LCV Brochure LKQ ECP A4 April 2022

BOOM WITHOUT A CRASH: operating lightweight commercial vehicles and vans safely and economically with the right brakes.

Delivery of goods purchased online is highly convenient for the end user, but poses a lot of work for the supplier and its transport system. Online trade has increased sharply due to the coronavirus pandemic. But this boom is taking both people and materials to their limits.

A supply chain can work perfectly only if the ‘last mile’ delivery is made on time. This has resulted in increased use of lightweight commercial vehicles (LCVs), which are subjected to demanding use on short-distance routes, particularly in the major population centres. The constant daily stop-and-go of delivery rounds and the heavy loads carried by the vans put such loading on the brakes that the safety and economy of the vehicles can be compromised – so warns TMD Friction, a leading manufacturer and supplier of braking technology.

Defective brakes are indeed often why extra maintenance work on delivery vehicles must be done between the scheduled maintenance intervals. These downtimes have a significant impact on viability. To improve the cost balance, businesses then try to use the lowest-cost brake components. According to brake specialist TMD Friction, this is a false economy, since low-cost brake parts provide inferior braking properties that result in still faster wear. This trend is confirmed by the current MOT figures: almost 50% of vans fail the first inspection, while a higher proportion of them have defective braking systems.

In its replacement parts range for LCVs, Pagid offers brake pads and linings, brake discs and accessories that in many cases meets the OE quality standards. The quality of this range in terms of economy and safety has won over many large fleet operators, who now use Pagid brake components in their repair and maintenance programmes.

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