The Maintenance Supplier Assessment Booklet, a new guide designed to help hauliers that contract out maintenance of their fleet, has been launched. Produced by the Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE), it advises on what to consider when considering the suitability of a particular provider.
The guide covers
what to look for in workshop premises, tools and equipment, technical staff, management, documentation, the parts department, overall facility appearance and quality of work performed.
Chris Grime, IRTE chairman, says: "Eight out of 10 operators use contracted-out maintenance, and there is the principle that although you can subcontract maintenance, you can never subcontract your responsibility for maintenance as far as the operator's licence is concerned.
"If you put these two facts together, you soon see the need to audit your maintenance providers' facilities. Our assessment is a way of turning that theory into practice."
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