Fleet Risk Consultants

I have advised a client that to comply with the law they must fitted tachograph units to some of their vehicles and obey the driver hours regulations. The problem is that neither the vehicle manufacturers or the tachograph manufacturers have a solution for most smaller vehicles. By smaller vehicles I am talking about 4×4’s, pick-up trucks and cars.

This means that my client cannot meet the requirements of the legislation at all. This is a situation I find ludicrous. To give you some more background I suggest you read further.

The Gross Train Mass (GTM) of some cars now exceeds 3,500kg and a large number of these are cars purchased by or for businesses. Now for those who are not in the know, Gross Train Mass is defined as the weight of the vehicle, any trailer towed behind it and the weight imposed on the two. The weight of 3,500kg is important because vehicles with a permitted Gross Mass in excess of 3,500kg are required by European Law to obey EU Drivers Hours and Tachograph Law, if the vehicle is used in connection hire and reward (business use). This initially involves the fitting of a Tachograph Unit to record data about the activities of the driver and vehicle.

To establish the permissible Gross Train Mass or even the permissible Gross Vehicle Mass of your vehicle you need to find the VIN Plate. This is a metal plate stamped with the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), and a series of 4 numbers that denote weight in kgs. The Gross Vehicle Mass is the top number, the Gross Train Mass is the second number, the Front Axle Mass is the third number and the Rear Axle Mass is the last number. These weights are the Maximum permissible masses allowed, not the current mass. These plates are either under the bonnet or on one on the sills inside the front doors. The design of the vehicle is not important only the permitted masses.

Until recently all passenger cars had a Gross Train Mass of 3,490kg and hence fell below the threshold of 3,500kg, but with the advances in technology the car manufacturers have been able to increase the capacities of the cars, in some cases, far in excess of 3,500kg. They have done this, in my opinion, to allow people to tow larger caravans more safely, which is a definite bonus. Also the private use of these vehicles to tow a caravan will not require a tachograph to be fitted.

The problem arises with the purchase of these newer vehicles by the fleet industry. These vehicles are being used for business, and if a towbar is attached to allow the transportation of goods in trailers by the business, then the vehicle falls within the regulations. The big issue is that the car manufacturers have yet, as far as I am aware, to produce a tachograph unit that is able to be fitted to their vehicles.

It is not illegal to sell these cars without a tachograph as the manufacturers do not necessarily know the use the vehicle will be put to, but if you are using the vehicle and you do not comply with the law you will potentially be looking at prosecution. Fleet Risk Consultants are already discussing this issue with a number of manufacturers on our clients’ behalf, but if you tow trailers in connection with your business you should be raising the issue with your vehicle supplier.

Whilst we are on the topic of tachographs it is worth noting that almost all the panel vans, 4 x 4 Pick-ups and Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) will require a tachograph when towing for business.

Your individual use of vehicles and trailers may fall outside the regulations as there are a few exceptions available, if you are in any doubt you should either contact us directly or seek other legal advice.

As for my client, we are now looking at using Trucks rather than the more cost and fuel efficient smaller vehicles.

Nigel Grainger
Senior Consultant

Fleet Risk Consultants

It is the time of the year that the car repair industry looks forward to, the onset of Autumn. The nights draw in and the weather turns wetter drivers tend to have more collisions. There are many reasons for this, the greasy damp roads, the change in light, the leaves on the road surface and the change in the properties of the tyres.

In line with previous articles on this forum not only do we raise the awareness of the problems, but we will offer some solutions as well.

The top of the list of things for you to do is take a trip to your local Kwik Fit or similar outlet for a winter safety check. You could also do it yourself. You need to check your Tyres (including the spare), Lights, Oil, Water/Antifreeze, Screen wash and Wipers. These are things you can easily check.

Tyres – You need to check the tread depth, tyre pressure (you may need the handbook for this bit) and the general condition of the tyre. I recommend that you have no less than 2mm of tread on your tyres. You should check your tyres every month.

Lights – Take the time to check all of your lights on your vehicle. You should also invest in a spare bulb set too. Remember that your lights are there to ensure you are seen rather than to see where you are going in most cases. You should check your lights every week.

Oil – You should check your oil weekly.

Water – Now is a good time to check that your antifreeze is at the correct strength, you should also make sure that the water levels are correct.

Screen wash – You should increase the strength of your screen wash at this time of year in preparation for the drop in temperatures.

Wipers – If your wipers are not clearing the screen you are putting yourself in danger and the worst part is you won’t see the danger coming.

The other item on your list is the equipment you carry with you in your car. In the boot of my car there is: A Shovel, Coat, Reflective Jacket, Water, Screen wash, Jump Leads, Tow Strops, Fixing Hooks, Amber Flashing Beacons, Screen Blade (to remove ice and condensation from the exterior of the windows) , Torch, Boots, Drinking Water, Biscuits and Gloves. These are the bare minimum I will carry. I suggest you have a similar amount of equipment, just in case.

I tend to find that if I plan for all eventualities I shan’t need the equipment I have with me. I recommend that you do to.

Nigel Grainger
Senior Consultant

Fleet Risk Consultants