Highland Council switches to in-house brake testing

The fleet of municipal vehicles at Highland Council is set for increased availability following an investment in state-of-the-art brake testing equipment from Totalkare.

Highland Council operates a large fleet of vehicles which are vital in supporting local infrastructure, from waste and recycling vehicles to road sweepers, gritter trucks, snow ploughs and public transport.

In response to increased testing requirements, the Council identified a requirement to bring their brake testing in house and lease purchased two mobile brake testers from UK heavy duty workshop equipment experts Totalkare at two separate sites in the summer of 2019.

Immediate time and cost savings

Impressed with the immediate time and cost savings associated with not having to visit an external test centre, Highland Council returned to Totalkare earlier this year to lease purchase an additional mobile brake tester and two in-ground brake testers, each to be installed at three further sites.

Supplied with a tablet that enables brake tests to be conducted from the comfort of the driver’s seat, Totalkare’s mobile and in-ground brake testers can test up to 20,000kg per axle and can be customised with tachograph calibration, load simulation and play detection.

All five of Highland Council’s brake testers feature bi-directional rollers and the mobile brake testers were also supplied with extended on ramps – perfect for longer vehicles.

“Ensuring our entire vehicle fleet remains roadworthy, thus ensuring their safety and that of the public, is of the upmost importance,” said Mike Cooper, Transport & Logistics Manager at Highland Council, “Having the ability to test in-house not only saves us the time it would take to drive each vehicle to a test centre, but over time the capital investment will save the Council a significant amount of taxpayer money which can be diverted to other areas.”

FLEXIBLE FINANCE OPTIONS FROM TOTALKARE

Each brake tester will be supported through a Totalkare Afterkare service plan, which includes two service and calibration visits per year per brake tester.

Jack Longstaff, Area Sales Manager for Totalkare, said: “Highland Council recognise the value of brake testing their vehicles in house and reduced the impact of the capital investment by taking advantage of flexible finance options provided by Totalkare.  We are pleased to offer ongoing support and look forward to extending our relationship with the Council further in the future.”

ARE YOU CONSIDERING IN-HOUSE BRAKE TESTING?

Get a quick indication of the cost savings available with our easy-to-use brake tester savings calculator or call us for a quotation.