Earned recognition tops 100 operators

Almost 10% of the UK truck fleet is now represented on the Earned Recognition scheme, according to DVSA head of national enforcement Caroline Hicks.

Speaking at the Commercial Vehicle Show 2021, Hicks said 106 operators have signed up to Earned Recognition since its launch three years ago, with the majority of interest coming from the larger operators.

“There continues to be a steady increase and we are working with around 200 interested operators,” she said. “We are also seeing a lot of interest for organisations to use Earned Recognition as a standard, including HS2, Port of London and the Kent Vision Zero road safety initiative.”

DVSA, which last year issued more than 27,000 prohibitions and in excess of £3m roadside fines, acknowledges that for Earned Recognition to be successful, it has to be adopted industry-wide, not just among the larger fleets.

“This is starting to happen, with more interest from the smaller operators,” said Hicks. “We thought lockdown would stop people engaging with us. But all the way through we have had steady growth.

“We are very happy with progress and the state of the industry and we are especially happy to be seen as the equivalent of FORS (the Freight Operator Recognition Scheme) on some of these schemes. We do not charge to be part of Earned Recognition and we don’t intend to charge.”