Pulled By DVSA | First Experience | Tachograph, Vehicle & Load Checks 

Your attitude was that of a man who had nothing to hide, so it was basic checks, fast, in, out and back on the road. By the way if you don't want to be chilly don't wear shorts in the winter 🥶😜. Best wishes from Northern Ireland.

When you know someone that has recently worked for the DVSA you know how valuable they are when you see the state of some of the vehicles they pull over. Good to see you were positive about it James - unlike most conkers! New sub gained!

Well done James not only was your vehicle in check, your attitude also goes a long way and nice to see 👍

I imagine the vehicles would be in even better shape if they repaired the potholes and dips in the road, kept road markings painted also. Normally they are patched by the next winter but not this year. Safety always never seems to be an issue when it incurs costs to the government. They want everyone to keep the vehicles safe but then leave the roads they run on to rot. There is a definite dual standard running here. We need a RDVSA namely a Road, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency looking equally at all aspects of the road system.

Really nice to see such a polite, respectful and compliant interaction just as it should be done. They have a job to do to maintain safety standards for us all so well done mate. Some creeds and cultures would instantly start kicking off playing the usual victimhood card. You have shown how it's properly done and what the outcome should be. Really proud to be a Brit when I see this sort of thing.

I'm not even a trucker (van driver driving over 100000miles a year) but was interesting to see this. Often see these guys on the M6 and M74 pulling vehicles over, great to see how it works. Also just subbed, I'd be grateful for one back!

Really enjoyed the video and hope you have a long and enjoyable career in this industry. I have been retired now for 2 years after spending 40 years driving HGV’s ,over this time i would say i have been pulled probably half a dozen times. I have always found the Ministry and later VOSA polite and fair when ever i was stopped. A lot depends on your attitude you take and the Company you work for. They know the Cowboys out there, they also know what companies stick to the rules and don’t ask you to run bent. It doesn’t pay to break the driving laws and the majority of firms and drivers realise this. Anyway I’m just going to make myself another cup of tea 🍵 and get back into 🛌 bed,do i miss the early starts,queuing at the docks,getting wet, and inconsiderate drivers no way. Happy motoring DUDE 👍

Good to see that they were kind and professional

Love that you were so respectful to them and then they were so respectful with you in turn. So many videos about DVSA or anyone else of authority where they instantly have a camera shoved in their face, someone mouthing off about our freedoms being taken and then when authority naturally has to be enforced to stop that behaviour the person mouthing off then uses it as "evidence" of bullying. It's insane. You were polite and professional, glad they didn't find anything wrong.

I got pulled for the first time last year. Myself in a 26T and the lad infront (driving convoy) got tugged in his 7.5T. Both cards read, both vehicles checked. He walked away with £800 in fines and I got £0. He was in his 60's and i'm 27, been driving since 18. Shows the difference in training levels. He had no straps on, what so ever in a curtainsider and was 1.5T overweight with tacho infringements. He genuinly acted shocked that they threw the book at him!

First time viewer James. Just goes to prove if you are polite and courteous, it goes a long way. 👌🤝

Didn’t think I would be watching a video of a trucker getting inspected by government agents, and enjoying it on a Saturday night. Look forward to your next videos!!

So many rules, regs and restrictions around HGV driving in the UK but rather strangely, no industry specific rules around pay. Law stipulates that truck drivers can't work 7 days a week and must have minimum daily rest periods (quite right) but then no law compensating truck drivers for those restrictions with industry specific remuneration. Happens in other countries but oddly not in the UK.

I guess it shows that the training we got was pretty decent. I haven't been pulled myself, but always take a bit more care than some of the other drivers I know with strapping up etc. When you get into good habits at the start, you tend to keep them up, plus we got it all explained pretty good which I don't think a lot of drivers get, they just get taught how to pass the test and the job is so much more than that. I have even had to show a couple of "experienced" drivers, the best way to use ratchet straps and how to tell what weight they take etc. Good vid mate, always good to see someone you know doing it right.

WOW, they're making you accountable. This is great, it gives me a whole new respect for our wagon drivers. My granddad was a trucker, he worked for Christian Salvesen out of Easton along the A1, Honeypot Lane I think it was. One thing I noticed, on his truck he had TIR and i never knew what that meant.

It helped that you had everything in order - well done

I’ve been pulled in that spot on the way back from having the truck MOT’d! Still nervous as heck even though the wagon was all ok. I’m only a HGV tech so they didn’t worry about Tacho. Polite people there. They’re a good bunch as long as your attitude is correct

A great interaction with DVSA. You were polite and honest, with the right records. They treated you accordingly and with respect. Nicely done to you, and DVSA

G'day James, Thomas here from Sydney, Australia. First of all, great blogging which I could not go past subbing and belling. I look forward to seeing more of your travels. I am an Aussie truck driver driving Semi trailers on what we call a HC licence (Heavy Combination, which I assume is HGV in your native land.) and am surprised at how far ahead you Europeans are with data logging your driving. ( I think it is Brilliant!). Here we have what is called an interception book in each truck which we hand the Heavy Vehicle Inspectors when pulled over by a mobile vehicle or through weigh stations which we must pass through with the digital road sign telling us to either 'return to the highway' or enter weighbridge. We are heavily regulated here how ever what I find interesting is the fact you did not have any paper form of a log book (We have to manually draw up graph lines for time worked and rest with columns above to put our KM's in with our location with our licence number, date, times, signature and locations etc.) like our National Heavy Vehicle Regulator has for us. Where each entry is on an original with 2 carbon copies underneath it. I really hope they move to a similar system like yours. I think it is fantastic and saves so much time fart-assing around with a pen and ruler and saves the hassle of clerical errors which can attract decent fines , which has alot of the old school truckies here hanging up the keys on the job unfortunately. I think a system like yours in Europe would actually have a positive outcome in retaining drivers here as there is less headache with log book errors and therefore possible fines if it was all digital. Anyways enough of my yappin' Safe travels brother and a Merry Christmas to you and yours. Cheers mate.

Seemed like a nice bloke and very friendly

As a casual PSV driver, this reassures me that they're just checking the things I already check on my daily walkaround checks.

Great video mate. Being friendly and upfront makes a massive difference with those guys

I got my first pull a few weeks ago, and I fully agree with you. They were sound as a pound with me. Learnt some new things when I was with them and all was good. They get a bad rep and its undeserved, all they are doing is keeping the roads safe.

Great video 👍,it’s crazy how many drivers don’t know how to do a manual entry. 😮

Fair play I can see why people with no patience might get pissed off but imo there doing a good job because I wouldn’t want a death trap artic behind me or a driver who has hammered the road with no sleep so they seemed fair and sound. Great video James your a cool guy so I’ve just subbed ❤

They are all lovely when they can not find a fault.

1st time welcome to the club. I've been pulled 3 times in 1 day before nottingham/grantham then again coming out of sleaford. I'm adr which makes it double the fun.

Touch wood been driving hgv for nearly 7 years and not been pulled YET. Nice to see what to expect when it inevitably happens. 👌👍

They definitely target scaffolding trucks and tippers as they usually find some infringements and maintenance which is overlooked compared to bluechip company wagons.

Just like everyone they have a job to do and I feel better knowing that they spot checking big rigs it's like many say peace of mind know most trucks be in good condition just like James has shown to be great video.and well done

The dvsa should do this with cars and lgvs way more often, I work in a dealer and the amount of people that are happy to scoot about in cars with damaged or ancient tyres is beyond belief..

Attitude is everything I have found. Think I have been pulled 3 times. Always polite as they are only doing their job.

Congratulations on the 1000 subs dude 🤙🏻🤙🏻

ive met those two when in my coach before and they were great when pulled over. do your job and not a problem they are just doing a job

I got pulled into one of these while driving a coach. It was quite a while ago because it was before digi-graphs came in. I was working for a well known holiday company and I was on my way back to base after running a feeder service down to the Coventry area. After pulling in and switching off the guy came onto the bus and said it was a tachograph check. Myself, and the 30ish other feeder drivers I was running back to base all waved our tacho envelopes in the air for him. He took one look down the bus, said "Errr, you lads usually do ok with graphs, then got off again and sent us on our way lol. Quickest stop check I ever had 😂😂

And now you have a second good experience with mechanical checks too. Had to come back to see how this one went too. 😂

This time of year they are pulling like crazy to get that money pot a bit fatter. I've been pulled twice in 2 months and I drive for a company that does everything by the book. I was good both times but it just eats into your day.

Well done, your on the ball with tacho which is what they check for so carry on don,t give them an excuse to get you, As anything they can find there is no symphony at all.

Past my class one in 1972 at Kidderminster in a TK BEDFORD retired in a SCANNY 3 years ago most enjoyable year's of driving miss it a lot.

Welcome to J27 of the M5 near Willand Devon. I go past this DVSA check point all the and it is very rare that i see a truck there... People are so nice around here as you have seen.

I was pulled recently not by VOSA but the police doing more or less the same thing checking HGVS etc... they told me they primarily look out for scaffolders and foreign lorries.

Looks like you’ve found a good niche here mate!! Keep up the good work

Ive been pulled in the same stop as you before with a land cruiser and trailer with mini digger on had to go over weighbride to check every axle then vehicle check pulled up for fraid brack away cable but very nice people to talk to Andy buckfastleigh

These guys! Out there working it, and bus drivers

As a professional driver i dont like taken chances with other road users, safty is top of my list seen accidents with large vehicles most of the time the smaller vehicles come off worse. I have seen other HGV drivers drive very unprofessional driving to close.

Congratulations on 1,000 subscribers, can't wait for the merchandise! Ahahah

I got checked twice in 1 week a couple of weeks ago once on the Tuesday and again on the Thursday ! I did tell them on Thursday I doubt they’ll find much as not a lot has changed since I got checked on Tuesday !

I think that the majority of DVSA enforcement officers are polite like the one that you had to deal with, But I have also been treated very disrespectfully by a couple which can tend to colour ones opinion of them. I'm retired now and happy not to have to deal with them any more and hope that your future dealings with DVSA continue to be met with the same level of mutual respect.

Brilliant vid james. Im a new pass class 2 and have always wondered what happens in that situation

Textbook stuff mate well done 👍👍

This man is probably the nicest guy I’ve never met lol

They're just people doing a job, I popped in one night and asked if I could park overnight at the one at Stafford and they were more than happy to allow me to park for my 9 hour rest

Cauld red handed Working.!

I got pulled by the DVSA 10 minutes into my very first shit. Picked up a class 2 in Aintree, drove round the block and got pulled over - no issues so all good but I did shit myself a bit hahahaha

Did he not ask you to take the flag in your cab down????? Great video James. Best wishes with your career.

The reason people don't like the DVSA or VOSA as they were know is because they have defects or taco infringements. If people do there job by checking there truck and load etc then they would have nothing to worry about. I always say. If you have done nothing wrong then you have nothing to worry about. Happy driving and I may see you on the road. From a fellow Truck Vlogger :P

These guys primary job is to make money, they are self funding and most of what they do is BS. You might well have had a good experience James but the truth is that you are not in control of most the things they can fine you for. Having driven trucks for over 40 years i can assure you that not all your encounters with VOSA will be so enjoyable.

All you wanna do is work, this shit is never ending

The most regulated profession on the road..they want you to manually enter a toilet break next ...thirty years of driving classes 1&2 not renewing my CPC next year..but loved the job..good travels.

DVSA are normally fine in this situation, it's the Old Bill you need to be wary of as they tend to (sometimes) contradict DVSA guidance and seem to have their own rule book !!

Great vid good to see.

After 55 years coach driving l remember when there were no tacho regs ,now just retired l think that tachos caused more problems than they solved

More importantly did you get to the loo 🤣🤣 Nice upload

Nice see friendly DVSA guy nice video James shows you know your stuff lol 🤣🤣

wow, great see you so patience with the DVSA. seems like a lot of things. Wonder if there are GPS devices that be accessed by DVSA.

Got pulled by them the other day 1st thing they said weres your tacho I told him I dont need one were except from them it's a ipv. Looked at me confused I said go and check the law mate. 5 mins he comes back and says yes your right your from them on they was trying to find anything possible they found nothing and was free to go

It’s one of those situations where if you have everything as it should be you’ll have a good experience. People keep poor records or don’t check their truck wonder why dvsa give them a hard time lol

Improper use of the horn LOL

Great video James 🙏😀

Jeremy Clarkson,asked me to see if you had any hitchers in the cab. Lol

I work alongside these guys and they tell us they actively target scaffold and tipper lorries

Great choice of team brother

Ahhh it’s chilly proceeds to wear shorts 🤣🤣🤣. You make me crackle 😅

They got me last year, the guy was alright, but the there was atleast four machanics all over my truck and I was bricking it, but thry let me go... But I d k

Doing his job well. As are you, clearly

I enjoyed this James , what do you use camera wise ?

Just realised after a while of watching that you drive around where I live 😂

209k views keep up the good work mate.

The Gastapo got you.....show me your papers!!! 🤣🤣🤣

Cool bro

James your in the wrong job mate,your potential on video could take you to the top ;-)

They ll stop you when you drive curtains or flat beds.. They went next to me, overtook me while I pulled double deck box, than they seen curtain truck in front of me and they stopped him.. :)

Must be annoying, particularly with how tight routes are planned with tacos, but I suppose they're just doing their job and it's a necessary one.

Hello new the channel . Just passed my class 2 . Live in Plymouth . That was in Tiverton

I've always found that if you are decent with DVSA, they are fine with you. See people who try to be smart and it never helps.

I just felt the DVSA chap had to find something to comment on, sadly I see far worse driving that doesn't get addressed

The ministry used to ride round in the back of a cop car and the police would pull you over for the ministry to check you over.

They are really after companies that aren't compliant we all make mistake with the tacho

I wanted to work for them but I wasn't a schoolgrass .or a class bully and no mates

Treat them with respect, they will do the same. You did well lad.

Did you manage to get a piss in the end....lol

The strap was a good idea, as unlikely as it would be you do not want to be crushed by your load.

There’s good ones and bad ones. Unfortunately it’s the sort of job role that attracts people who were bullied at school who will do you for anything. I think the cross strap thing was bs as well, those stillages weren’t going anywhere.

Good driver 🎉🎉🎉🎉

Hi, wow I don't miss that BS. I'm glad you had an easy time there. I know they need to check everyone is safe ect, but any person that wants to do that as a job is not the kind of person that would be on everyone's Christmas card list. I was polite there.. that's 45mins of your already sometimes a tall order delivery time gone. The way the UK is crammed with far too many numptys on the road makes it bad enough as it is. I can see your an asset to that company though & your obviously very good at the job & very keen on doing things right. Even taking care of your appearance. You look very smart ect. Good on you & I wish you all the best in your journey of life & trucking. When I started in 92 all my work colleagues told me I'd just caught the tail end of it being a good job. They were spot on. My dad drove abroad since 74 & every school holiday I went with him. Its all I ever wanted to do. I'd seen so many things at such an early age. A school teacher told me not to tell stories when I said I seen different things like I'd stood at the top of the leaning tower of Pisa in Italy ect. I had travelled the whole of Europe. As soon as I was old enough. I took my test. 3 days later I had a brand new space cab daf & new fridge trailer. I was down to Dover. See the agent. Get T forms & on the ferry. We did 4-6 weeks away. Then 1 week home. I wish I'd had a gopro & RU-vid back then. I gave it up as a profession a while back now & have a garage in Weston super Mare. I do tell some stories in my vloggs of nonsense on my channel. Anyway essay over. Good luck James I shall now hit the subscribe button. Take care mate.

Super video. Good to see how it works at the coal face. I’m a planner (yes I know the battle that goes between us all lol)

I need to fart, I hope they don't get in the cab and it smells. Saying that as the window was closing made me chuckle.

Not a truck Driver myself but I don't think if you were the nicest person on earth, if they found a problem with your taco or your truck they would do everything in their power to give you a fine,their not on your side

Great video.

Pity they don't pull over Tippers who regularly speed on Motorways. and elsewhere,