We have all become more familiar with working from home in the past year. Even those of us who spend a lot of time on the road have become accustomed to completing more tasks via Zoom, email and the internet. 

But are there even more things you can do just using your phone or computer? 

Here are a few that you might not have realised were possible…

1. Submit an application for a company digital tachograph card - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) While you can still choose to make a paper application by post, using form D779B, you may prefer simply to fill in the online form and press submit.

2. Apply for a driver digital tachograph card - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Similarly, you can still download form D777BDL and fill it in if you prefer to work on paper, but you do have the option to go paperless these days. 

3. Manage or apply for a vehicle operator licence, including reporting changes such as a new address, a retired company director, or a change of transport manager. Sign in to your Vehicle Operator Licensing account (vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk)

4. Request a replacement for a lost, stolen or damaged driving licence, at Motoring (dvla.gov.uk) Realised that your driving licence has gone missing? You don’t have to get a form from the Post Office, you can apply for a replacement, and pay for it, all online. 

5. Download your digital tachograph vehicle unit and driver card with Vehicle Tracking and Remote Downloading. As you know, it is vital not to miss a download deadline. These days, the vehicle doesn’t have to be at your operating base; it can be on the road, far from home; so you never need to miss that deadline. 

6. Train for the Transport Manager CPC Road Haulage qualification online. Of course, we still have plenty of classroom-based courses for Transport Manager CPC, but if you’ve found working from home a real bonus, you can also now train from home. Places are in high demand though!

7. Check your Driver CPC hours at www.gov.uk to see how many more hours of periodic training you need to attend to make up the full 35 hours. It’s surprising how often we get asked if we can tell drivers how many more hours they need to complete. We’re happy to find out for you, but you can easily access this online yourself, so you can plan ahead to meet your next Driver CPC training deadline.  

There is also a wealth of information online about such things as the DVSA Earned Recognition Scheme, COVID regulations and how Brexit may affect your organisation. 

We recommend visiting the UK Government website at www.gov.uk for more useful topics. 

Whatever you need to know, or do, it’s now well worth a Google.