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Getting
through the
annual test
A guide for
horse box owners
www.vosa.gov.uk
0870 6060 440 |
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The welfare and well being of your horse is important to you.
With high quality stabling and the best possible veterinary care you can
ensure your horse is comfortable and healthy, but what happens when you
are on the move? How safe is your horse box?
If your vehicle fails the test
If we identify any fault that could cause danger or damage the environment,
we will ask you to have it repaired before we issue the MOT certificate.
If the fault is serious, you will need to arrange recovery from the testing
station. (Some breakdown / recovery policies do not cover HGVs so check
your small print).
Be prepared
Having your horsebox properly checked and serviced by a qualified mechanic
beforehand will help to make sure it is in a good enough condition to
pass the test.
If you’ve made changes to the vehicle’s specification such as changing
the tyres to a different specification to the original fitting, you need
to let us know. Check you have a plating certificate (VTG 6) displayed
somewhere in the cab and another copy for your records (VTG 7). Bring
both to the test.
If your vehicle is fitted with a tachograph but you only use it as a speedometer,
you must make sure that all the seals are intact, and that the tachograph
has been initially calibrated and is fitted with both the calibration
and K factor plaques.
Also if you do not use tachograph charts, you will need to fill out a
tachograph exemption form and present it at the time of the test.
Make sure your horse box is loaded when you bring it to the test so the
brakes can be checked for maximum efficiency. Use heavy items such as
bags of feed or fertiliser or even straw bales, as long as it is not livestock.
As the government agency responsible for vehicle safety and environmental
standards, VOSA carries out a test every year on your horse box to make
sure it meets minimum road safety and environmental standards. The test
is usually carried out at our HGV
test stations.
Check for yourself
Listed overleaf are the ten most common reasons vehicles fail the test
and details of some fortnightly checks which you can carry out yourself.
There are also some suggested questions which you can ask your mechanic.
Keeping your vehicle in a garage will help.
Help Yourself
Guide
| Headlights and lamps |
Check
that they work and are the right colour.
Look for faded and broken lenses. |
| Service
and secondary brakes (footbrake) |
Regular use of your vehicle can help maintain the braking efficiency
by preventing the moving parts of the braking system from seizing.
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| Fuel systems |
Check
for obvious fuel leaks and black smoke coming from the exhaust pipe
as well as the condition and security of the exhaust system. |
| Brake systems
|
Check
for air and fluid leaks and drain air tanks if required. |
| Speedometer/ |
Make sure that it illuminates. |
| Tachograph/
|
Has
the vehicle got a tachograph? (If the vehicle is exempt from using
a tachograph, an exemption form must
be completed, which is available from your local HGV testing station).
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| Speedlimiter |
Has the vehicle got a speedlimiter? Check that it has the appropriate
calibration plaque and seals. |
Parking
brake
(handbrake) |
Regular
use of your vehicle can help to keep the hand brake efficient. Check
the condition of the parking (hand)
brake application mechanism. |
Steering
mechanism |
Check
for obvious oil leaks and any unusual knocking noises when driving. |
| Suspension
|
Is
the vehicle is sitting square or lopsided. Listen for knocking noises
in motion. |
| Reflectors |
Check
for obvious missing reflectors at the rear and the sides of your
vehicle. |
| Wheels
and tyres |
Check
the wheel nuts for security and your tyre pressures. Use your vehicle
regularly and park with the tyres in alternating resting positions.
Parking your vehicle out of direct sunlight can also help to prevent
tyre sidewalls from perishing. |
| These
are the most common defects found at test |
Questions
to ask your mechanic.
Q.
Have you checked the headlight aim and the condition/operation of
all the
lights? |
Q.
Have you roller brake tested my horsebox before the test? Can you
load my
horse box for the test? I need to know that when I carry my horse,
my horse box
will stop quickly if necessary. |
Q. Have you checked that the fuel cap has a seal fitted and
there are no fuel
leaks? |
Q.
Have you checked the mechanical system including load sensing valve,
brake pipes and hoses for corrosion or perishing? |
| Q.
Does the speedometer illuminate? |
Q.
Does the vehicle need a tachograph? Does the vehicle have a tachograph?
Is it calibrated & sealed? |
Q.
Does the vehicle require a speedlimiter? Does the vehicle have a
speedlimiter? If it has a speedlimiter, does it have a calibration
plaque and
does it have the required seals (where necessary). |
| Q.
Does the handbrake work properly? |
| Q.
Have you checked the complete steering system including the kingpins?
|
Q.
Have you checked the springs and suspension bushes? Are the shock
absorbers and any mounting brackets secure? |
| Q.
Are you sure all the reflectors are there and properly positioned?
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Q.
Have the wheels been torqued to the correct manufacturer’s specifications?
Are the tyres legal and to the correct tyre pressure? Are they the
correct tyres
to carry the weight? Do the tyres show the correct speed rating?
(Your local tyre
supplier should be able to help you with this). |
Q.
Also, ask your mechanic if he has checked the cab, chassis and body
for
excessive corrosion that could cause the vehicle to fail the MOT.
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