Fleet software company FleetCheck is advising LCV owners to chec their vans thoroughly and on a regular basis to maintain roadworthiness.
While vans weighing less than 3.5t don’t require special operator licences, FleetCheck said the ‘artificial’ line shouldn’t stop the vans from being given a once-over periodically.
“Vehicles do not suddenly become more prone to safety issues when they weigh in excess of 3.5 tonnes,” said Peter Golding, managing director of FleetCheck, as he suggested van fleets should implement pre-use defect inspections and more regular safety checks.
He said part of the problem was down to increased mileages.
“With the rise of better made vehicles and higher mileage fleets, such as home delivery operations, there are a comparatively high number of vans around that have covered 200,000 miles or much more,” he added. “There is unlikely to be a downwards extension of DVSA regulation but this is no excuse for fleets not to look at instances where exceeding their strict legal responsibilities might be appropriate.”