TIP Group has no doubts about the value of irtec technician licensing and IRTE workshop accreditation, says UK fleet and engineering director, Mark Carlin. They provide customers with reassurance and can be used by them as a yardstick to measure the competence of a maintenance provider.
With a 21,000-strong UK trailer hire fleet, some 3,000 rental trucks, and responsible for 24,000 trailers it manages on behalf of third parties, TIP has had its network of workshops IRTE-accredited since March of last year (2024).
Valid for three years, accreditation represents a best practice audit of workshop standards conducted through an independent review of procedures and practices by official scheme auditors over several weeks. Areas scrutinised, TIP points out, include workshop cleanliness, tooling and procedures, record-keeping and document compliance.
All IRTE-accredited workshops are placed on a searchable central register. Just over 300 are currently listed.
The register can be used by operators looking for a maintenance provider who should, among other things, be able to deliver improved MOT pass rates and reduced vehicle downtime. The audit can also help identify training needs with the aim of boosting workshop efficiency.
The accreditation programme covers in-house workshops looking to improve their game as well as those solely providing services to third parties.
“We’ve got over 400 technicians, and they are all irtec accredited, too,” Carlin says. “We class that as our minimum standard.”
Carlin’s positive view of irtec and IRTE workshop accreditation is shared by Nigel Beckett, DAF’s UK service and engineering director. “Customers like our dealer workshops and technicians to be accredited,” he says. “It’s something they definitely want.”
KEY COMPONENT
Commercial vehicle fleet management specialist Sapphire Vehicle Services is a keen irtec supporter, says training manager, Nick Fryatt. Part of Balleyvesey Holdings, and with 16 depots spread nationwide, it has launched a 12-month programme which can upskill car technicians using a mixture of classroom and workshop training so that they are competent to work on trucks – and irtec assessment and licensing is a key component of the scheme.
“It will give them a recognised professional qualification which typically comes with a higher rate of pay than car mechanics can earn,” he comments.
The classroom training is being delivered by Blyth Automotive, which already has considerable experience in irtec/IRTE technician and workshop accreditation.
Carlin suggests that licensing can be an especially useful means of evidencing the safety and competence of those technicians who, while experienced, may not have much in terms of paper qualifications.
Lasting for five years in most cases and involving assessment of an individual’s theoretical and practical skills, technician accreditation involves five different licensing levels.
Carlin particularly welcomes the fact that the Service Maintenance Technician and Inspection Technician licences can include trailers as well as buses and coaches and heavy commercial vehicles. “It’s the only industry-wide recognised qualification for trailer technicians,” he points out.
It is one that is increasingly necessary given that trailer aftersales care has at times been treated as the Cinderella of the transport industry compared with truck maintenance.
“Bear in mind though that trailer technology has been moving forwards at a rapid pace,” he says. “As well as lifting decks on double-deck trailers we’ve now got EBPMS (Electronic Braking Performance Monitoring System).”
TIP has been trialling temperature-controlled trailers with electric fridge units powered by generator axles employing kinetic energy that would otherwise be wasted, and by solar panels, he adds.
In 2023 TIP announced that it was rolling out the TIP Mechanic Academy in six countries, including the UK, in order to train trailer technicians. The British academy has been established in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.
MEETING DEMANDS
The Advanced Technician irtec licence is a category Carlin wants to explore more. A route intended for technicians who carry out fault diagnosis, maintenance and repair on trucks, buses and coaches, it sets a minimum entry requirement of three years of industrial experience or a Level 3 S/NVQ (or equivalent qualification) plus at least a year’s experience in a relevant industrial environment.
To achieve it, a technician must carry out a test involving 30 questions at an irtec-approved assessment centre. Once the theory test is completed satisfactorily, the candidate has 12 months to complete all the practical assessments which are conducted by an irtec-approved assessor.
They cover areas such as engine electrical systems and braking systems.
Mention should also be made of the Master Technician level, which provides recognition for individuals working towards a senior position – a supervisory role, for example – in a workshop.
In opting for accreditation for its technicians and workshops, TIP is responding to the demands of major fleet operators in particular, says Carlin. They want to be reassured that the technicians working on their vehicles and the facilities they are using meet high standards.
The blue-chip logistics companies are especially keen on their suppliers becoming accredited, he says, and like to be kept in touch with the steps TIP is taking. “Everybody recognises accreditation now: it’s viewed as a minimum standard, and it’s brought the industry a lot of benefits,” he observes.
In Carlin’s experience, the assessors are pretty thorough. “They do a good job,” he comments. He is, however, considering setting up an in-house assessment programme.
INTEGRAL TRAINING
Ian Foster, director of engineering strategy at bus operator Metroline, and a director of Catlynn Transport Consultants, believes that the value of irtec is such that it should become an integral part of all truck, bus and coach technician training programmes.
“What’s required is a joined-up approach which includes vehicle manufacturers, operators and the Department for Transport,” he observes.
“At Metroline, we run a five-year scheme,” he says. “You do an apprenticeship for the first three years then spend the next two working towards becoming a Master Technician and obtaining your PSV licence and your irtec licence.”
As far as buses are concerned, he would like to see assessment cover more functions given the amount of equipment built into them, especially if they are operating in London.
The kit they feature includes everything from power-operated wheelchair ramps to high-resolution electronic destination displays. Admittedly many of these features are not covered by the annual MOT test, but a bus cannot be used if they are not working.
Assessors also need to be up to speed with the zero-emission technologies now appearing in buses, he says, which embrace hydrogen fuel cells as well as battery-electric powertrains. This includes the safety precautions that need to be followed when working on them.
Technicians can obtain a Large Electric Vehicle: High Voltage Isolation, Reinstatement and Safety licence which in this case lasts for three years.
The minimum candidate entry requirement is at least three years’ experience in vehicle maintenance and repair. Service Maintenance Technician and Advanced Technician licence-holders can be considered, as can individuals with a Level 5 S/NVQ (or equivalent qualification) plus at least a year of post-qualification experience.
Almost 16,000 irtec-licensed technicians are listed in a central, searchable, directory.
Carlin suggests that workshops could be IRTE-accredited to bronze, silver and gold levels in line with the range of services they provide and the standards they meet. He would be more than happy to see irtec licensing made obligatory for any technician who works on trucks, trailers, buses and coaches, and IRTE accreditation made mandatory for any workshop that inspects, services and repairs them.
“I’d be fine with that,” he says. “Having an independent seal of approval can only be beneficial.”
Foster, who sits on the IRTE’s General Council, concludes: “It should be compulsory.”
BOX: BRIAN McGIBBON: SCOTTISH IRTEC engineer OF THE YEAR 2025
Scania Dundee’s Brian McGibbon started his career as an apprentice, and his journey was one full of curiosity and wanting to get elbow deep into fixing vehicles – cars, trucks, anything. He has now been named 2025 Scottish irtec Engineer of the Year.
Once he arrived at Scania, he was keen to learn and share his expertise with others. Through secondments in India, Sudan, Armenia and South America, he taught others how to fix and maintain Scania vehicles, as well as experiencing different cultures and ways of living first-hand.
McGibbon explains: “To be named Scottish irtec Engineer of the Year is a proud moment for me. Throughout my career I have taken any opportunity to learn and develop, as I love fixing things. I have had some amazing experiences with some brilliant people along the way.
"Which is why I tell everyone, that if you get a chance to work abroad, go and do it. Go and see the world.”
Having joined Scania after six years working for a couple of transport companies, McGibbon was keen to progress his career. Here he was given the freedom to find, solve and fix issues with customer vehicles, while working in an environment where he could continue growing, adapting and challenging himself.
That is before he joined a global task force of technicians working for Scania AB CV in Sweden. They were tasked with helping customers and their technicians maintain their Scania vehicles better, in developing markets – a journey that saw him spend time in India, Sudan, Armenia, Brazil and Chile.
Such is the character of McGibbon; he imbues the values of Scania through his actions. For him, success is only achieved if the people and customers around him are happy and feel satisfied.
Gerard Nairn, branch manager at Scania Dundee, says: “Brian is an exceptional and talented technician and mentor in my workshop. Nothing phases him, and he does whatever it takes to help the team.
“His determination, humility and passion are inspirational.”
McGibbon follows in the footsteps of fellow Scania UK winners, Scott McLintock (2022), Craig Moore (2023) and Steven Clark (2024).
