Time to get with the programme
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ith so much happening in the business orld it's a good idea for hauliers to top back now and again, and take a cool ok at relevant issues In depth. Thanks ) our colleagues at the Freight Transport ssociation we will be briefing you on a riles of issues—this week, inspections. The UK has one of the safest and most highly regulated road transport sectors in the world. But if it is going to stay that way every operator must operate an effective vehicle inspection programme to ensure their vehicles are safe, reliable and legal.
Good safety is the product of a comprehensive and planned preventative maintenance inspection programme. An operator should not only rely on the minimum standards of the Annual HGV Test to establish that a vehicle is suitable for use.
There's a financial bonus too from operating a comprehensive and systematic inspection and maintenance programme. If a vehicle is well maintained over the course of its life, it will be much more reliable, making it more productive, Saving money from reduced unscheduled downtime as well as improving residual values.
Annual HGV tests
• Every British registered HGV has to undergo an annual test. These are carried out by the Vehicle Inspectorate (VI) on behalf of the DoT. Annual HGV Tests can only be carried out by the VI, usually at one of their specialist test centres. Locations are listed on page 425 of the ETA's Yearbook of Road Transport Law. However, there are some 'Designated Premises" such as truck dealerships where VI staff can also conduct annual vehicle tests.
A vehicle failing its annual test test might be prohibited from returning to the road until the fault has been rectified. However, this depends on the nature of the defect and the validity of the current certificate.
Faults are Io ted against your 0licence even if they are repaired at the test station and the vehicle passes after rectification. Such faults may then be taken into account by Traffic Commissioners investigating a company or at 0-licence review.
The test takes up to an hour. Minimum safety standards are checked in the following areas: lights, electrics, brakes, steering, suspen
sion, exhaust system and emissions, bodywork, tyres, wheels, fuel, transmission, axles, chassis and oil/ fuel leaks.
Maintenance management
• Any vehicle inspection regime must involve a maintenance programme. Vehicles must be checked regularly between annual tests, in accordance with the 0licence requirements and the manufacturer's recommended service intervals.
Maintenance management also means keeping records of all checks made and repair work done, either after inspection or in between, and the correct completion of inspection reports. These reports are legal documents.
Maintenance management programmes must include a system for defect reporting by drivers. This ranges from the driver reporting problems noted on his daily walk-round checks, through to problems noticed while driving. Reports must be taken seriously, acted on, and details kept of the fault and its rectification.
All records must be kept for a minimum of 15 months. If a Traffic Commissioner asks the VI to carry out a maintenance investigation then all these details can be investigated.
Vehicle Maintenance Investigation
• An 0-licence review by the VI can trigger a Vehicle Maintenance Investigation to establish that the company is running safe and legal vehicles. Such an investigation can occur if a company has a high test failure rate, has received a number of prohibitions, has had one 'significant' prohibition or has been guilty of other offences.
Checking semi-trailers
• Semi-trailers must also undergo an annual test that covers many of the same aspects as tractor units. These include brakes, running gear, lights, sideguards and underguards. While tractor units and semi-trailers can be checked separately, it is more efficient to have them tested together.
Driver's daily checks
• VI guidelines (Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness; Commercial Goods and Passenger Carrying Vehicles. DETR 1995) state: "A daily walk-round check must be undertaken by a responsible person every time a vehicle is used. The check should be carried out by the driver before he or she drives any vehicle during the course of the day as the driver has a legal responsibility for the vehicle when it is used on the road. This means there may be times when a vehicle receives more than one check in a working day.
"The check should consist of a walk-round looking over the whole vehicle or combination. The check should cover the external condition, ensuring in particular that the lights, tyres, wheel fixings, bodywork, trailer coupling, load and ancillary equipment are serviceable. Assistance may be required at some time during the inspection, for example, to see that lights are working. In addition a torch, panel lock key or other equipment may be needed."
Drivers reporting defects
• The same guidelines also emphasise the importance of drivers reporting faults. They state: "There must be a system of reporting and recording faults that may affect the roadworthiness of the vehicle and having them put right before the vehicle is used. Daily defect checks are vital and the results of such checks should be recorded. It is important that enough time is allowed for the completion of these checks and that staff are encouraged and trained to carry them out thoroughly Drivers should be made aware that daily defect reporting is one of the critical elements of any effective vehicle roadworthiness system."
Tacho calibration and speed limiters
• The VI checks tachograph seals and calibration plaquE and will shortly be checking speed limiters. Draft guidi lines for the checking of speed limiters have bet published.
Roadside checks
• The VI routinely carries out roadside vehicle check: Information obtained and stored on a new central con puter database enables them to target substandard opei ators. Roadside checks are becoming more compreher sive involving many law enforcement agencies includir the VI, police, Customs and Excise, Immigration Servici Inland Revenue and the Department of Social Secura Faulty vehicles can be immediately taken off the road.
Impounding
• The power of VI has increased since the Transport AE 2000. It may impound vehicles that are being operated ilk gaily without an 0-licence.
VI points system
• The VI has introduced a points system to record th seriousness of defects. If the points exceed a certai threshold the VI will carry out a Maintenance Investigatior
FTIVehicle Inspection Service
• The Freight Transport Association provides the Vehicl Inspection Service (VIS) for its members. Over 100 VI engineers carry out 120,000 inspections a year.
The service helps users operate safely and aid benchmarking and auditing.
CONTACTS
FTA: 01892 526171.
Operators may obtain a copy of The Department of Transport's Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness— Commercial Goods and Passenger Carrying Vehicles—from HMSO Publication Centre: PO Box 276, London, SW8 50T; phone 0207 873 9090; fax 0207 873 0011. Also available from any HMSO Accredited Agent (see Yellow Pages).