Can you describe the role of a Traffic Examiner?
The Traffic Examiner role is very varied and I’m lucky to say every day is different! Typically, I am scheduled on road checks at fixed or mobile sites where I encounter heavy goods and light goods commercial vehicles. HGVs are checked for driver hours compliance on tachograph data, and light goods are checked for being overweight/overloading in the first instance. If offences are found, prohibitions and fixed penalties may be issued, and then subsequent operator visits are scheduled where I will visit the operator to complete a systems audit to examine how/why the roadside offence occurred. Court appearances are also part of the role, where we are the face of DVSA in Magistrates Court to prosecute some roadside offences, and appearances with the Office of the Traffic Commissioner may also feature as well in Public Inquiries.
Additionally, the role also encompasses Environmental Visits for operators who are looking to move operator centre, apply for a new site, or make changes to their current licence and site. This variation is what makes the role so appealing and enjoyable, as well as the opportunity to work with colleagues across the country and external agencies including Police, Border Force, DVLA and HMRC.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career at DVSA?
Do it! Take the time to check out the breadth and depth of roles on offer – it is a big agency offering something for everyone within each directorate between Enforcement, Corporate Affairs, Corporate Services, Operations – Driver and Vehicle Services, Digital Operations, and Office of the Traffic Commissioner to name a few. I am still getting to grips with the vastness of the agency and all that it has to offer on the long career I intend on having here.
What can you tell us about the culture at DVSA?
Before I even accepted the job, I felt there was a real sense of inclusivity, passion and care within the agency. I’ve previously worked in various roles across the public sector, and I didn’t know anything about lorries or transport before joining DVSA – I thought a tacho was something you ate! I have been truly supported by my immediate team and manager since joining, and additionally by colleagues I trained with across the agency.
We’re actively encouraged to attend DVSA events to get to know our colleagues, contribute to leadership Q&A sessions and engage with wider teams through our internal platforms. This has really helped me to connect with some great people who are always at the end of the phone or a Teams message should I need any help or support in my role.
What type of professional development opportunities have you undertaken during your time at DVSA?
I love to learn and think it’s so important to upskill and develop your skillset in any role. At DVSA, there is an abundance of learning opportunities – both internal and externally – to help diversify and develop skills pertinent to you and your role.
To date, I’ve explored the capabilities of Power Bi – a program I use weekly in my role for operator information; brushed up on long-forgotten skills for Excel and challenged myself learning about ‘continuous improvement’ for the workplace. I’ve completed a Level 3 Apprenticeship in Public Compliance, recently enrolled onto a mentoring course, and I’ve also been accepted onto the Civil Service ‘Achieving Your Potential’ scheme. The opportunities are endless, and that can’t be said for a lot of employers.
Can you tell us a time that you’ve taken on a learning opportunity that was outside your usual responsibilities?
Following successful blog posts on our internal colleague intranet platforms, I was approached by senior leaders to be a regular contributor of the DVSA Enforcement X account. Following training, I post regularly, highlighting non-compliance found at the roadside and providing advice and guidance to our followers. I really enjoy liaising with colleagues across the agency to promote what we do and find at the roadside – and to show the difference we make to road safety, taking dangerous vehicles off the road or stopping their journey before a serious incident can take place. Sharing recent cases and advice in this way helps us spread awareness to a wide audience and I’m pleased to say that many of my posts have gathered local and national media attention. It’s so rewarding to see engagement on the account with the public and I’m really proud to have been recognised and put forward in this capacity, highlighting the important work we do for road safety.
Interested in being a Traffic Examiner?
To find out more information about being a Traffic Examiner, or to apply to the position, visit our careers site:
