Class B rigid presented for annual test with a borderline steering complaint
A 2019 Class B rigid (two-axle, 12,000 kg GVW, air over hydraulic brakes) is presented for its first CVRT at 4 years old. The driver's defect report notes 'slight wander at motorway speed, worse when loaded'. Mileage is 148,000 km. On the pit you observe: front tyre tread depths of 3.1 mm, 2.9 mm, 3.4 mm and 3.0 mm across the four grooves of each steer tyre; both steering ball joints show slight perceptible free play with the wheels unloaded; the steering wheel has approximately 30 mm free play at the rim before the road wheels begin to move; there is a light misting of oil on the left front shock absorber but no drips. Brake roller test shows 62% service efficiency with 3% imbalance on the front axle. The presenter asks you to 'pass it and note the wander for next year'.
1. Decide whether the steering and tyre findings meet the roadworthiness standard for a pass, and justify each item.
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Work item by item rather than giving an overall opinion.
Tyres. The legal minimum for a goods vehicle is 1.0 mm across the central three-quarters of the tread breadth. All four steer tyres at 2.9–3.4 mm are well above that, so tread depth is not a reason for rejection. However, depth is only one criterion - check for cuts, bulging, cord exposure, and mismatched or incorrect tyre type on the same axle. If none, tyres pass.
Free play in ball joints. Slight perceptible free play in a steering joint is not automatically a fail; the test looks for excessive play, play accompanied by wear indicators showing, or joints that are loose/secured incorrectly. 'Slight perceptible' with wheels unloaded is within tolerance - but the joint must be re-checked with the weight on the wheels before you conclude.
Steering wheel free play. 30 mm at the rim is modest for a 12,000 kg vehicle with a large-diameter wheel and is not in itself excessive. The wander complaint is a symptom to investigate, not a defect to record.
Shock absorber. Light misting without drips is not a defect; a leaking damper is only a fail where fluid is actually escaping.
Brakes. 62% efficiency with 3% imbalance on a two-axle vehicle comfortably meets the requirement (service brake efficiency and imbalance limits). Pass.
Conclusion: none of the listed items justifies refusal. The correct action is to pass, and to record nothing as a defect - the 'note it for next year' request has no status. The wander should be raised as advice to the presenter, not as a test defect.
2. The presenter becomes insistent that the wander is a real safety issue and asks you to record it as a defect so he has 'something on paper'. How do you handle this?
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The test result and the defect record are governed by what you observed, not by what the presenter wants documented.
Re-examine the symptom properly. A wander complaint at speed is genuinely worth investigating: check steering column and coupling play, kingpin inclination/play, wheel alignment indicators, tyre pressures and condition, and any evidence of a bent or damaged component. If you find a defect, record it and fail accordingly. If you do not, you cannot manufacture one.
Do not record a non-defect as a defect. A defect item on a CVRT record is an assertion that the vehicle did not meet the standard. Recording 'wander' when no measurable defect exists misrepresents the test and creates a false paper trail.
Give the presenter a legitimate route. Advise him to have the vehicle inspected by a competent person, and note the driver's report. He can keep his own maintenance records. That serves his purpose without corrupting the test record.
Manage the pressure. If he continues to press, state the position plainly and, if necessary, escalate to the test centre manager. Never let a presenter's commercial concern change a result in either direction.