Fleet management alert for brokers as van fleets show dangerous levels of tyre wear

LEASING brokers with fleet management clients have an opportunity to upsell their expertise to van fleets according to the latest report from i247 Group.

The outsourced driver support and asset management provider says that it is seeing a rise in very low tyre treads on vans.

The Poole-based company reports that there has been an increase in light commercial vehicles vans with under 2mm of tyre tread depth – a rise of 10% over the last five years, from 30% in 2019 to 40% in 2023. There has also been a rising number of tyre defects leading to MOT failures on Class 5 vehicles – such as minibuses with 13 or more seats as well as ambulances.

Driving with worn tyres is dangerous, not just for the driver but for other road users too. We’re really concerned about the rise we’re seeing in fleets operating with low levels of tyre tread with some at illegal levels. We know van fleets are under pressure right now but we’re urging fleets to give their drivers time to carry out critical tyre checks regularly. This is especially important at this time of year when delivery volumes are so high.

David Legg, director of tyres, i247 Group Tweet

i247 Group points out that fleet operators have a Duty of Care responsibility for ensuring vehicles are maintained in a roadworthy condition and drivers are also legally responsible for the condition of the vehicle they drive. And that the rise in worn tyres is being caused by the increasing pressure on van fleets as they move to double-shifting.

Vehicle checks should take place in the same way as any other job critical tool pre-use. Fleets must ensure maintenance checks are being carried out. There are a number of tools and apps on the market to facilitate this which will help to ensure compliance and driver safety.

David Legg, director of tyres, i247 Group Tweet