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8 compelling reasons to invest in in-house brake testing

By Steve Braund
in-house brake testing

Since launching mobile and in-ground brake testers at the Commercial Vehicle Show earlier in 2019, Totalkare has been inundated with interest as garage owners and workshop managers alike realised the many benefits an investment in in-house brake testing and other equipment can bring.

If you’re still weighing up your options, here’s a run through of just some of the key advantages our customers have enjoyed since installing a Totalkare brake tester.

1. It saves time

Conducting brake tests in-house means neither the vehicle or its driver are spending time driving to and from the test centre, so they can be back out on the road earning you money sooner.  In the case of some of our customers, this is as much as 90 minutes in both directions – a long time for the vehicle and driver to be out of commission!  Of course, testing in-house will cost you some time, but by routinely conducting brake tests in-house, the chances of failed tests will reduce.

2. It saves fuel

By not having to drive to and from a test centre for an outsourced brake test, you’ll not only save time, but you’ll also save fuel and we all know how much that costs.

3. It saves the cost of the test

Brake testing in-house removes the cost of the test itself.  And remember, if a vehicle fails its test at an external testing centre, it costs you again to re-test it.  Avoid all of that by investing in an in-house brake tester solution.

4. Break even within 1-2 years

Depending on the size of your fleet, the time and fuel it takes to get to the external test centre, the cost of the test itself and the driver’s time, not to mention the benefit of increased driver and vehicle availability, Totalkare estimates that a typical garage might break even inside 12-24 months after investing in a standard specification brake tester.

5. MOT Test System (MTS) connectivity future-proofs your workshop

MOT stations making new site applications or replacing older brake testers need to buy connected test equipment following DVSA changes which came into force on 1 October 2019.  Linking equipment to the MTS has numerous advantages – a reduction in the likelihood of data entry errors, and faster, more straightforward testing being just two.  Totalkare’s brake testers are fully equipped with MTS connectivity as standard.

6. Tablet display makes brake testing simple

Gone are the days where one person viewed a big results screen and shouted instructions to a colleague in the driver’s seat of the test vehicle.  With a simple touchscreen tablet display included as standard with all Totalkare brake testers, tests can be carried out by one person from the comfort of the driver’s seat.  Not only does this make the tests themselves very simple, but it also frees up the second operative to work on something else, helping productivity levels in the workshop.

7. Customise the brake tester with additional features

Totalkare brake testers come with a range of optional features, including bi-directional rollers, extended on-ramps, play detection, load simulation and tachograph calibration.  So depending on your requirements, additional checks can be conducted while the vehicle is being brake tested – a great use of time which leads us nicely onto…

8. Combine with other equipment to undertake more comprehensive vehicle checks

Lots of Totalkare customers have seen value in introducing headlamp testing equipment (also MTS connectivity-ready) alongside their brake tester to check headlamp aim while the vehicle is being tested.  With headlamp aim being one of the most common reasons for annual vehicle test failure (according to most recent DVSA statistics), it makes sense to undertake these tests at the same time as the brakes are being inspected.

Ultimately, all these benefits of in-house brake testing feed into two compelling reasons.  First, you’ll same time, and second, you’ll save money.