A Queensland Approved Inspection Station is a workshop that conducts vehicle inspections and issues inspection certificates, including safety certificates and certificates of inspections. Here are the major services an Approved Inspection Station can do for you.
Queensland Inspection Services: Roadworthy Certificate of Inspection (RWCOI)
In Queensland, a Roadworthy Certificate of Inspection (RWCOI) is a legal requirement to be renewed every 12 months to keep a heavy vehicle registered and on the road. It is essentially the heavy vehicle equivalent of a Safety/Roadworthy Certificate.
You can only pay for your heavy vehicle registration renewal once a valid RWCOI has been lodged. The different types of heavy vehicles that are affected by the mandatory Queensland inspection service are:
- 4.5 tonne up to and including 16 tonne
- Unregistered Heavy Vehicles (including Buses) over 16 tonne
- Require defect notice clearance
As a requirement, unregistered heavy vehicles must obtain an authorised Roadworthy Certificate of Inspection in order to be registered. They must be inspected at an Approved Inspection Station.
Accurate Heavy Vehicle Measure Ups (HVRAS Inspection) at an Approved Inspection Station
The Heavy Vehicle Regulation Assessment Scheme (HVRAS) are heavy vehicle measure ups, vehicle identifier checks and weight calculations of heavy vehicles before they can be registered in Queensland. It is required for the following circumstances:
- A heavy vehicle that has been unregistered for more than 3 months must undergo an hvras inspection before it can be registered.
- The heavy vehicle is currently registered in another state or territory
Heavy vehicle measure ups (hvras inspection) are completely separate inspections from an RWCOI. It specifically involves the inspection of the following:
- Dimensional limits
- Chassis, engine and VIN number
- Approved load sharing axle systems
- Safe tyre limits
- Display of correct compliance and modification plates
- TARE weight verification
Efficient Heavy Vehicle Defect Notice Clearances at an Approved Inspection Station
You may have just been issued a defect notice on your heavy vehicle – meaning that your vehicle has essentially been deemed to pose a potential safety risk on the road. Your defect notice should specify the faults that have been identified and the period of time to have the faults fixed.
For faults that pose a minor safety risk, you will likely have a number of days whereas for faults that are more major the vehicle must be moved to a location. This information will be on your defect notice. For more serious cases, the vehicle may need to be repaired immediately – which means it may need to be towed.
Keep in mind that Queensland Transport does not always have to be the ones that authorise heavy vehicle defect notice clearances. You may be able to take it to an Approved Person at an Approved Inspection Station. This will be specified on your notice.
Heavy Vehicle Modification Plate
Certain changes and modifications to heavy vehicles require a heavy vehicle modification plate. Changes can vary from removing seats to changing the whole engine. If you are planning on modifying your heavy vehicle in order to best suit your needs – it is best to check whether it is legal or go through an approved facility to perform the modification.
An approved authority must issue a heavy vehicle modification plate – this can be done at an Approved Inspection Station. This is to ensure that the vehicle operates safely and the modifications have been completed to an acceptable standard. MK Equipment Services in Brisbane, Queensland is an Approved Inspection Station and is able to perform a number of inspections including heavy vehicle defect notice clearances, heavy vehicle measure ups and heavy vehicle modification plates. Contact the team at MK Equipment Services in Brisbane today at (07) 3272 9519 to discuss what we can do for you.