Orkney Islands Council rolls out V-Tech Commercial brake tester
V-Tech Commercial has supplied and installed a BM14200 Roller Brake Tester for Orkney Islands Council, supporting the local authority’s ongoing investment in its vehicle workshop at the Hatston Industrial Estate in Kirkwall.
Operating in one of the UK’s most demanding local authority environments, Orkney Islands Council delivers public services to communities across Mainland Orkney and the wider island network. It manages a wide range of vehicles and plant for services including road maintenance, refuse collection, gritting, community transport, health and care support, harbour operations, and infrastructure maintenance.
The recent installation provides the council with an in-ground brake-testing solution designed for both light and heavy vehicles, helping its workshop team maintain a diverse fleet that supports essential services across the Orkney Islands.
The council’s Hatston workshop plays a central role in keeping the fleet safe, compliant and operational. With vehicles operating across rural routes, coastal conditions, and island communities, reliable workshop equipment is essential for maintaining service availability and supporting statutory compliance.
The BM14200 Roller Brake Tester is designed for high-throughput commercial vehicle workshops and is suitable for vehicles with axle loads of up to 20,000kg. Its heavy-duty in-ground design makes it well-suited to local authority, fleet, bus, HGV and commercial vehicle maintenance environments, says V-Tech Commercial, where accurate and dependable brake testing is required.
The new HGV brake tester will support the Orkney Islands Council’s in-house maintenance capability by helping the workshop carry out brake performance testing across a mixed fleet of light vehicles, heavy goods vehicles and specialist operational assets. The installation forms part of the council’s wider investment in workshop infrastructure and fleet management. By strengthening its own testing capability at Hatston, the Council can improve workshop efficiency, reduce reliance on external testing arrangements, and support more effective maintenance planning for vehicles critical to public service delivery.
Cited benefits of the BM14200 include heavy-duty construction, an in-ground format, robust roller assemblies, advanced software, diagnostic reporting and options for handheld operation.
“This installation is a strong example of how the right workshop equipment can help local authority fleets improve efficiency, safety and compliance,” said Chris Allen, business director at V-Tech Commercial.
“The BM14200 gives Orkney Islands Council a durable, high-capacity brake testing solution for a mixed fleet of light and heavy vehicles, and we are proud to have supported the council with its latest workshop investment.”
