BrakePlus, an Electronic Braking Performance Monitoring System

Following a lengthy development programme, TIP Trailer Services has launched BrakePlus, their dedicated Electronic Braking Performance Monitoring System (EBPMS) to provide fleet operators with an alternative to carrying out physical roller brake tests throughout the year.

With BrakePlus, fleet teams can have their trailers’ braking systems automatically monitored and thus benefit from cost, time and effort savings associated with regular physical roller brake tests. The system captures braking performance information from a trailer’s electronic braking system and presents it to fleet teams in the form of a ‘Braking Performance Value’, which translates as a simple ‘Pass’ or ‘Fail’ – and all via an intuitive, user-friendly platform.

Being able to produce a ‘Braking Performance Report’ periodically as part of a trailer’s service inspection record can serve as evidence of the braking performance of the trailer and help ensure fleet operators stay ‘compliant’. What’s more, BrakePlus provides email alerts when a braking system for a trailer begins to under-perform so that regular monitoring of the system by a user is not actually required.

TIP has calculated that the true cost of performing a roller brake test is in the region of a hundred pounds. Users of BrakePlus can benefit from cost savings that would normally be borne from having to carry out physical testing, such as downtime of trailer, travel costs, and administration costs.

“For a while now, the DVSA has considered EBPMS to be a valid means of assessing trailer braking performance, the output from which can be used as ‘compliance evidence’ that forms part of an operator’s maintenance records,” said Mike Furnival, Managing Director UK & Ireland, TIP Trailer Services. 

“We have acknowledged the benefits that EBPMS can provide fleet operations from the outset, but it has taken time to deliver the right solution for the market – one that meets the specification outlined by the DVSA and that adds real value to fleet operations. After nearly two years of developing the system, including a year-long trial with several fleet operator customers and nearly one hundred UK based trailers, we are delighted to add this capability to our range of trailer services,” continued Mike.

BrakePlus forms part of TIP Insight, TIP’s range of telematics-based digital and connected services, and joins TyrePlus, TIP’s Tyre Pressure Monitoring System and DoorPlus (door monitoring system) as ‘add-on’ services to the core ‘track and trace’ functionality.

Mike concludes, “Since its launch in the summer, over 3,000 trailers are now connected with TIP Insight and its modular approach enables a solution to be tailored to the needs of our customers’ fleet operation. BrakePlus is the latest of those modules that will provide real value for our customers and further enhance our proposition as a leading trailer hire and maintenance provider, both in the UK and globally. 

Further information about BrakePlus, TIP’s EBPMS can be viewed at www.tipeurope.co.uk/brakeplus

To understand more about EBPMS, visit www.tipeurope.co.uk/ebpms