Braking performance assessment requirements from April 2025

In a significant move to enhance road safety, the UK’s Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has announced that, effective April 2025, there is an expectation that every safety inspection will include a brake performance assessment using either an RBT, a suitable electronic brake performance monitoring system (EBPMS) or a decelerometer with temperature readings. If EBPMS is not used it is expected there is a minimum of four laden brake tests spread evenly across the year, this can include the annual test.

Acceptable reasons for not carrying out a laden brake assessment.

Vehicles where laden brake assessments may not be possible or where additional loading would be difficult are listed below (this is not an exhaustive list), however there is an expectation that at least four of the assessments will use an RBT unless the construction or weight of the vehicle prevents its use.

Vehicles where under normal operating conditions (more than 70% of the time) run at less than 65% of the permitted axle weights. This may include car transporters where they are designed for that specific task
Furniture removal vehicles – Only when designed and constructed as a furniture removal vehicle
ADR – Only when the load is considered dangerous and specialist facilities are not available
Vehicles operating at 50% or more of permitted axle weights when unladen – This could include fixed plant, mobile libraries, compactor vehicles, exhibition type vehicles, bullion vehicles, etc.

Where a laden brake test is not carried out a risk assessment detailing the reasons, must be completed by a competent person who understands braking systems and its components at every safety inspection.

There must be an evaluation of the vehicle/ trailer performance report before every safety inspection by a competent person who can interpret the data. The evaluation must be signed, dated, and attached to the vehicle record together with the performance data report. The evaluation and data report may be a single document.

To allow flexibility vehicles can be presented for brake testing up to 14 days before the safety inspection date; this allows the operator to conduct a laden brake test during the vehicle/trailer normal activities without the need to specially load it.

Reliable brake testing is crucial to ensure road safety, helping to identify any potential brake issues that may lead to accidents on the road, minimising risks to the HGV drivers and other road users.

What does this update mean for you?

To follow best practice and comply with the proposed new legislation, the DVSA expect that with every safety inspection a brake performance assessment is completed with an RBT, suitable electronic brake performance monitoring system (EBPMS) or using a decelerometer and taking temperature readings as the sole method for evaluating brake performance.

In some cases, a loaded brake test may be impractical. As such, if a vehicle or trailer consistently operates under specific conditions, exemptions may apply. Examples include:

ADR vehicles: when the load is considered dangerous, and specialist facilities are unavailable.
Livestock carriers: when recreating the load is not possible.
Noxious load carriers: only if the vehicle is specifically designed for this purpose.
Furniture removal vehicles: only if the vehicle is specifically designed for this purpose.
Public service vehicles: this includes prisoner transfer vehicles.
Vehicles that operate at 50% or more of permitted axle weight when unladen. This could include fixed plant, mobile libraries, compactor vehicles or bullion transport vehicles.
Vehicles that more than 70% of the time run at less than 65% of the permitted axle weights, these may include car transporters or unladen tri-axle semi-trailers.

For businesses running vehicles not fitted with an EBPMS (currently only available on trailers) or exempt, a minimum of four laden RBT assessments are required, these are to be spread evenly across the year and include the existing requirement to conduct a RBT at each MOT test. To ensure minimal disruption, these tests can be completed as early as 14 days before the next safety inspection date.

A risk assessment (example here) must be available to support every safety inspection where a laden brake test is not completed. The operator will still be responsible for a risk assessment is in place to justify any exemption. This assessment should be:

Available to review during every safety inspection.

Updated annually, or whenever there is a change in vehicle use.

Retained with vehicle maintenance documents for 15 months.

What Should Our Customers Do?

At Mac’s Truck Rental, we are dedicated to providing safe and roadworthy vehicles to our customers and as part of this dedication we will be working with our customers to ensure they re-main compliant.

To achieve this, we will continue to complete our standard 4 laden RBTs per year across our managed fleets, while supporting our customers’ unique operational needs but will offer an increase in the frequency of the laden brake tests being conducted at the customer’s request. (Conditions apply).

We will be available to assist our customers, offering advice on how the new requirements affect their operations, any potential cost implications and providing information on keeping their own fleet in compliance.

For more information on the Braking performance assessment requirements from April 2025 and further reading please see below links.

Guide to maintaining roadworthiness: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6751b5d044885d072cecbd62/guide-to-maintaining-roadworthiness-commercial-goods-and-public-service-vehicles.pdf

Brake test risk assessment: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67362fbaf6920bfb5abc7bc1/annex-7-example-of-a-brake-assessment-risk-assessment-template.pdf

Understanding your HGV or trailer’s brake test report: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/understanding-your-hgv-or-trailers-brake-test-report/understanding-your-hgv-or-trailers-brake-test-report

EBPMS Industry Standard Specification:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electronic-braking-performance-monitoring-systems/electronic-braking-performance-monitoring-system-ebpms-industry-standard-specification

Fill in your details below to get more information from the team at Mac’s Truck Rental, whether you’re looking into contract hire or simply want to know more about one of our trucks.

Drivers across the UK are facing record-high fuel prices despite the fall in the cost of oil. In recent weeks the wholesale cost of oil has fallen from around $130 to less than $100. Until the end of March, the average forecourt price fluctuating almost daily and varied across the UK. This was put down to various reasons such as global supply issues, uncertainty within the market, and the impact of Russia invading Ukraine. This increase in fuel has impacted the cost of living and many drivers are now struggling to fuel their vehicles. Many businesses have warned that this pressure may force them to increase their prices on goods.

Rod McKenzie, managing director at the Road Haulage Association (RHA), described the spike in the cost of diesel as “dramatic”. He comments “If hauliers have to pay more for their fuel, they inevitably have to charge customers more. I suspect this will mean prices going up on everything that is delivered by a truck, which is frankly 97% of everything that we get in Britain.”

Current Price Of Petrol And Diesel

The RAC monitor both wholesale and retail fuel prices daily using their Fuel Watch initiative. Then urge retailers including Asda, Morrisons and Tesco to pass on any cost savings to motorists. As a national average, petrol is currently 164.65p per litre and diesel is 178.98ppl.

How Have Fuel Prices Fluctuated?

At the height of the global pandemic, when the lockdown was enforced and travelling was restricted, fuel prices fell to around £1 a litre. However, since the beginning of 2021, as life started to go back to normal, prices have been climbing. Since November 2021, new records have been set almost daily. February 2022 was a record high according to RAC data with petrol reaching 148.02p and diesel at 151.57p. This was until late March when a cut in fuel duty was announced.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak told MPs “Today I can announce that for only the second time in 20 years, fuel duty will be cut. Not by one, not even by two, but by 5p per litre. The biggest cut to all fuel duty rates – ever. While some have called for the cut to last until August, I have decided it will be in place until March next year – a full 12 months.”

Why Have Fuel Prices Risen?

The price of fuel is largely dictated by the price of oil. RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams commented, “Having taken production down when demand fell due to the pandemic, the oil producers are now struggling to get production back up to the required levels to meet demand.”

Russia is one of the world’s largest gas and oil producers, responsible for around 10% of global oil. However, as Russia has invaded Ukraine this has caused an unstable global market as uncertainty increases around distribution.

Impact Of Fuel Increases On The Trucking Industry

The trucking industry was already under immense pressure. With a shortage of skilled drivers, covid restrictions, and additional paperwork at the borders due to Brexit. Yet, the RHA has now estimated that the cost of running a truck has risen by around 40% in the past 12 months. Rod McKenzie, managing director at RHA comments “Recent rises in fuel costs have the potential to wipe out profit”.

In Logistics UK’s May 2022 Performance Tracker, they found that 71% of UK logistics companies reported an escalation in the cost of transporting goods. This was in Q1 in comparison to the previous year. It stated that this sharp increase was due to the cost of fuel and other global supply chain pressures. Furthermore, 40% of respondents said that costs had climbed by 25% or more.

Sarah Watkins, Deputy Director at Logistics UK states “The cost to transport goods is surging at an unprecedented rate amid significant increases in the cost of fuel. The sheer numbers of logistics companies reporting increases in both freight rates and the costs to move goods suggest rising prices are deeply embedded and are unlikely to subside in the coming weeks. The sector is particularly reliant on diesel, the cost of which is likely to remain elevated even as the cost of other fuels subside. More than a third of respondents to our survey say orders are declining, likely as a result of both rising freight costs and as consumers cut back amid a broader cost of living squeeze.”

Save Money With Mac’s Truck Rental

Save money by leasing your truck with Mac’s Truck Rental. We provide a varied range of specialist vehicles for truck leasing, both short-term flexible to a long-term fixed term contract. With our manufacturing capabilities, we can also meet the specific needs of businesses through modification or by building a completely bespoke solution.

We offer customers the benefit of immediate availability of specialised vehicle types that would normally have long production lead times. All our trucks are supplied with full manufacturer’s warranty, fully maintained by your local main dealer, and include nationwide breakdown assistance.

Our range encompasses top manufacturers for any industry including Scania, Volvo, Hiab, and DAF. Including beavertail hire, skip lorry hire, crane truck hire, and hook loader hire. Get in touch today for further assistance or advice in choosing your lease.