Your van passed its MOT. What about that tyre advisory?

Your van passed its MOT. Who is following up on the tyre advisory?

Tyre advisory guide by Philip Storm, Fleetmaxx Solutions

The van has passed its MOT. The keys are back in the driver’s hand and tomorrow’s jobs are booked. But there is a tyre advisory on the test report. Who is going to follow it up, and when?

That is the question I would ask as soon as the van comes back. TyreSafe analysed MOT records for nearly 137,000 vans and found that vans with a tyre advisory were almost twice as likely to have a dangerous tyre defect at their next test. For a business that relies on its vans every day, that advisory is worth a date in the maintenance diary. Read the TyreSafe analysis.

What TyreSafe found

TyreSafe matched Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency MOT records for vans tested in February 2024 with their next tests in February 2025. Here is how often testers found a tyre defect graded dangerous.

Across the study, 1,931 vans with a previous tyre advisory returned with a dangerous tyre defect. Among vans that failed on tyres and had a traceable previous test, roughly three in ten had received a tyre advisory at that earlier MOT. The comparison tracks vans across two tests, so the figures describe risk at vehicle level.

An advisory gives you time to arrange a check around the work the van needs to do. If an MOT identifies a dangerous defect, keep the van off the road until it has been repaired. Read the government guidance on MOT results.

Give every tyre advisory an owner and a deadline

If you manage the fleet, start with the MOT reports for the vans you are running today. Pull out any tyre advisories and check what happened after each one was raised.

1. Log the advisory. Record the registration, the wheel position and what the tester flagged.
2. Give someone responsibility for it. Set a date for the tyre to be inspected or replaced, based on its condition and advice from your workshop or tyre fitter. Let the driver know what to watch for in the meantime.
3. Record what was done. If the tyre was replaced, log the date and keep the job record. If it was inspected and needs monitoring, note the result and set the next check date.

A van might be booked solid for the next fortnight, but that is exactly when it pays to get the workshop slot in the diary. You can plan cover for a booked inspection. Finding a spare van when a defect takes one out of service is a different conversation.

What drivers should check before setting off

TyreSafe uses ACT to help drivers remember the three checks that matter.

• Air pressure. Use an accurate gauge when the tyres are cold. Check the handbook or vehicle placard for the manufacturer’s recommended pressures for the load you are carrying.
• Condition. Look for cuts, bulges, cracks, objects lodged in the tyre and uneven wear. Check again after a hard knock against a kerb or pothole. Report damage to the person responsible for the van.
• Tread. For vans up to 3.5 tonnes, the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the tread, all the way around the tyre. If the tread is getting close to the limit or wearing unevenly, flag it so the fleet team can arrange a check.

Make tyres and wheel fixings part of the daily walkaround, and make sure drivers know who to contact if they find a defect. Where a defect makes the van unsafe, keep it off the road until it has been put right. See the official van walkaround checklist and the Highway Code tyre guidance.

Philip Storm – Digital Marketing Coordinator