Concerns over data are on the rise, not least among road haulage personnel.

Questions about how, where, what and why data is stored have long been on the lips of operators; and increasingly, drivers are making their voices heard.

From drivers' hours and WTD figures to vehicle maintenance records, more and more driver activity is being caught and secured in Big Data's big net.

Yet on the horizon, there's a change.

Don't get excited - no End to Data Collection policy is in the works. But the freedom and control you have over your information may be about to increase.

Do explain...

Without trying to come off like a scholar of legal texts: currently, the gathering, storing and using of personal data is covered by the Data Protection Act (DPA). However, our information is due to change hands.

The EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into play on 25th May, 2018. The purpose of the new regulation is to unify all data privacy laws that apply to EU citizens. By doing so, it demands that all organizations involved in the collection, storage and use of personal data reassess the way they do so, and examine their legal responsibilities.

So what is 'personal data'?

Personal data covers everything from tachograph records to social media pages. It also covers:

• Driver license details
• HR records
• Salary
• Job grade
• Medical records
• Doctor's name
• Email addresses
• Information within emails
• Relatives' names & addresses
• Photographs

Among many, many other strands of info.

So...what does this all mean for me?

Well, the way the data is protected will not necessarily change under GDPR. There are, however, some new rules regarding what you, as an individual, can demand from the organizations that hold your data. They are:

• the right to be informed
• the right of access
• the right of rectification
• the right to erasure
• the right to restrict processing

While there are benefits for individual drivers, there could be difficulties ahead for the companies they work for. The increased administration and legal vigilance required by the new rules means small firms may struggle to keep up.

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