Brake tester is star attraction for Transam Trucking
An East Anglian fleet operator specialising in the transport of music and stage equipment has been given a workshop boost by equipment provider Totalkare.
Transam Trucking, which works with global stars including Elton John, Jess Glynne and the cast of Strictly Come Dancing, has invested in a brake tester that can automatically simulate the load, removing the need to do it manually.
Totalkare reports that Transam has reduced the time it takes to test each of its 130 vehicles at full load capacity from one hour to just 15 minutes, in what is believed to be a UK first – amounting to a major time and cost saving with staff redeployed elsewhere in the business.
Totalkare reports that its technical experts worked quickly to identify the right solution and install the brake tester, which required some civils work but not the usual deep pit. The firm also provided extensive training for all Transam Trucking staff to enable them to get the most out of the technology as quickly as possible.
“Regulation is coming in that will require you to ensure that every vehicle you put on the brake tester has a full load on it, which will be very time intensive when you’ve got 600 tests to do a year,” said Mike Wickham, workshop manager at Transam Trucking.
“We knew we had to find an alternative to the manual approach of loading, so spent a long time researching different technologies, finally settling on the Totalkare in-ground brake tester with load simulation automatically applied.”
He continued: “It has only been in a few months, but the difference is already huge, with the capacity to test 20 vehicles – ranging in size form a sprinter van to a 53 ft arctic – every day.”
Totalkare has been providing heavy-duty lifting solutions for more than 40 years, and offers a portfolio of mobile and fixed post column lifts. In April last year, the company introduced mobile and in-ground brake testers for the first time, and says the technology is recognised as amongst the strongest and most reliable systems currently available.
All options are hot galvanised to improve durability and are run by app technology so that data and subsequent analysis can be completed on a smartphone or tablet.
Adam Bowser, area sales manager for Totalkare, said: “The brake tester installed at Transam can test up to 16 tonnes per axle, which is ideal for what the firm needs.
“Through the built-in technology, our product sets the required load in advance, before the vehicle is driven on for testing. Previously this was done by staff manually loading items to arrive at the desired weight, but this was taking too long for the output required by the workshop.”
He continued: “We have been able to deliver a solution that gives our client complete peace of mind, data that can easily be sent to the right organisations and, importantly, technology that saves them about 45 minutes per test. When you’re dealing with major global entertainment events you can’t afford to be late.
“Our dedicated service and maintenance package is also in place to ensure that any downtime is kept to a minimum.”
Totalkare has recently further increased its product range with the addition of smoke meters and headlamp testers.
Highlights of the firm’s core lifting range include its T8DC mobile column lifts, heavy-duty two post lifts, light commercial four post lift and G8AC wash bay column lift, all of which can be lease purchased over a period of time to suit workshop requirements.
