J-BONE:
How and why is an operators risk score effected by MOT failure if someone else is responsible for preparing it?
If a main dealer garage pay, prep and MOT your vehicle using their own preparer ID, if the vehicle fails the MOT does it damage your ocrs if so why?
Would this be the same for a back street garage who only MOT lorries now and again booking it through in their own name?
If an operator pays, preps and takes his own vehicle for MOT and it fails I am right in saying it will effect his/her ocrs?
Hi J-BONE,
The nominated TM on an ‘O’ licence has responsibility for the condition of the fleet and has already agreed to that with the TC before the ‘O’ licence was issued. That’s the way of it, clear and simple.
Many people think that by contracting out their maintenance, they’re contracting out of their responsibility to the TM. WRONG!!
The most that could happen on a good day is the at TM might be able to claim that the maintenance provider is in breach of contract, but that’s NOT the same thing as the maintenance provider being directly answerable to the TC for the condition of the vehicle fleet.
A vehicle that fails the MOT test has already proved that it isn’t fit to be on the road, which is the whole idea behind MOTing them.
Then we shouldn’t forget that the vehicle was driven to the test station in that condition.
If a vehicle operator is proactive with maintenance, they should never have an MOT fail because the MOT test would be a simple confirmation that all is in order.
If a vehicle operator is reactive with vehicle maintenance, they might/could easily get an MOT fail, which WILL then impact their OCRS score because the “C” stands for ‘compliance,’ which is clearly absent if a vehicle fails the MOT test.
IMHO, those who wait for an MOT fail, and then do the work indicated on the fail sheet are actually costing themselves money because re-work and re-tests cost unnecessary extra money and downtime.
The condition of the vehicle at MOT time is considered a reflection of the standard of roadworthiness maintained throughout the rest of the year. The annual test is the easiest way to improve your OCRS. Ask the people who prep for your MOT how many failures they had last year, should be almost zero. National figures for MOT first time pass is over 80%.
Doesn’t matter who it is booked through, the vehicle is on your O licence.
The condition of the vehicle at MOT time is considered a reflection of the standard of roadworthiness maintained throughout the rest of the year. The annual test is the easiest way to improve your OCRS. Ask the people who prep for your MOT how many failures they had last year, should be almost zero. National figures for MOT first time pass is over 80%.
Doesn’t matter who it is booked through, the vehicle is on your O licence.
Yes for the reason above.
Agreed!!
Many firms sleepwalk their way into entirely avoidable difficulties when it comes to ‘O’ licence review time and then wonder why they end up in front of the TC.
All the TC wants is for the job to be done properly, and it’s not really that difficult to get it right.
You will see that the main fails are lamps and brakes.
For a little amount you can have a "voluntarily " headlamp and brake test, it’s worth the money to avoid a fail.
It also shows the powers that you are proactive with your maintenance.
It will go always against the operators OCRS score if it is a registered vehicle (trailers are not registered to the owner)
As an operator it’s YOUR responsibility to make sure that your maintenance is of high standard, just signing a maintenance contract is not enough ( but necessary)
You need to check the quality, need to audit, and need to be a secret shopper, to make sure your maintenance is up to standard.
If I mind correctly, the main issues (brakes, steering, tyres and suspension) weigh heavier on your OCRS score, than a fail for a side marker not working.
Have a word with your Vosa / DVSA office near you about maintenance, they can give you some very good pointers. ( and always better if you talk to them, than they talk to you)
The ATF I use has a small number of operators who present a vehicle for Brake test immediately before their Annual test appointment time. If it passes they continue with the annual test, if it doesn’t they are recorded as a no show.
Probably quite a significant number of annual test failures for braking effort can be put down to the actions of the person in the cab or to simply presenting the vehicle unsuitably loaded.
It’s suprising how many drivers think that you can’t build the back up to max during the brake test ,with an Erf it takes forever ,I get the air up to max again before each axle .
Punchy Dan:
It’s suprising how many drivers think that you can’t build the back up to max during the brake test ,with an Erf it takes forever ,I get the air up to max again before each axle .
We have urban artics, ex. brewery with single axle trailers, they are a challenge if they have drum brakes. Need absolutely full air and all the insides spot on or they won’t make it.
Having said that we had a headlight and brake check done at a local, (200metres ), ATF, everything OK then returned 3 days later for test, without using truck, with same trailer. failed on one headlight alignment, got a PRS, 25 points Difficult to decide what to do. Could be the headlamp mechanism but is not a fancy electric one, just a plain old turn the nut job. Will check it again obviously but I do have my doubts about the reliability of some of this testing gear.
What recently happened to me was an independent garage prepared paid and put my vehicle through an MOT. Firstly taking the vehicle for a voluntary brake test which passed with flying colours then 2 days and 4km later at the same test station for its MOT appointment the vehicle failed on brake imbalance. (same set of brake test rollers)
The vehicle V5C is in my name and it is taxed in my name but it is not yet on my O licence it being a recent purchase.
So even though the vehicle as yet it is not on my O licence will the fail effect my ocrs?
I don’t believe it will but in truth I do not know that for sure. It seems to me that the tester copies down the O licence number from the disc, if there is one. If there is not he does not put anything down. Truck dealers must put loads of vehicles through without discs / that are not on an O licence so it cannot be that unusual. Whether someone else in the “back office” then tries to allocate a failure (or pass) to an O licence via the reg plate, as I said, I do not truthfully know for sure. Maybe someone here has asked the question of them ?
), ATF, everything OK then returned 3 days later for test, without using truck, with same trailer. failed on one headlight alignment, got a PRS, 25 points 
Difficult to decide what to do. Could be the headlamp mechanism but is not a fancy electric one, just a plain old turn the nut job. Will check it again obviously but I do have my doubts about the reliability of some of this testing gear.