The alarming danger associated with heavy trucks.
In a recent report, the TUV Association has highlighted a concerning trend in the German commercial vehicle fleet. The overall rate of significant and dangerous defects in inspected commercial vehicles has increased to 20.4%, according to the TUV report.
The failure rates for different weight classes of commercial vehicles were also outlined in the report. Light trucks between 3.5 and 7.5 tons had a failure rate of 20.0%, while medium-weight vehicles from 7.5 to 18 tons had a failure rate of 16.5%. Surprisingly, heavy trucks over 18 tons had a failure rate of 21.9%, surpassing the rate of transporters up to 3.5 tons (21.5%).
The rates for oil loss defects were 0.9% for one-year-old vehicles, but increased to 7.6% for vehicles that were ten years old. Similarly, the rates for axle suspension defects were 0.3% for one-year-old vehicles, but increased to 5.3% for vehicles that were ten years old. Lighting defects also showed a similar trend, with a rate of 2.7% for one-year-old vehicles, but increasing to 12.2% for vehicles that were ten years old.
Dr. Joachim Bühler, CEO of the TUV Association, stated that they have not seen such a clear increase in the defect rate before. He went on to say that heavy trucks are developing into a new problem class.
No specific companies or organizations have been named as particularly characterized by a high number of commercial trucks with significant or dangerous defects in recent years. However, the TUV report emphasizes that over 20% of all commercial vehicles in Germany, across all weight classes, exhibit severe or dangerous defects such as lighting failures, oil leaks, and axle suspension issues based on inspections of 2.31 million vehicles in 2023/2024.
The report also calls for better promotion, reliable framework conditions, and the accelerated expansion of charging infrastructure for electric trucks. This comes as alternative drives currently make up 3.5% of the German commercial vehicle fleet, with the share of alternative drives in new registrations increasing to 9.6%, an increase of 0.8 points compared to the 2023 report.
The German commercial vehicle fleet has grown to 3.83 million vehicles, with the average age of commercial vehicles in Germany being 8.7 years. The TUV report serves as a call to action for the industry to address the increasing defect rates and ensure the safety of commercial vehicles on German roads.
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