The DVSA’s ‘meaningful brake test’ guidance that came into effect in April 2025, emphasises the importance of laden brake tests during routine inspections – at least four times per year, including once at MOT.
The guidance aims to ensure that brake performance is accurately assessed under realistic load conditions, ensuring that brakes will perform as expected when under full load as unloaded tests can lead to incorrect readings.
Workshops will need to adjust their brake testing methods to meet these new requirements. The DVSA has specified that either a laden roller brake test, an electronic brake performance monitoring system (EBPMS), or a decelerometer with temperature readings will be the approved methods for assessing brake performance.
To ensure an accurate and reliable brake test, the DVSA recommends that axles be loaded to at least 65% of their design weight during laden brake tests. This threshold is designed to simulate real-world conditions, although specific vehicle types may require different loading conditions.
However, operators claim the cost of testing every trailer in their fleet would be too high and some don’t have the capacity at their sites to do it, meaning they’d have to spend more sending the trailers to workshops. Even fitting EBPMS will be time consuming, especially for large fleets that don’t have these systems installed.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of pushback from operators,” says David Grogut, director at Freight-Tech, a company developing a solution that could offer operators a low carbon, cost-effective, on-site method of assessing the performance of a trailer braking system to meet their roadworthiness requirements.
“It’s left down to the operators to determine what is appropriate for their operation, in terms of what they need to maintain roadworthiness,” adds Grogut, who is also on the IRTE’s PSC.
“But there’s the overhanging threat that, if they were to be involved in a public inquiry, the traffic commissioner will want to know exactly how they arrived at their decision if they didn’t follow the guidance,” Grogut continues. “Operators feel as if their costs are going to go through the roof if they carry out laden brake testing at every safety inspection, which is the recommendation.”
So, what is being done to help?
NODDING DONKEY
“More workshops than ever are getting equipment in place to start simulating loads on their in-house brake testing,” says Pavan Jheeta, marketing executive at Totalkare, which produces vehicle lifts and testing equipment for heavy duty and light commercial vehicle workshops. “But if you’re looking at options to improve your brake testers, it’s not always clear what the best choice is.”
Jheeta says the first question to consider is which brake testers do you use? Some types of load simulation work better with specific brake testers, and some brake testers are unsuitable for certain types of load simulation.
He adds: “In practice, you will usually be looking at axle load simulation for a mobile brake tester, chassis load simulation for an in-ground brake tester that is installed over a pit, direct load simulation for an in-ground brake tester, or hydraulic load simulation.
“Those are the general rules of thumb. But there is one exception that can cover every base: direct load simulation (like our Nodding Donkey) can be used with any type of brake tester.”
Totalkare’s Nodding Donkey is a mobile solution that can be used with any brake tester and is approved for use in ATF lanes. It applies up to 10,000kg of load simulation directly to the top of either open flatbed vehicles, tractors where the load is applied to the fifth wheel, closed box trailers and trailers with an opening, as well as semi-trailers.
This solution does not work with every kind of vehicle, as it needs a sizeable flat surface to apply its downward pressure. In these other cases a ‘pull-down chain’ method can be used.
The brakes must also be thought about, according to Jheeta. He says: “Most commercial vehicles use a load-sensing valve in their braking systems. It is designed to help the vehicle adjust its braking pressure in response to the load it is carrying.
“Why does that matter when you are choosing a load simulation system? Because some types of load simulation bypass this valve completely.”
With a pull-down chain method (such as axle or hydraulic load simulation), pressure is not applied to the body of the vehicle. Therefore, the load-sensing valve is not activated and will not adjust the braking power according to the ‘load’ being simulated.
This also means the 65% DAW (design axle weight) required by the DVSA will not be achieved, and the brake testing will not give results that reflect the true performance of the brakes.
Jheeta says: “If you’re servicing vehicles that use a load-sensing valve, you may be better off with a load simulation system that affects the entire vehicle – such as direct or chassis load simulation.”
FLEXIBLE SOLUTION
MAHA UK is a supplier of DVSA-approved workshop equipment and offers a variety of solutions to help workshops meet these updated requirements. The MBT 7250 brake tester, for example, is recognised for its accuracy in assessing brake system performance.
It features a large roller sensor with a 100mm diameter and an axle load capacity of up to 20 tonnes, providing consistent brake testing coverage across each tyre’s dimensions, and has a robust electronic, temperature-compensated strain gauge system.
The MBT 7250 also offers a rising roller bed option. The rollers can be lifted by up to 250mm to simulate an axle load of up to 10 tonnes, providing a reliable alternative to traditional laden testing methods when external loading is not possible. While this method is useful for many cases, additional equipment, such as hydraulic rams or fixed anchor points, can be used to ensure the required load is applied when necessary.
Neil Ebbs, managing director, MAHA UK says: “There is no one-size-fits-all solution for brake testing. While many reliable options exist, the key is to ensure that workshops are equipped with the necessary tools to meet the DVSA's evolving standards. Our aim is to provide flexible solutions that help businesses stay compliant and ensure accurate brake performance assessments.”
DIAGNOSTIC TOOL
Freight-Tech is developing a solution called trailerCheck to conduct a meaningful brake test for trailers on site as part of the inspection regime, rather than the trailer being taken off site to a workshop. It hopes to launch its device as soon as trials are complete.
Grogut explains: “Operators are telling us that maintenance providers do not have the provision for conducting the volume of work required. We are carrying out trials on the technology with the DVSA involved and once it’s rolled out and adopted by operators, the expectation is it will be recognised in the guidance as a new technology used to carry out meaningful brake tests.”
Freight Tech’s device is like a diagnostic tool, its software running on a mobile phone or tablet that can be used by operators who don’t have a rolling road at their facility. It can be operated from the vehicle’s cab to measure the amount of brake force generated from the trailer’s brakes while in the yard. A report is produced by the system, detailing the brake results, which can then be emailed or printed out to show the brakes satisfy the test criteria.
“The idea is that the operators can carry this out with actual product in the trailer as the trailer is ready to go out,” Grogut explains. “It’s more efficient to do it when the vehicles are loaded because it represents true load conditions for the test, and the procedure itself doesn’t involve excessive speed or harsh braking, meaning it’s safe to conduct in the yard. The whole process only takes two to three minutes.”
