Speaking at a public inquiry in Birmingham last month, he said that Gurpreet Garcha, director and owner of the haulage firm, had been prepared to put profit before the law, risking their safety and the safety of other road users.
The traffic commissioner ruled that Garcha had encouraged his drivers to commit offences, including removing their tachograph cards and continuing to drive illegally, while also breaking rules himself.
At the inquiry, Garcha said he had not told his drivers to work more hours than they were legally allowed to, or to remove their tachograph cards.
He admitted that he had taken out his own tachograph card and continued to drive illegally, but said he would have missed a delivery if he had not.
Seven of the company’s drivers said they had been told by Garcha either to work when they should have been resting, or to take their cards out and continue driving.
“It is not simply a matter of negligence, but Mr Garcha’s positive incitement of drivers to commit offences which makes the case so serious – and which requires a significant period of disqualification,” ruled Denton.
“The controlling mind of the company – director and transport manager Mr Garcha – was instrumental in those offences, encouraging his drivers to commit them and structuring pay … so as to make them more likely to commit breaches,” he added.
Garcha has now been disqualified from acting as a transport manager for three years, with immediate effect.
He will also be disqualified from holding or obtaining an operator's licence on 08 January 2017, when the company’s two operator licences will be revoked.