IndigoJo:
I had this problem years ago when driving a 7.5-tonner for a packaging company near where I live - it was a pre-Atego Merc. It was exactly as you said, the steering going very heavy although I didn’t keep driving long enough to test whether it’d come back on. I had the problem three times and each time I had to call the recovery man out which meant a long wait. The last time, the recovery guy glued the offending part together and said “it won’t come off now - I’ve glued it together with Loctite!”. I thought "is that meant to be reassuring? You can get that in any DIY shop ".
I think (hope) he was referring to loctite on the threads (ie threadlocker).
It should be sorted if it’s making driving difficult/dangerous. Not sure how a DVSA stop or MOT is going to pick up an intermittent power steering fault though.
Low rev’s when going for a roundabout/corner and steering go’s heavy. 99% sure it’ll be a knackered pump. A nice little dodge of course is a smaller pulley and belt 
It could also be low fluid flowing to one side of the tank when cornering. If it is, it must be leaking because the fluid doesn’t get burnt. Betty King will be here shortly to tell us all what a load of codswallop we’re all talking.
I had this at builders yard where I worked , I had to take someone else’s truck out for some reason found that I was loosing all steering into corners , roundabouts etc , and I mean there was no steering at all ! . I managed to get back to yard , and report it and said I’m not driving it . Driver said yeah it did feel a bit twitchy ■■ , absolute arse! He was 5 seconds from getting sparkled! (im not a violent person but that just really hit a nerve lol) . God knows how long he had been driving it like that ?. . Didn’t want to give up his lovely kitted out motor for a few days to drive the shifty reserve one I think .
If the power steering on a truck gets noisy, (Usually like a groaning), and/or feels notchy or tight spots, it’s usually low level oil or a slipping pump belt.
Chris 1207.
Hopefully your defect reports are numbered so they can’t just be binned, and you note every one you make on your daily check sheet.
A fresh defect report every single time this happens when it happens, 6 times in a day equals 6 defects all timed mileaged and dated, if you can only do a single defect report on a day then write on the report the relevant times and mileages…photocopy them if you don’t normally get a copy…you must keep proof.
Two reasons for this, one is to force the issue by having a paper trail that can’t be denied, second is to cover your own arse should something go badly wrong…it could be argued that you shouldn’t be taking it out but most of us live in the real world of working for a living.
If you haven’t been doing this up to now start today.
How is he going to cover his own arse with a paper trail saying the truck had a serious defect every time he took it out ? . I live in the real world working for a living (if that comment was pointed at me lol ) .
Juddian:
second is to cover your own arse should something go badly wrong…it could be argued that you shouldn’t be taking it out but most of us live in the real world of working for a living.
If you haven’t been doing this up to now start today.
If there are,say,two weeks worth of defects noting loss of power steering and control which are checked when truck loses control and ploughs into a car,bus or whatever then having notes saying “I knew all about it but drove anyway” isnt going to cut the mustard. He will be in more trouble than the operators.
Saying its the real world and I need to work for a living isnt going to magically make the OP blameless. Yes do a defect every day. But refuse to take it out till its fixed. Thats the only way to deal with it
del949:
Unless this is a wind up , it’s frightening to think about who has HGV licences and is on the roads.
dont be like that, he will have a cpc card that shows us how well trained he is
I remember one of our driver’s mentioning that the steering has been heavy for several days when he brought his Foden S50 half cab in for service, I lifted the bonnet and the power steering pump was swinging on its flexible hoses having fell off of its mounting. 
Years later the same driver also complained that the steering felt ‘funny’ when he had a Sed Ak 400, the chassis frame had snapped in half between the front two axles and the wheel’s were pointing in opposite directions! 
Pete.
Steering, brakes, wheels/tyres aren’t things to “let it develop”
I believe it’s the pump, it’s totally ■■■■■■, and has been for god knows how long. I’ve not had to drive this truck in quite some time, but due to a bit of reshuffling, it’s now on one of the runs I do.
The problem I have is that the place is full of guys that don’t seem to give a toss (I won’t mention their nationalities cough), and will just take it out anyway, probably over fear of losing their jobs if they don’t. I refused to take it, and won’t be until it’s fixed. That, and the exhaust fumes leaking into the cab, oh and the electrical faults. If they want to force the issue, they can fire me.
I posted this to see what the general consensus was, just in case I was overreacting… beginning to think I was tbh - the fact that nobody else (bar 1 other driver) will say anything makes me look like a bit of a ■■■■.
If your full time , as said in other post , keep as much information as you can regarding defects maybe even photograph defect sheets with your phone and even the defect itself and if they sack you it will be unfair dismissal . Unless they grind you down so you just leave anyway (hopefully not the case!) . ■■■■ postion to put you in anyway but your doing the right thing keeping yourself right and others . Good luck m8 hope it gets sorted .
It’s probably just a sensor fault. Just ignore it.
nodding donkey:
It’s probably just a sensor fault. Just ignore it.
Ah ! he didn’t say it was an Iveco