TÜV report on commercial vehicles available

Neutral periodic tests (here on a bus) lead to the prompt identification of safety-relevant defects.

 

 

Over 20 percent of trucks fail the TÜV periodic general inspection with significant defects. The worst offenders are older vans and light commercial vehicles. Heavy goods vehicles and tractor units perform better than average. These are the main findings of the TÜV report on commercial vehicles published by the Association of Technical Inspection Agencies (Verband der TÜV). Also included in the statistics on vehicle defects were the results of the regular periodic tests carried out by TÜV NORD.

Vans and goods vehicles in the medium weight category in particular return a higher than average number of defects. For instance, 21.7 percent of vehicles weighing 7.5 tonnes or less had significant defects, rising still further to 22.8 percent in the category between 7.5 and 18 tonnes. Heavy goods vehicles over 18 tonnes returned better results: the rate of significant defects in this category was 18.1 percent. The average for all commercial vehicles is 21.4 percent.

The fact that good quality management and regular servicing of commercial vehicles are rewarded when it comes to the TÜV inspection is amply demonstrated by the results in the 18-tonnes-and-over HGV category. The defect rates are lower here because fleet operators need to use predictive maintenance to keep their vehicles on the road. After all, the failure of a single transport along the logistics chain would entail serious financial liability risks.

However, the results of the TÜV report on commercial vehicles also reveal the benefits of the system of technical monitoring for safety in Germany. The neutral periodic tests, which catch even the smallest of faults, lead to the prompt identification of safety-relevant defects and their subsequent rectification.

The TÜV report on commercial vehicles was published on 5 October 2017 as a special supplement to the “Verkehrsrundschau” journal.

 

 

 

Graphics: Significant defects by weight class.