A PEASEDOWN St John haulage operator has had its licence revoked, subject to a period of grace, after its sole director admitted tachograph fraud.

At a public inquiry in Bristol, Traffic Commissioner Kevin Rooney heard that Andrew Tucker, sole director, transport manager and driver for TMA Haulage Ltd, had used a former employee’s driver card on multiple occasions during 2025 and 2026.

Tucker, who lives in Midsomer Norton, initially denied the allegations during an interview under caution but later accepted that he had been driving while another driver’s card was inserted in the vehicle unit.

TMA Haulage Limited is the holder of a standard international goods vehicle operator’s licence authorising the use of five vehicles and two trailers from a site at Old Emborough Quarry in Wells in possession of four vehicles.

The business is registered at Bath Road, in Peasedown St John after moving from an address in Dawlish in Devon in November 2023 with Mr Tucker as the sole director after his father left the business due to ill health in March this year.

The investigation was launched by DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) following intelligence suggesting drivers at the company were using a second card to avoid drivers’ hours requirements.

Analysis of vehicle unit data identified repeated misuse of a driver card belonging to former employee Bradley Baulf who did not attend the public enquiry.

Traffic Commissioner Kevin Rooney heard the public inquiry into the Peasedown haulage business.
Traffic commissioner Kevin Rooney heard the public inquiry into the fraudulent use of a driver's card. (Traffic commissioners for Great Britain)

The Traffic Commissioner found that Mr Tucker had falsified records by using Mr Baulf’s card on three occasions in June and July 2025 and repeated the misconduct again in April 2026.

The haulier had found Mr Baulf’s driver’s card inside a vehicle which was for sale. Tucker had tried to contact Mr Baulf but been unable to reach him and used his card to drive on multiple occasions. The card has since been destroyed.

The Commissioner determined that Mr Tucker had lost his good repute as a transport manager and ordered his indefinite disqualification from acting as a transport manager.

TMA Haulage’s operator licence was immediately curtailed from five vehicles to four and the Commissioner found that the business no longer met the requirements for professional competence and effective management.

The licence was revoked, although a period of grace until October 6 was granted to allow the appointment of a suitably qualified replacement transport manager.

A further revocation order based on loss of good repute will also take effect on October 6 unless Mr Tucker is removed as a statutory director, replaced by an individual able to demonstrate genuine control of the business, and his shareholding is reduced to no more than 50 percent.

The public inquiry also considered the conduct of Mr Tucker and former driver Bradley Baulf as vocational licence holders. The Commissioner revoked Mr Tucker’s LGV entitlement for 12 months, while Mr Baulf’s vocational entitlement was revoked indefinitely.

In his decision, the Traffic Commissioner concluded that the repeated use of another driver’s tachograph card represented serious and deliberate falsification of records, striking at the heart of the drivers’ hours enforcement regime.