Member Article

IRTE Workshop Accreditation

IRTE Workshop Accreditation: A new benchmark of first-class industry practice

A blog post by Gary Dean, UK Technical Support Manager at Northgate Vehicle Hire

Have you ever left an independent vehicle workshop dissatisfied with the service and quality of work you were given? You’re not alone.

Repairing and maintaining vehicles – whether carried out in-house or outsourced - can be really demanding and stressful for those managing such activities. A lot of independent workshops do a great job of supporting fleet operators, but standards across the wider industry have left a lot to be desired in recent times. Safety and compliance are a serious matter in the vehicle industry and so those with the responsibility of outsourcing maintenance provision will have quality assurance and technical expertise at the top of their list.

Thankfully, the IRTE (Institute of Road Transport Engineers) has partnered with the FTA (Freight Transport Association) to deliver the IRTE workshop accreditation scheme - an independent initiative set up with the sole intention of assessing and accrediting the practice standards of independent workshops against those of major industry stakeholders.

The initiative works on two levels; allowing maintenance providers to achieve accreditation by proving their high standards through rigorous testing, and giving fleet operators a recognisable and independent reassurance of quality and reliability. Workshop Accreditation involves an audit by an IRTE-accredited FTA auditor, highlighting best practice compliance in areas including premises, equipment, technical and clerical staff, management and documentation. This ensures first-class standards are upheld and ultimately, vehicles leave workshops safe and roadworthy protecting the safety of drivers and all other road users.

The FTA has revealed 80% of large goods vehicle operators subcontract vehicle inspection, repair and maintenance to external providers ,. However, responsibility for the condition of the vehicle remains with the operator.

At Northgate, the vast majority of our repairs, services and compliance reports are completed at our in-house workshops. This ensures our customers consistently receive a high level of service and minimal downtime.

I believe the IRTE / FTA workshop accreditation scheme is a fantastic, impartial programme for our industry, which promises to raise servicing and compliance standards. Northgate Vehicle Hire was the first company to be accredited with the IRTE IRTEC license, helping us to uphold high industry standards and certifying the safety credentials of our technicians. The initiative has helped to boost productivity, consistently meet customer demands and raise first-time MOT pass rates, at one branch to 100 per cent!

I welcome any incentive by the IRTE to assess and certify credible third party maintenance suppliers as it benefits all operators and vehicle owners. Knowing that your assets are being serviced, repaired or undergoing compliance checks by accredited technicians is key to ensuring that overall compliance requirements are met, giving customers peace of mind that safety is a top priority, and ensuring that the residual values of our vehicles are maintained

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Richard Savage .