The HGV MOT Test, my experiences!

Buzzer:
Pete you mentioned that sometimes when during a test if it was something minor they would let a fitter fix it so as to gain a pass, Les Slater who looked after my units during the 80’s & 90’s always had a toolbox with bits and bobs in it for a quick fix plus the light bulbs as well. Sometimes you came out the test lane and fixed it outside and they would come and check it for a pass, not so as time went on and of course you had to have a nice man in the office to accommodate you, cheers Buzzer.

Yes Buzzer, you could do minor repairs at one time (I once saw a Leyland Comet up on axle stands with both front hubs and brake linings off at Derby!) but I understand that a fatal accident at a station ‘somewhere’ stopped all that? I did have a tyre tread split on the brake rollers but I had to go outside the gates before they would let a tyre company change it. Actually the very first Foden I took to Derby had the offside front brake with no reading, despite having been relined, (we had no brake test rollers at the quarry back then) and the fitter hadn’t locked the collar off on the slack adjuster and it unwound itself on route. They let me wind it up and it passed ok. I always took a box of tools and bulbs etc with me and never had a problem replacing any blown ones at the centre, however In my next posting I will mention some of the ‘issues’ I had with station staff about other corrections!

Pete.