accredited by United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) and are available nationwide.

The VIS team of engineers covers the UK and Republic of Ireland and works with some of the biggest names in logistics across a wide range of industry sectors such as retail, construction, public and private passenger operators and 3PL (third party logistics) operations. We also provide this service to a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Our engineers are equipped with all the necessary tools and equipment to carry out either a Preventative Maintenance Inspection (PMI), a thorough examination inspection of your lifting equipment (Loler), or an Audit Inspection to check the standards of your maintenance providers.

As we undertake this type of work across a significant number of FTA members, we are able to supply industry specific benchmarking information to help you manage compliance.

Why inspect my vehicles?

As part of your operator licence undertakings and Road Safety Authority Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness Act 2012 you have a legal obligation to maintain your vehicles in a roadworthy condition and SI No 348 of 2013 Road Safety Authority Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness (Vehicle Repair and Maintenance) Regulations 2013 you must ensure your drivers are carrying out their duties in completing routine driver walk around checks. Around 80 per cent of heavy goods vehicle company’s operators entrust their vehicle maintenance and repairs, and ultimately their operator licence, to external service providers.

You should regularly inspect your vehicles to:
• ensure compliance with the latest legislative requirements
• reduce the risk of safety critical defects that could contribute to accidents
• improve vehicle downtime, save money on costly repairs that occur when defects are left to further deteriorate,
• prevent the possibility of vehicles being prohibited, drivers receiving fixed penalties points and fines and assist with the improvement of your Commercial Vehicle Operator Risk Indicator. (CVORI)

Tachograph Analysis

What is Tachograph analysis?

Tachograph analysis involves a team of dedicated staff who analyse and interpret your drivers’ hours data for you. We analyse over 20 million analogue and digital drivers’ records each year, providing detailed reports highlighting areas for development and giving you immediate access to infringements.
How does it work?

Simply submit your tachograph records to our analysis bureau and our team of advisers will analyse and interpret the data. We will then supply you with comprehensive reports outlining any infringements or errors.

If you have both analogue and digital records, we can combine the data to produce a seamless report, providing you with one simple management overview.
You can upload your digital tachograph data via a wide range of digital solutions including remote products, such as the Digipostpro and Digifobpro, or using our cutting-edge tachograph analysis software with the FTA Uploader. You can submit analogue charts to Tachograph Unit using an FTA scanner and Smartscan software.

What are the benefits of FTA Tachograph analysis?

Our Tachograph analysis service has the following advantages:

Reduces costs
We charge per driver per day, so you only pay for what you use. Furthermore, we do not charge you for re-scans or vehicle unit (VU) data

Increases compliance
Detailed reports highlight any infringements or areas for development and full industry benchmarking is available at no extra cost.

Provides peace of mind
Your charts are thoroughly analysed and interpreted by a team of experts.

Driver and Tachograph Systems Management Audit

Our Driver and Tachograph Systems Management Audit provides you with detailed checks on the systems you have in place to deal with driver management, drivers’ hours compliance and working time rules. The audits are designed to ensure your maximum compliance and working efficiency.

How does the audit work?

FTA Ireland’s compliance advisors carry out bespoke checks – tailored to your business – which follow the same structure as those carried out by the Road Safety Authority Enforcement’s Section (RSA). A typical audit covers:
• driver compliance and training
• record management
• management of working time
• agency drivers
• driving entitlement
• data analysis

What are the benefits?

The audit has the following advantages:

Increased compliance

Checks that your procedures follow the latest regulations and highlights areas for improvement

Peace of mind

You know your systems are audited in line with RSA’s recommendations

Increased business efficiency – helps you implement action plans for driver training and improving working processes.

Tachograph Management Reporting

Our Tachograph Management Reporting provides easy-to-read reports covering all areas of your operation’s tachograph performance and drivers’ hours compliance.

What are the benefits?

Whether we analyse your records at our bureau or at your premises, our compliance advisors will take your analogue, digital or mixed fleet data and provide you with unique management reports.
The reports let you compare your depots’ performances and benchmark against industry standards, plus help with driver management, aid with vehicle utilisation and make your operation more compliant and efficient.

What are the key features?

You can produce the reports yourself through our self-service and dashboard options as well as having them scheduled and emailed to your inbox.

What reports are available?

• Driver upload compliance reports
• Vehicle download compliance reports
• Infringement categorisation reports

Tachograph On-site Compliance Service

What are the benefits of this service?

Our On-site Compliance Service reduces cost, relieves workload and increases compliance – your trained advisor will carry out procedures in-line with the latest regulations. Additionally, the service is fully flexible; choose bespoke options tailored to your operation and for your advisor to visit your premises at a time and frequency that is convenient to you.

What are the key features?

• Interpretation of analysis reports
• Driver licence check systems
• Administration of training records
• Digital card uploads and monitoring of records

For larger companies, FTA Ireland Tachograph Services can also allocate highly skilled contract managers who will not only help you set up and roll out VisionFTA software throughout your company but will also ensure that company policies and best practice are followed throughout all depots and areas, as well as ensuring that there is continuity in the messages and reporting presented across the company.