shep532:
"muckles:
The last 2 places I’ve worked both trucks and trailers get a brake test at each inspection.All safety inspections should cover all items in the MOT including roller brake testing. A lot of operators don’t bother
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Not true.
Own Account Driver:
shep532:
"muckles:
The last 2 places I’ve worked both trucks and trailers get a brake test at each inspection.All safety inspections should cover all items in the MOT including roller brake testing. A lot of operators don’t bother
Not true.
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Really?
DVSA Guide to maintaining roadworthiness page 25
In accordance with item 6 on (page 9), every safety inspection must assess the braking performance of the vehicle or trailer. It is strongly advised that a calibrated roller brake tester (RBT) is used at each safety inspection to measure individual brake performance and overall braking ef ciencies for the vehicle or trailer. However, it is also acceptable to use an approved and calibrated Decelerometer to test vehicles without trailers to measure overall brake ef ciency values. Where possible, it is also best practice to test the vehicle or trailer in a laden condition and to obtain a printout of the brake ef ciency test from either the RBT or Decelerometer, which should be attached to the safety inspection record. If the brake test equipment cannot produce a printout, ef ciency results must be recorded by the inspector on the safety inspection report.
The last 2 places I’ve worked both trucks and trailers get a brake test at each inspection.
Is this not something FORS requires?
Good working practice anyway, brakes are very important when you want to stop, the old feet out the door is not going to help much with 44 ton.
Brakes can look perfectly good, but on the rollers, there is not much stopping power.
We certainly don’t have a brake test every inspection, and you shouldn’t need one. A decent driver should be able to tell if his brakes aren’t upto scratch.
caledoniandream:
The last 2 places I’ve worked both trucks and trailers get a brake test at each inspection.
Is this not something FORS requires?
Good working practice anyway, brakes are very important when you want to stop, the old feet out the door is not going to help much with 44 ton.
Brakes can look perfectly good, but on the rollers, there is not much stopping power.
Don’t have FORS, just the workshops we’ve used have brake testing, so the trucks are put on them as part of the inspection.
Don’t know if it’s a requirement or not, but I think at very least DVSA consider it best practice.
The Phillip Potter support page has been quiet recently. A bit of a one sided page, anyone being critical is banned as a troll. Unless I can only view a small part of the page as I’m not on facebook.
m.facebook.com/Philip-Potter-HG … 793982425/
shep532:
Own Account Driver:
shep532:
"muckles:
The last 2 places I’ve worked both trucks and trailers get a brake test at each inspection.All safety inspections should cover all items in the MOT including roller brake testing. A lot of operators don’t bother
Not true.
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Really?
DVSA Guide to maintaining roadworthiness page 25
In accordance with item 6 on (page 9), every safety inspection must assess the braking performance of the vehicle or trailer. It is strongly advised that a calibrated roller brake tester (RBT) is used at each safety inspection to measure individual brake performance and overall braking ef ciencies for the vehicle or trailer. However, it is also acceptable to use an approved and calibrated Decelerometer to test vehicles without trailers to measure overall brake ef ciency values. Where possible, it is also best practice to test the vehicle or trailer in a laden condition and to obtain a printout of the brake ef ciency test from either the RBT or Decelerometer, which should be attached to the safety inspection record. If the brake test equipment cannot produce a printout, ef ciency results must be recorded by the inspector on the safety inspection report.
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Ok, so so far we have a very steep hill, a very inexperienced driver and only 25% braking efficiency.
It really wasn’t going to end well, was it.
It remains to be seen which, out of the two trucks (presumably both eight wheelers) had the worst brakes.
If the “boss” knew the brakes were worse in the other lorry (which looks quite possible as the he had managed to stop) then shame on him for giving a kid a death trap.
Beyond words, really.
I don’t want to seem ageist but maybe younger guys and gals should be restricted to 7.5t then 18t etc so as to be over twentyfive by the time they get to 44t.
As eager said at the age of nineteen you don’t have enough general driving experience with any vehicle.
Socketset:
I don’t want to seem ageist but maybe younger guys and gals should be restricted to 7.5t then 18t etc so as to be over twentyfive by the time they get to 44t.As eager said at the age of nineteen you don’t have enough general driving experience with any vehicle.
If you’re worried about the issue of inexperienced drivers learning to manage and get a feel for braking you do know that 18t on just two braked axles is just about the worst possible combination in that regard.Followed by 32t on 4 which is effectively the same as the old 16t Clydesdale which I was given to drive on the council as a relatively new still inexperienced 21 year old driver usually loaded to the absolute max.On that note how old does a driver have to be to start learning and not just end up with older inexperienced drivers with less time to learn.Rather than younger ones with more time and more experience gained sooner. 
bathchronicle.co.uk/bath-tip … story.html
Seems to be heading in the direction that the fault was of a bad luck nature but they are trying to build a case by highlighting various failures.
I think the ramifications may be quite serious for those involved in doing inspections if you can end up in court for a part later randomly failing on a vehicle you inspect.
I’m pretty sure the mechanic involved is a mobile fitter. If this is the case going out to customers in a service van is really not ideal unless the inspection facilities are good.
It will be interesting to see what the faults are. It sounds like it’s not going to be as clear cut as pads or shoes down to the metal, that type of thing.
We use a self employed mobile fitter, rarely using a dealer because of the costs. I can see the rules regarding inspections changing after this case is over, probably involving dealership rip off prices.
Why is the vehicle owner and outside mechanic being charged for manslaughter and not just the driver ?
The little girl was killed crossing the road, didnt the adult with her not realise it was a runaway truck , and get out of the way ?
I’m sure the driver would have sounded the horn .
All three involved deny manslaughter charges .
On international artic journeys, trucks can cover over 2000 a week, so the media putting the figure quoted is meaningless for this case, six week inspections by law .
Its my opinion that the three men will get lengthy prison sentences .
Don’t know any ins or outs, but as a rookie driver, he probably didn’t have enough experience to reckognise bad brakes, heavy load and condition of vehicle.
This is what is missing now, young drivers don’t get a chance to learn slowly, be a second man for a while and get to learn with old hands.
Regardless of age, I know a lot drivers who drive class 1 when 18 years of age (was one of them) who are good drivers.
I started young and use go with other drivers to give them a hand off-loading
You learned a lot and got paid penny’s.
But they first times you are out with a 50 ton wagon and drag, you have a little skid mark in your trousers.
And the first time you drive a Scania it happens again as there seems to be no brakes on them (especially 141 on drums)
I think his boss has a lot to answer for, but that is the industries now, no long term thinking and properly train people, bums on the seats and wheels should turn.
How many drivers under 40? Started as a drivers mate and learned to manoeuvre, load, strap, sheet, and all the other tricks of the road?
Muckaway:
We certainly don’t have a brake test every inspection, and you shouldn’t need one. A decent driver should be able to tell if his brakes aren’t upto scratch.
I’m not sure I agree with the ‘decent driver’ bit. I think if we drive the same vehicle all the time we don’t notice deteriation of performance so much.
However - As long as you pass MOTs and no problems at roadside the lack of brake tests won’t matter. I have customers have failed MOT on brakes, been investigated, no brake tests, sent to TC.
The new guidance came out 2014
cav551:
shep532:
Own Account Driver:
shep532:
"muckles:
The last 2 places I’ve worked both trucks and trailers get a brake test at each inspection.All safety inspections should cover all items in the MOT including roller brake testing. A lot of operators don’t bother
Not true.
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Really?
DVSA Guide to maintaining roadworthiness page 25
In accordance with item 6 on (page 9), every safety inspection must assess the braking performance of the vehicle or trailer. It is strongly advised that a calibrated roller brake tester (RBT) is used at each safety inspection to measure individual brake performance and overall braking ef ciencies for the vehicle or trailer. However, it is also acceptable to use an approved and calibrated Decelerometer to test vehicles without trailers to measure overall brake ef ciency values. Where possible, it is also best practice to test the vehicle or trailer in a laden condition and to obtain a printout of the brake ef ciency test from either the RBT or Decelerometer, which should be attached to the safety inspection record. If the brake test equipment cannot produce a printout, ef ciency results must be recorded by the inspector on the safety inspection report.
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I did say SHOULD not MUST.
Either way a brake test should be carried out at each inspection
Quote from evidence given at the Sowerby Bridge inquest in 1994
"The Bradford deputy coroner, Mark Hinchliffe, said: ‘It sounds like there wasn’t one serviceable brake which you would regard as in an efficient and serviceable condition.’
PC Williams replied: ‘That is correct. There may have been one or two giving some braking efficiency, but very little.’
The officer said he was quite certain the brakes would have shown excess wear when the lorry was serviced on 7 July, and could not have been assessed by an experienced mechanic as safe.
He believed the lorry driver, ******** ******, 63, who died in the crash, may have been driving the vehicle with good foresight and good use of his gears and brakes.
PC Williams said the driver would have had little indication that anything was wrong until he had to make some form of heavy or emergency braking. He believed the driver had attempted to use a secondary braking system, used to park the vehicle, but the braking from this was insignificant."
Muckaway:
“Carrying 30 tonnes” nice Daily Fail reporting.
“Loading from a Wiltshire quarry” they probably were underweight. The main shovel driver at [zb] couldn’t load a water pistol.
Why is Shorncote on the auto censors’ naughty list? That’s the name of it and it’s a small village near Cirencester.
toby1234abc:
On international artic journeys, trucks can cover over 2000 a week, so the media putting the figure quoted is meaningless for this case, six week inspections by law .
Agree on that one, i do well over that figure sometimes and keep to rigid inspections/ servicing, same cant be said of some of the knackered tilts from other hauliers we pull though, braking anomilies sometimes dont show up immediately 
Socketset:
Ok, so so far we have a very steep hill, a very inexperienced driver and only 25% braking efficiency.It really wasn’t going to end well, was it.
It remains to be seen which, out of the two trucks (presumably both eight wheelers) had the worst brakes.
If the “boss” knew the brakes were worse in the other lorry (which looks quite possible as the he had managed to stop) then shame on him for giving a kid a death trap.
Beyond words, really.
I don’t want to seem ageist but maybe younger guys and gals should be restricted to 7.5t then 18t etc so as to be over twentyfive by the time they get to 44t.
As eager said at the age of nineteen you don’t have enough general driving experience with any vehicle.
Yes its shocking and considering how long it’s taken to come to trial I think we’ll hear a lot more shocking stuff from this.
As for age being a factor, well it sounds similar to the Soweby bridge crash years ago and that driver was 63, so I don’t think there is a need to review the age because of this incident.As Carryfast said how do you get experience if you can’t get behind the wheel? You’re not going to learn it in a car.
On European, if you did two ten hour drives, and four nine hour drives, at 56 mph flat out, no delays, that equates to 3136 miles in one week .