Conclusion and testing data

CONCLUSION

Our survey this year continued to demonstrate how important it is for operators to put in place the right repair and maintenance strategy for their HGVs.

Figures on HGV tests from the DVSA show that for the most recent full year, running from April 2021 to March 2022, 422,767 HGVs were taken for their annual test. Of those, 38,618 trucks failed the test, with an initial failure rate of 13.2% and a final failure rate of 9.1% (after retests were taken into account). Go back to 2013/14 (the earliest data available on the government’s website), and the initial failure rate was 21.6%, with a final failure rate of 12.7%, showing a clear improvement in HGV maintenance standards over the years. (The 2019/20 and 2020/21 figures took into account the testing disruption during the Covid-19 pandemic.) It is also clear from government data, that the larger the operator, the better success rate at HGVs passing their annual test first time: the initial failure rate at annual test for those running more than 100 trucks was 4.32%, compared with 15.81% for those running two to five trucks.

Outsourcing to third-party workshops was by far the most popular option, with nearly twothirds (64%) of businesses opting to do this rather than maintain vehicles in-house.

And as alternative-fuelled technology, including battery-electric, gas-powered and hybrid trucks, move more into the mainstream, so too will the requirement for specialist workshop technicians and equipment to service these vehicles, perhaps boosting the move to outsource further. HGV annual test initial failure rate

Year (April Total tests Initial fail to March) rate (%) 2021/22 422,767 13.2 2020/21 323,288 12.3 2019/20 413,077 12.1 2018/19 432,778 15.0 2017/18 413,387 15.5 2016/17 428,092 17.2 2015/16 417,767 17.2 2014/15 415,319 19.9 2013/14 404,036 21.6

Source: DVSA

Top 10 reasons for HGV annual test failure, January to March 2022

1 Condition of tyres 2 Brake systems and components 3 Oil leaks 4 Suspension 5 Steering 6 Lamps 7 Aim of headlamps 8 Glass and view of the road 9 Service brake performance 10 Condition of chassis

Source: DVSA

Vehicle initial test failure rate by fleet size: January to March 2022

Fleet size HGV (%) 1 19.53 2-5 15.81 6-10 11.66 11-20 8.75 21-30 7.53 31-40 6.96 41-50 6.18 51-100 5.88 >101 4.32

Source: DVSA

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