Ensure Your Fleet is Road Safe & Road Legal With Our Van MOTs in Essex | Hales Commercial Ltd

This year has been a strange and difficult one for us all, as we each try and deal with the personal and professional effects of the COVID pandemic. Many measures have been introduced over the year to help avoid problems in particular areas, and one such area was the temporary six month MOT exemption granted cars, motorbikes and vans, rolled out on the 30th of March.

As one of the Essex area’s most prestigious commercial vehicle garages, we found ourselves doing our bit, ensuring essential vehicles could stay on the road and keep the country running. We did this via the provision of run of the mill commercial vehicle servicing and light commercial vehicle repairs… but now we’ve been welcoming back clients who use us for their van MOTs, following the MOT exemption ending (partially due to concerns over vehicle and road safety in Essex and the wider UK).

In light of this, we’ve looked to pen a blog reminding clients – and informing those who might be recently qualified motorists yet to learn the ins and outs – of when van MOTs are called for, and why they’re such an essential aspect of fleet maintenance.

Van MOTs Resume Post Exemption – What You Need to Know

It’s important to make clear that the 6 month COVID exemption has no interaction with, or relation to the usual exemption period: 3 years following the vehicle’s manufacture. So if you’re driving a new vehicle, the same rules apply – but we do recommend visiting commercial vehicle garages like Hales in Romford, Essex for regular commercial vehicle servicing, and to deal with emerging issues via light commercial vehicle repairs; new vehicles can still experience faults! Simply add on 6 months to the due date of original van MOTs, and give us a call to book in.

But we’re aware the COVID crisis isn’t over yet, just because the wide availability of a vaccine is looming: you may still be unable to bring a vehicle in for testing, for specific personal reasons such as ill health. Unfortunately, no further extension is available, and you will need to register your vehicle under a Statutory Off Road Notification.

The Importance of MOTs

Introduced back at the dawn of the 1960s, the MOT looked to address worryingly high levels of road accidents. They were highly effective at getting vehicles not fit or safe for the road off the road. With over 20 components looked at during the course of a test, van MOTs are far more than just the fulfilment of legal obligations…

When you visit dedicated commercial vehicle garages like Hales Commercial, a favoured independently-operated location in Essex, your vehicle undergoes mechanical scrutiny. Early forming issues can be picked up on, preventing the need for more serious light commercial vehicle repairs, which would be necessary if the issue were to worsen. Van MOTs can also be combined with commercial vehicle servicing, so that you improve fuel efficiency, handling and road safety in one fell swoop.

A fleet that receives regular servicing and never fails to fulfil obligations around MOTs is one that should grant its operators peace of mind; you’ll reduce the chance of breakdown, and any accident that could lead to serious legal accountability.