Tecalemit: bringing brake testing in-house
Tecalemit Garage Equipment has outlined some of the benefits fleets can reap from the installation of an in-house brake testing facility in terms of time and cost savings, whilst simultaneously improving operational safety and efficiency.
“The DVSA advocate that a vehicle operator should get their HGV or trailer’s brakes tested by a roller brake tester (RBT) at least 4 times per year, including at the MOT,” said the company.
“Even with a fleet of three vehicles, on average, that would mean every month a vehicle needs to be taken to a testing facility. In addition to making the vehicle available on a periodic basis, unless the vehicle can be tested unladen state, then it must be loaded for a brake test – ideally to at least 65 per cent of its total maximum weight.
“Add in the administration requirements of scheduling the vehicles for test, making them available within the fleet operational schedule, ensuring they comply with the loading requirements and establishing a process to retain brake test documentation with the vehicle inspection records, all of a sudden the task becomes a sizeable undertaking.
“Not only does the operator need an available driver to get the vehicle across to the testing workshop and an account to pay the bill, by the time you in the fuel used and a typical axle test charge of £10 – £15, the total cost of testing a tri-axle trailer start to approach the £100 mark.”
Investing in a commercial vehicle brake tester may not be as onerous as it might first seem, the company contends.
“With a modest fleet size, a realistic payback could be achieved in approximately 24 months if the use of the equipment is leveraged through the provision of volume third party fleet tests.
“The benefits to the fleet operator can be huge. Tecalemit’s DE9700 commercial vehicle roller brake tester allows the operator to build their own fleet database, automatically recording vehicle test results and removing all of the administrative activity of creating a manual records system up in the office.
“Add in the ability to test a vehicle within minutes together with minimal downtime for the trailer, tractor, driver and no third party fees to pay, then the benefits start to multiply dramatically.”
In addition to safety checks, regular brake testing can also bring benefits in terms of preventing system failures and eliminating on-road problems, says Tecalemit.
“Brake binding and ovality issues can be diagnosed early and preventative maintenance scheduled appropriately,” the firm continued.
“The binding brake that causes overheating and wheel bearing damage can be addressed in good time, reducing the risk of the potential subsequent on road failure with expensive call out repairs and delays to the load shipment.
“With advantageous leasing options, spreading the cost of a Tecalemit DE9700 over five years and leveraging the investment through the provision of third party tests could see a roller brake tester paying for itself in as little as two years.
“At the end of that period, the provision of brake testing is effectively free with the ongoing maintenance and calibration of the brake tester easily being covered by continuing to provide a brake testing service to third party operators.”
Cited advantages of the Tecalemit DE9700 unit include powerful 15KW motors, a soft start facility, and an eight sensor axle weighing system, which is integrated into the roller bed/frame system, allowing for automatic brake efficiency calculation providing ease of use for the operator.
It can be configured for two-man or single-man operation, via RF touch screen remote control or from a PC workstation. Users have the option of selecting automatic or manual mode and the capability for operator to construct a vehicle database for the important record keeping accuracy.
Approved for ATF and ATL MOT testing of Class IV, VL and VII vehicles, the bi-directional testing capability of the Tecalemit DE9700 is said to provide location flexibility, while the roller lock allows easy exit of driven axles from the brake tester.
