TIP opens ATF in Gateshead

TIP Trailer Services has opened its eighth Authorised Testing Facility (ATF), this time in Gateshead.

While the GE-owned company remains a trailer rental business at its core, it has focussed significantly on providing operators with repair and maintenance trailer programmes through FleetCare. Integral to that are the ATFs. 

The Gateshead site will be open three days a week offering HGV (from 7.5t upwards), PSV and ADR testing. Jonny Clark, TIP UK FleetCare manager, said the company has now rolled out a strategically located nationwide network of ATF facilities in just under two years.

“Across the UK, ATF users can take advantage of the benefits that TIP’s experienced on site workshops give them, by helping to reduce their fuel costs when repairs, servicing and maintenance are required before testing,” he said.

Sister sites include Dublin, Felixstowe, Grays, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Nuneaton. Clark added: “The additional ATF facility here at Gateshead will help to take the strain from local VOSA centres and ensure hauliers have fully approved TIP ATF test facilities available to them locally as well as across the UK through our other seven ATF outlets.”

The opening at Gateshead comes at a time when Vosa proposes to increase the costs of vehicle testing at Vosa test stations, potentially generating an extra £4.2m for the agency from its customers.

However, it has emerged that just £1.7m of this will be used to lower the charges it applies for vehicle tests at ATFs. Stephen Smith, president of the ATF Operators Association, said he was disappointed that the move to rebalance fees would not generate bigger cuts in the amount Vosa charges ATFs.