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In the second of our interactive CM Academy features we’ve teamed up with Continental Tyres to remind readers of the penalties for ignoring those large black rubber rings on your truck…
Once you've read the article, click here to take the online Tyre Safety test.
They’re often the most forgotten component on a truck. But ignore them and you could wind up in a lot of trouble. An illegal or defective tyre could mean a roadside prohibition or annual test failure, plus a court appearance and a hefty fine – as well as an invitation from your local Traffic Commissioner to appear at a PI to explain why you’re not taking your vehicle maintenance seriously. Is all that worth it?
HGV tyres are governed by a number of strict rules including Construction and Use Regulations. And breaches of those C&U regs are covered within VOSA’s ‘Categorisation of Defects’ manual (see More Information below) which lists the sanctions a VOSA examiner can apply upon discovering a defective or illegal tyre.
Meanwhile, the C&U regs contains the following summary regarding road-going vehicles, including HGVs: “A motor vehicle or trailer fitted with pneumatic tyres shall not be used on a road if:
Minimum tread pattern depths (see below):
But what does all that mean in practice? In short the C&U regs provide the perfect legal catch-all that roughly translates thus:
Essentially any tyre fitted to your truck must be suitable for the use it’s being subjected to, whether for urban distribution, long-distance trunking or off-road work.
While there are no definitive rules within C&U regs covering inflation pressures, they must be appropriate for the tyre’s use as specified by the vehicle manufacture or tyre supplier. Recommended tyre pressures are usually quoted in the vehicle handbook and often displayed somewhere on the tyre or vehicle itself.
VOSA’s ‘Categorisation of Defects’ manual defines the limits for tyre damage, and the likely prohibition penalties. These rules must be adhered to with regard to cuts, bulges and exposed cords. However, common sense should prevail; if a tyre is damaged it should be repaired or scrapped if irreparable.
The C&U regs stipulate the depth of remaining tread pattern at which a tyre becomes illegal to use.
NB: Exclusions from the definition of tread pattern are: Tie bars, Tread Wear Indicators, Sipes and any feature designed to wear out substantially before the main grooves. Note also the HGV minimum tread depth in the UK is 1.0mm, but it is 1.6mm in Eire and other EU countries.
Regrooving can be an extremely cost-effective way to extend tyre life on an HGV as long at the following legal conditions are met:
NB: As car and van tyres do NOT meet all four stipulations they cannot legally be regrooved. Moreover, anyone regrooving a tyre must be properly trained/qualified and do it to the manufacturers’ recommended procedures.
Because tyres come with different constructions (eg radial, cross-ply, bias belted) and performance, there are strict rules regarding mixing them on a HGV. It’s also a legal requirement that truck tyres must comply with UNECE Regulation R54, which governs the tyre description and performance capabilities, such as load capacity and speed. Tyres must be marked on their sidewall with the appropriate ‘E’ mark.
As mentioned, given that tyres fitted to an HGV must be suitable for the purpose for which the vehicle is being used, fitting incorrect or inappropriate tyres can lead to a possible PG9 prohibition.
From an operator’s perspective one of the most important factors is the tyre’s load carrying capability. This is indicated on the tyre sidewall by a Load Index (see points 4 & 13 in the above illustration). If in doubt, contact your local tyre provider who can confirm the load carrying capacity for a specific tyre when correctly inflated. NB: The combined load capacity of all tyres on an axle must not exceed the vehicle’s plated axle load capacity.
Remember too that load capacity and inflation pressure are directly related: reduce the inflation pressure and the load capacity is also reduced.
If you’re caught driving a truck with illegal tyres you can face a stiff penalty. For each offending tyre it can be three points on your driving licence and a maximum fine of £2,500. Thus if a vehicle had four illegal tyres fitted, the penalty could be £10,000 with 12 points on the licence which in turn could lead to a driving ban.
Likewise an operator can be prosecuted for breaching C&U regulations and fined as well. Remember too that a roadside prohibition or test failure due to illegal tyres can have a serious impact on your OCRS score and could lead to the O-licence holder being called before their local Traffic Commissioner to explain those failings. NB: Some defects attract ‘S’ or ‘safety’ marked PG9 prohibitions and these are treated VERY seriously by the TCs.
Continental Tyres recommends your drivers should be looking at tyres and wheels as part of their daily inspections. Within the free downloadable wallchart ‘Guide to Roadworthiness – HGV Driver’s walkaround check pull-out’ (from VOSA’s website) it clearly states that:
Check as much of each tyre/wheel as you can see. There must be:
The Commercial Motor Academy is a new interactive series of features intended to give you the opportunity to test your knowledge on a number of topics. In the magazine, we’ll be focusing on a number of ‘need to know’ areas of the business, exploding some of the myths and outlining best practice procedure.
Online, we’ve created a simple test to challenge your understanding in each subject area. Once you've read the article above, click here to take the online Tyre Safety test.
The ‘publications’ section of the VOSA website has a number of key free downloadable documents. Within the Commercial Vehicle Testing Manuals section, select the ‘Categorisation of Defects’ PDF which contains a clear guide to tyre defects that attract either an immediate or delayed prohibition. Within the ‘Safety and maintenance Guides’ section you’ll also find the ‘Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness’ free driver check wallchart as well as the actual guide itself.
Don’t forget to also visit the Continental Truck website for advice on running costs and fleet inspection advice.
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