The Automotive Blog

Pallet Lock Prevents Damage

Heygates Makes Truck Lock Lee Lock A Standard Fit To All New Trailers

DVSA (VOSA) & the Health & Safety Executive are pressing hard to prevent trailer unsecured loads.

Although most operators think of the goods within the trailer, the Pallet Truck could be classed as an Unsecured Load. Here at aide automotive ltd we have a simple lock for the pallet truck that will stop goods and curtain

The Pallet Truck Lock, Lee Lock has been installed in the Heygates Ltd ‘s trailer fleet, Stuart Lobley commented “With today’s high standards of road safety we have installed the Lock for a few years now, a simple but effective product.”

Make sure your load is safe

Ask yourself if:

· the load can slide or topple forward or back?

· the load can slide or topple off the side?

· the load is unstable?

· the load securing equipment is in good condition?

· there is anything loose that might fall off the load or vehicle?

· the load security or stability presents an immediate risk of injury?
Pallet Truck Lock Lee Lock is designed to lock the pallet truck in place at all times, hence reducing any chance of the truck slamming into other pallets, slashing the curtain side and as the pallet truck slots into the lock there’s no chance of moving or falling from a trailer.

You can read more by clicking on Pallet Truck Lock.

Or call aide automotive ltd on 01158456471 to discuss your requirement.

Lee Lock secures Pallets whilst in transit

DVSA Recommend 4 Brake Tests Per Year!!

Document :Guide to maintaining road worthiness
Commercial goods and passenger carrying vehicles (Revised 2014)

Section 5: Safety inspection and repair facilities

Extract –
“Therefore it is normally expected that the vehicle or trailer should complete at least three successful brake efficiency tests spread throughout year in addition to the annual MOT test.”

BrakeCheck is a portable brake tester that works from the principle of measuring deceleration or Brake Efficiency, BrakeCheck has been proved to be a good indication of brake performance and cost effective for any workshop. Over 15,000 BrakeCheck’s have been purchased since it’s introduction in January 2003, and is now a standard tool for any vehicle workshop.

In addition to BrakeCheck Standard which is marketed towards Car, Van Truck and Bus / Coaches, BrakeCheck For Truck &Trailers is ideal for trailer operating companies.

aide automotive also recommend the use of an Infra Red Thermometer to check individual wheels via temperature. This in conjunction with a decelerometer print out would be the perfect 3 times a year brake test for any commercial vehicle.

To discuss how BrakeCheck or the Brake Testing Equipment works or to review pricing please call us on 0115 8456471.

Brake Tester Using Brake Efficiency to Report On Truck Brakes

Recently Glasgow City Council were fined £20,000 following the death of a pensioner after he was struck by a reversing refuse vehicle in the city centre.

Malcolm McCulloch, 71, a retired dock worker from Glasgow, was walking across Holm Street, Glasgow, when he was struck by the reversing lorry on 10 August 2012. He suffered severe chest and pelvic injuries and later died in hospital.

The incident was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and a prosecution brought against the council for serious safety failings.

An inspection of the vehicle by HSE mechanical specialists found no defects, and its warning beacon and siren were working correctly. However, there was a blind spot, around 2.2 metres wide, that was not covered by the CCTV camera or wing mirrors. Accordingly neither the driver nor the labourer would have seen Mr McCulloch stepping into the path of the reversing lorry. A reversing assistant should have been used to guide the driver while reversing and to prevent pedestrians such as Mr McCulloch from being able to cross the road as the lorry reversed.

aide automotive offer a Radar Sensor System. BackStop, The Automatic Truck & Trailer Braking System automatically applies the brakes when an object such as a person is in close proximity to the rear of the vehicle. This is achieved by measuring the phase shift, BackStop Radar can accurately map and detect people or objects behind the vehicle. BackStop “Automatic Truck & Trailer Braking System” takes away the chance of human error as in the above incident.

Call aide automotive on 0115 8456471.

Refuse Collection Vehicle Reversing System

How to Use A Decelerometer For Trailer Brake Tests

Trailer maintenance requires to be as professional as truck maintenance, Carrying out a inspection brake test on trailer doe not mean an expensive Roller Brake Test.

Research has concluded that using a product like BrakeCheck to test trailers brakes is beneficial but will not indicate a below par efficiency on a particular wheel or brake, although using an Infra Red Thermometer as well will increase your awareness of a faulty brake or a low efficiency brake.

VOSA’s Mark Pattison has stated “A decelerometer is not the ideal method to test the braking of a vehicle and trailer combination. However it is of some use. You are correct that the checking of individual wheels would not show up in a test result. The way to use a decelerometer is to first test the drawing vehicle on its own. Then connect the trailer and the deceleration rate should be similar i.e. the trailer is doing its fair share of work. This is not an exact science but would be enough to give you confidence the trailer brakes were working.”

This system is ideal for commercial operations to improve maintenance records for trailers and increase awareness of a trailers brake performance between the annual roller brake tests. Offering a print out of the combination tractor and trailer performance with brake temperatures will improve quality procedures and health & safety paper work. It is often said in today’s age paper work to protect directors and managers from the corporate manslaughter or health and safety law is essential.
aide automotive have designed an inspection sheet for trailers using the BrakeCheck and thermometer, if you require a copy email info@aideautomotive.com with subject heading Trailer Inspection Sheet.

aide automotive also recommend to test the pressure on brake chambers, this will increase your past rate for trailer parking brakes.

To discuss trailer brake testing further call aide automotive on 0115 8456471.

13 Pin Tow Bar Tester For MOT
2012 MOT Requirement for Testing 13 Pin Tow Bars
With the new requirement of testing 13 Pin tow bar electrics from January 20012, aide automotive have introduced a tester for the “professionals “ The Tow Bar Tester Pro.
Testing 13 pin tow bar electrics will be a growing requirement of the MOT over the next 3 years with many new cars having a tow bars with 13 pin rather than the 7 pin socket used in the past. Also when caravans moved to 13 pin sockets in 2009 many cars had 13 pin sockets installed so a number of cars will need testing within 2012 and many more in 2003 and 4.
MOT Garages will need a VOSA approved tester to carry out this test and we believe The Tow Bar Tester Pro is the ultimate tester for testing all old and modern day tow bar systems, The Tow Bar Tester Pro has been designed and produced by industry tow bar electric system leaders Right Connections Ltd to be the best all round tester available.
The Tow Bar Tester Pro is built in a rugged case with actual bulbs to replicate all lights and to test as if a trailer was connected, with this there is no risk of confusion of failure or incorrectly failing a vehicle. Some low cost testers that use LED’s have shown inconsistent results when testing tow bars and indicating faults when there is not! Also found with low cost tester was that if the power line is not present on the tow bar socket then the tester will not work at all!!
Tow Bar Tester Pro incorporates a self test facility as required by VOSA specification, powered from the vehicle with a 13 pin cable long enough to connect to the tow bar socket, the operator will activate all tests via toggle switches on the main control board from the drivers seat.
In addition to the MOT requirement test The Tow Bar Tester Pro will also test the flasher warning system on the towing vehicle, although this is not part of the MOT test as yet, but if it ever becomes so Tow Bar Tester Pro incorporates this test. As the MOT garages have seen over the years, new requirements often have special notice amendments to update the test with unforeseen requirements from the first test specification; we believe this could be the case in the future as under European law there is a legal requirement for flashers on the trailer to be monitored by the towing vehicle for failure.
As the Tow Bar Tester Pro is the ultimate towing electrical tester it can also be used to test the positive 12 volt live and positive 15 volt ignition live, to complete all tow bar electrical tests the Tow Bar Tester Pro will also test the reverse lamp. As this is the most comprehensive tester on the market every  tow bar test undertaken will leave you satisfied all aspects of the tow bar electrics are working and your customer can tow with confidence.
So with the RIGHT tester there is no chance of wasting time consulting VOSA on erratic test readings, no chance of incorrect failures and usages beyond the MOT test.

Contact aide automotive to purchase a Tow Bar Tester Pro.