Haulage operator Robert Wainwright, has been ousted from the industry after a confrontation with Deputy Traffic Commissioner Nicholas Denton during a public inquiry in Cambridge. Wainwright’s outburst came as he was grilled about his company’s high rate of MOT failures and vehicle prohibitions, which were double the national average.
Wainwright, who manages Derbyshire-based A R W Haulage, came under scrutiny following a DVSA investigation prompted by a roadside stop of one of his HGVs. The driver confessed to driving without a tacho card on multiple occasions, with one incident resulting in an immediate prohibition due to defective brakes.
Further investigations uncovered that the truck had been driven for over 1,500km without a card on numerous occasions, often exceeding legal driving limits. Wainwright’s fleet had accumulated eight prohibitions out of 20 encounters in five years, with a staggering 67% MOT failure rate.
During the inquiry, Wainwright defended his company’s safety practices, attributing the DVSA’s scrutiny to fault-finding rather than genuine safety concerns. When challenged about the accuracy of his maintenance records, Wainwright retorted by telling Denton to stick his operator license “where the sun don’t shine”.
Despite a momentary calm from Wainwright, he later expressed frustration with the DVSA and the traffic commissioner’s office, eventually surrendering his license via email. Denton, however, rejected the surrender, citing Wainwright’s failure to take responsibility and address the systemic issues within his operation.
In his decision, Denton highlighted Wainwright’s lack of financial standing for his fleet and his tendency to deflect blame onto external factors. Ultimately, Wainwright’s refusal to acknowledge the evidence presented, including numerous prohibitions and MOT failures, led to his indefinite disqualification from the industry.
