Yes, BrakePlus follows the ‘Industry Standard Specification’ for EBPMS as defined by the DVSA. BrakePlus provides users with functionality that may be considered to be in addition to the specification required by the DVSA.
Yes, as an EBPMS, having BrakePlus is a valid means of assessing the braking performance of your trailers and can provide an alternative to performing roller brake tests throughout the year. This may lead to significant cost savings. A roller brake test will still need to be performed annually and this will typically take place at the time of the trailers’ annual MOT.
Typically, this will be run to coincide with your service inspection periods so that the period being reported on is between scheduled safety inspection intervals.
Operators who use EBPMS as service braking performance evidence, are expected to include a braking performance report as part of each safety inspection record. This evidence can either be stored electronically or as a printout, which should be retained in-line with the DVSA’s ‘Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness’ publication.
By far the most likely reason for this is that the trailer (s) will not have done enough mileage for BrakePlus to calculate a valid Braking Performance Value. The more braking events that are generated for a particular trailer, the more likely BrakePlus will be able to calculate this value and achieve a ‘Pass’ (or ‘Fail’) status as opposed to having an ‘Unqualified’ status. It is estimated that trailers should travel at least 5,000 kms per 90 days (or 20,000 kms per annum) in order to effectively use BrakePlus. However, it is recommended that 10,000 kms per 90 days (40,000 kms per annum) is travelled for most effective use of the braking performance information that the system provides. If a trailer persistently shows as ‘Unqualified’, an alternative method may be required to assess braking performance.
Yes, the tractor unit can have an impact on the Braking Performance Value since BrakePlus utilises the braking pressure demand to the trailer and that demand is determined by the tractor unit. It is important that the braking demand effort is balanced fairly between tractor unit and trailer in order to provide a realistic Braking Performance Value. The more a trailer is rotated with different tractor units, the less the influence of a particular tractor unit on a trailer’s Braking Performance Value.
The Braking Performance Value is calculated daily and is based on braking events that have taken place during the last 90 days (in ‘Settings’, the ‘Windows Size’ can be changed to 45 days if this is more in line with your service inspection frequency). So, each trailer will have a new Braking Performance Value at the start of each day – but it will stay the same throughout that day.
From day-to-day, if the brake events of the most recent day (i.e. usually yesterday) are significantly different than those of the day no longer being used to calculate the Braking Performance Value (i.e. the 91st day), the value could change significantly.
Significant variations in the Braking Performance Value can occur particularly on trailers recently equipped with BrakePlus, as its ‘algorithm’ requires a longer period (and more braking events), typically 90 days, in order to exhibit a more ‘settled’ value.
Should BrakePlus provide a Braking Performance Value that is below that required in order to achieve a ‘PASS’ or if it otherwise identifies braking deficiencies, the vehicle operator, as defined in the DVSA ‘EBPMS Industry Standard Specification’ document, needs to ensure appropriate action is taken to investigate, remedy and evidence any reported defects, as detailed in the DVSA publication ‘Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness’.
Yes this can occur because they are two quite different ways of assessing performance of the braking system. BrakePlus monitors the performance continually and over a period of time, typically 90 days, whilst a roller brake test is, of course, a test at a specific moment in time. Furthermore, a trailer can pass a roller brake test if the wheels ‘lock’, which they can do, even at low pressure levels. BrakePlus meanwhile, will always evaluate braking performance at an often relatively higher pressure level of 6.5 bar.