Muckaway:
We really shouldn’t be getting failures; A lorry is taken off the road for about 10 days in preparation for it’s mot. I doubt many companies allow this much time?
That can be a fault in itself, if it takes 10 days to prepare a vehicle and it is still failing, the times between inspection periods are probably too long for a multiwheel quarry motor.
cieranc:
Muckaway:
Can a workshop manager have their competency questioned by a TC like a TM can?I’ve never heard of that happening. The TC can bollock/punish the TM for not having the trucks properly maintained, but I don’t think they can do anything to the garage. If they were that bad, perhaps VOSA could report them to trading standards, but I believe it’s all the haulage companies problem, not the garages.
Worst that’ll happen to the garage is they’ll lose the custom.
We have our own workshops unless it’s a warranty job. It’s a general opinion amongst drivers we keep tippers for too long: Ten years normally…
Muckaway:
We really shouldn’t be getting failures; A lorry is taken off the road for about 10 days in preparation for it’s mot. I doubt many companies allow this much time?
If this is the case you want to shut that workshop asap , also if they sent a motor to MOT with an air leak ( like you aluded to earlier) they want shot !!
damoq:
Is it still VOSA staff who carry out MOT testing at these new Authorised Test Facilities, or is it like a car MOT garage now where its a member of their staff who do the testing?
They are VOSA staff , the ATF pays VOSA for the tester per day & the ATF makes money from the lane fees they charge.
damoq:
Is it still VOSA staff who carry out MOT testing at these new Authorised Test Facilities, or is it like a car MOT garage now where its a member of their staff who do the testing?
VOSA.
Our local test station has 3 lanes and used to be busy all day every day. Used to have a burger van in it too, until customs dipped the tanks one day 
Now it has 1 lane, sometimes 2 open but it’s never busy, all the testies are flagged out to private lanes.
So private facility but still a VOSA bod doing the test.
Mr Away, 10 days to prep for test is a ■■■■-take. Ours usually get 1 day roughly a fortnight before test, to reline the brakes if necessary. Then they come back in on a Friday for a Monday test.
tidy hampton:
damoq:
Is it still VOSA staff who carry out MOT testing at these new Authorised Test Facilities, or is it like a car MOT garage now where its a member of their staff who do the testing?They are VOSA staff , the ATF pays VOSA for the tester per day & the ATF makes money from the lane fees they charge.
Cheers Tidy Hampton. I just wondered that if it was the garage staff who carried out testing, they might be more inclined to fail a vehicle for something silly in the hope they will get more revenue in fixing the failed item and the re-test fee.
Muckaway:
We really shouldn’t be getting failures; A lorry is taken off the road for about 10 days in preparation for it’s mot. I doubt many companies allow this much time?
How are your Lorries looking that they need 10 day to do the MOT.
Normally you just do a normal service,double check everything and here we go
Immigrant:
How are your Lorries looking that they need 10 day to do the MOT.
Normally you just do a normal service,double check everything and here we go
It used to work out that first day the lorry was washed and steam cleaned.
Checked and serviced.
Wheels off, brakes etc all overhauled plus anything driver had concerns about.
Any knocks, scratches, rust etc treated and painted.
Road tested and any problems sorted.
Loaded and tested again.
Cab valeted (yes, on a tipper)
Lorry polished.
Taken for test.
10 working days is normally the maximum for “problem” lorries, like Dads. IIRC mine was only off the road for about 7 days.
That’s a long time even for a tipper. Especially to get fails like that. Think your firm could get a maintaince investigation and needs to look at making changes. Age isn’t a factor yea an older truck my need more attention but this is offset against the cost of having new trucks.
Muckaway:
Immigrant:
How are your Lorries looking that they need 10 day to do the MOT.
Normally you just do a normal service,double check everything and here we goIt used to work out that first day the lorry was washed and steam cleaned.
Checked and serviced.
Wheels off, brakes etc all overhauled plus anything driver had concerns about.
Any knocks, scratches, rust etc treated and painted.
Road tested and any problems sorted.
Loaded and tested again.
Cab valeted (yes, on a tipper)
Lorry polished.
Taken for test.
10 working days is normally the maximum for “problem” lorries, like Dads. IIRC mine was only off the road for about 7 days.
Ours are at Volvo for two days for mot.
First pass rate at MOT
2008/09 67.64%
2009/10 72.63%
20010/11 74.47%
Source VOSA Heavy Goods Vehicle Fleet Report 2010-2011
New information; Dads’ wagon was withdrawn from test after it broke en route to the test centre. Still, it hasn’t been offroad that long to be checked
Ours get dropped off Friday night, tested Monday morning. I think you’ll be getting an investigation and probably an order to out source your pmi’s. Vosa can be all over in house inspections at the best of times, and with that failure rate, don’t look good
My biggest gripe at test stations is that the testers need testing themselves. Failing the dimensions of the under-run bars when the legislation hasn’t changed, but now they are not legal after passing every year before. Leicester failing headlight alignment because one of the halfwits uses the physical centre of the headlight not the optical centre. Derby failing everything because it made them get off their asses. The place was always empty but you could never get a test there? And the one at Burton■■? Failing on the brakes when it had just had them done there and passed on the same brake-tester the day before, parked up there overnight waiting for a retest and then fails again.
I have a feeling the test rate is connected to the testers score from the night before!
I got pulled off the A1 round Doncaster by VOSA a few years back. I had taken the trailer for test the day before and the unit was about two weeks previous. After much tapping and waiting it was decided that there was a problem with the trailer spring wear plates and the guy was deciding if it should be an immediate or delayed GV9. I told him either would do me fine and that he had better be available to attend Derby the next morning as heads were going to roll and to have a shave as I would make sure the TV and papers were there!
Guess what, it changed to, “They will need replacing before next year driver, on your way!”
VOSA are finding petty faults to justify their numbers and existence both at roadsides and at test stations.
I have heard Exeter’s LGV Vosa station is to close due to lower numbers coming through and haulage companies having their MOT or Plating done at private companies. Could be private companies see it as a good earner to fail trucks for next to nothing?
DoYouMeanMe?:
I have a feeling the test rate is connected to the testers score from the night before!
Must be an East Midlands thing… the same accusation was often levelled at the driving examiners at Watnall. 
miketdt:
I have heard Exeter’s LGV Vosa station is to close due to lower numbers coming through and haulage companies having their MOT or Plating done at private companies. Could be private companies see it as a good earner to fail trucks for next to nothing?
They intend to close most, if not all test stations and go with private companies from what I’ve heard.
I don’t think the silly failures are to generate revenue, more to justify their existence. Look at it this way, if you were a very, very good copper and you had reduced crime to zero in your area, you may feel very proud of your achievement, but would you have a job for long as no crimes need no coppers…
We were told something similar on dcpc course; Vosa being fussy to show government they still have a role.
DoYouMeanMe?:
Look at it this way, if you were a very, very good copper and you had reduced crime to zero in your area, you may feel very proud of your achievement, but would you have a job for long as no crimes need no coppers…
Yes because the minuite you take away the coppers the crime starts up again, same wtih VOSA even if they dont find any faults if they stop bothering with the tests nobody bothers with maintinance
AHT:
DoYouMeanMe?:
Look at it this way, if you were a very, very good copper and you had reduced crime to zero in your area, you may feel very proud of your achievement, but would you have a job for long as no crimes need no coppers…Yes because the minuite you take away the coppers the crime starts up again, same wtih VOSA even if they dont find any faults if they stop bothering with the tests nobody bothers with maintinance
OK, so you would keep just half the police force as a deterrent. So if instead, you keep finding lots of ‘issues’, you have a case for your continued numbers…
Can I just add, I have no problem with the job they do. Vehicle maintenance and road-worthiness are damned important. I do have a dislike of the fact that, IMO, they play a ‘numbers’ game and that enforcement is a little inconsistent.