What Are Roadside Inspections and How Do You Prepare?
If you run a van or truck in Ireland, roadside inspections are something you'll come across eventually. An inspector can pull you over to check your commercial vehicle meets safety standards at any time, and while it might not be top of mind every day, being ready for it means avoiding unnecessary hassle and time off the road.
If everything's sound, the inspection is usually over in minutes. If there's a problem, they'll tell you what needs sorting and give you time to fix it. The trick is making sure your vehicle's roadworthy before it even leaves the yard.
What Gets Checked at a Roadside Inspection?
So, what happens during a typical roadside inspection? Well, inspectors focus on safety and compliance, i.e. the same kind of things looked at during commercial vehicle testing. The checks aren't complicated, but they're thorough enough to catch anything that could cause trouble on the road or land you in legal hot water.
They'll look at:
Lights - all working across the vehicle
Tyres - decent tread, no obvious damage
Brakes - solid condition
Emissions - making sure you're not belching out smoke
Your paperwork gets reviewed, too. When talking about HCV CVRT certification, insurance, tax, or your licence, if any of it's missing or expired, you're looking at delays and fines. That's why you need to keep copies in your cab.
How to Stay Ready & Compliant
The best way to avoid hassle at a roadside stop is to keep your vehicle maintained. Check your lights, tyres and fluids regularly so problems get caught early. If your commercial vehicle test is coming up, book it before it expires. No one wants to be stuck roadside with an out-of-date cert.
As we mentioned, an HCV test covers the same ground as roadside inspections, so if you've passed your test, you're already meeting the standards. However, with mixed fleet testing, it's much more important to schedule everything ahead of time.
Book With Argent Today & Stay Roadside-Ready
Roadside inspections are part of running commercial vehicles, but they don't need to be stressful. Proper maintenance and staying on top of your CVRT means you're already meeting the standards that inspectors check for. At Argent Equipment, we handle everything from CVRTs to fleet compliance.
Call us today on 01 572 6500, and our team will show you exactly why fleet operators across Dublin trust us for their commercial vehicle testing.