Kingpin Recycling Ltd, a Shropshire-based recycling operator, has had its HGV fleet authorisation reduced by 50% indefinitely. The Deputy Traffic Commissioner Dr Paul Stookes curtailed the company's operator licence from 12 vehicles to six following a public inquiry held on 24 June 2026.
The decision was made after serious failings in driver management, tachograph compliance, and operational oversight were identified. An investigation by the DVSA, prompted by a roadside encounter in July 2025, found 28 instances where vehicles were driven without a driver card inserted, covering 3,323 kilometres.
Interviews with drivers revealed varying understanding of drivers' hours requirements, with some admitting to removing driver cards to avoid recording excessive duty time. The non-compliance occurred between May and August 2025, a period when drivers were largely unregulated and unmanaged by the operator.
Kingpin Recycling accepted the seriousness of the failings and informed the inquiry that the period coincided with internal management difficulties. Despite this, the company accepted collective responsibility for compliance under the licence. The Commissioner noted that the company has since taken substantial steps to improve compliance, including appointing new management, restructuring work, increasing driver training, and investing in technology.
As part of the regulatory outcome, Kingpin Recycling must commission an independent audit of its transport compliance systems and continue to engage specialist transport consultants until at least June 2027.