February 13, 2024 - garage-equipment

DVSA MOT COMPLIANCE CHANGES 2020

Posted on February 13, 2024 - 11:08 am by garage-equipment

The DVSA have recently sent out a communication to MOT sites to inform them of MOT testing equipment approvals, and how their brake testing equipment must be compliant with the DVSA. This will mean that for many MOT workshops, their brake testing units will need to be upgraded with the latest MTS software which allows for all of their MOT testing data to be easily transferred directly to the DVSA straight after a test is completed.

MOT stations required to take action include:

Those who are replacing their Brake Tester
Stations that are changing the AE (Authorised Examiner)
Those who are changing the test station details for example: their company name

Once you have realised the need for an upgrade, and have initially consulted our team, you will need to:

Contact DVSA to obtain the key/certification code for the required software
Speak to our V-Tech team to let us know that you have the code
Our V-Tech Engineers will then come to site and perform the upgrade, installing a new PC and the correct software
Your MOT testing data will then automatically be transferred to the DVSA every time a test is completed

Click here to find out how to request your key/certification code.

If your Roller Brake Tester is old, why not upgrade to a current one? View our wide range of professional, high quality Roller Brake Testers online or contact our team to enquire.

0800 195 1245

info@v-techuk.com

THE 5 STEPS WE TAKE TO SUPPORT YOUR WORKSHOP

Posted on February 13, 2024 - 11:02 am by garage-equipment

Our professional and fully qualified V-Tech Engineers will come to your workshop to learn more about your premises and your services. This will allow us to develop a better understanding of what type of garage equipment your workshop needs along with space restrictions and site dimensions, whilst also allowing us to create an accurate CAD drawing.

We will discuss with you what we believe would be the most suitable type of equipment for your garage to make sure our products meet not only your needs but your workshop space, and budget too. Many of our products come in many different specs but our team of experts will find the right configuration to suit your garage.

Once you have decided which equipment you would like to purchase, we will then discuss our flexible finance options with you to see if you would prefer to pay in full or in affordable monthly instalments to suit your cash flow. We have preferential finance rates to get you the best and most suitable finance agreements.

We will arrange delivery and if needed, installation of your equipment. Our expert engineers have been fully trained and are qualified to install any type of garage equipment including MOT Bays, Brake Testers, Tyre Equipment and much more. Our team of nationwide engineers cover all corners of the UK.

After your purchase, we will continue to help and support your equipment with a Service Contract. Our team will cover emergency breakdowns, service your equipment regularly, and carry out equipment calibrations, to ensure you do not face any long downtime.
Interested in purchasing garage equipment from a company that you can rely on and who care about you and your workshop? Contact our team to arrange a site visit.

NEW SUPER DEDUCTION SCHEME

Posted on February 13, 2024 - 10:57 am by garage-equipment

Benefits of the new Government Supertax Deduction scheme

The covid-19 pandemic has left many workshops struggling to invest in the new machinery that they require. However, in this year’s budget, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced an amazing new scheme to enable workshops to benefit from new equipment purchases and offset their tax liabilities.

SUPER DEDUCTION SCHEME EXPLAINED

In the past businesses have been able to claim capital allowances when they purchase new equipment. The value of such equipment gets deducted from your profits meaning you will save money on your tax bill.

However, this new Super deduction scheme is now even more attractive, allowing you to offset 130% of the asset value against the taxable profit in that first year. That’s around a saving of 25p for every £1 you spend.

From the 1st April 2021 right up till 31st March 2023 you’ll be able to claim this higher tax relief.

WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM SUPER DEDUCTION?

It will cover many different businesses, industries and sectors. The great news is that it covers the automotive workshop industry but there are a few rules:
• It only applies to UK businesses that are subject to corporation tax. Sole traders and partnerships are therefore not included.
• Businesses that intend to keep the newly bought equipment
• Purchases must be bought in cash, HP or through a loan from 01/04/2021 to 31/03/2023

This covers the basics but should you need further info, contact our team or your business accountant.

WHAT EQUIPMENT CAN I PURCHASE?

According to HMRC this scheme applies to plant and machinery. The great news is that it covers a huge range of our products from Post Lifts to other essential equipment that a progressive workshop needs.

Just to also note that the following equipment will not fall under the new scheme:
• Second-hand or used equipment
• Cars
• Integral features and long term assets like lighting systems etc

Hire purchase agreements do qualify however they must fall within the two-year period.

REAL EQUIPMENT EXAMPLES

The exciting news is that you can save thousands off brand new, top of the range equipment with V-tech. Here are just a few examples.

The official calculation is:
Your effective saving = Cost of equipment x 1.3 x 0.19
Every £1 you spend you will save around 25p, it’s that simple!

So it’s clear to see that now is an amazing time to develop your business and invest in better equipment for a fraction of the normal price.
Contact our experts for an on-site quote or for further information. We can also assist you with finance should you need this option.

You can check all the official documentation too here:
https://www.gov.uk/capital-allowances/what-you-can-claim-on
If you are unsure about the tax implications, we suggest you contact your tax advisor or business accountant.

DVSA ARE NOW ACCEPTING NEW APPLICATIONS TO SET UP ATF’S

Posted on February 13, 2024 - 10:55 am by garage-equipment

Previously the DVSA had put a temporary suspension on accepting new ATF applications, to focus their efforts on supporting existing ATF’s.
However, as part of the Heavy Vehicle Testing Review, The Department for Transport has recommended that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) should consider allowing more ATF’s to open.
This suggestion has now been accepted and the DVSA have announced that they are officially accepting new ATF applications on if a proposed ATF:

⦁ Is a move of premises for an existing ATF, but it is within the same geographic area
⦁ Already has ‘approval in principle’ from DVSA
⦁ Is in an area with a substantial shortage of ATFs, currently Orkney and mainland Highlands of Scotland
⦁ Is in Southern England and is offering testing of fully laden fuel tankers (this is often known as a full pet. reg. site) or ADR testing
⦁ Will significantly improve the service to heavy vehicle operators, by reduced journey times or other efficiency benefits. Applications made under this criteria will be prioritised based on the certainty and scale of improvement in service the proposed ATF can offer

Are you looking to become an approved ATF? Speak to one of our Commercial Workshop ATF Specialists to find out more about the high-quality ATF Lanes we have to offer:

V-TECH EXHIBIT AT THE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SHOW 2021

Posted on February 13, 2024 - 10:50 am by garage-equipment

V-TECH SPONSOR 'RACE FOR LIFE' RUNNERS

V-Tech took centre stage at the Commercial Vehicle Show (CV Show) at NEC, Birmingham in August 2021. The ever popular and incredibly well-known exhibition was the perfect chance for V-Tech so announce our new partnership with Sicam, tyre equipment specialists and to showcase our wide range of high-quality garage equipment.

We are incredibly pleased to be back in the swing of exhibitions since the pandemic and are incredibly grateful for the number of suppliers, customers, and friends we were able to catch up with face to face at the show.

At the show we showcased a wide range of our commercial garage equipment including our BM20200 Commercial Mobile Brake Tester, Commercial Mobile Column Lifts, Emissions Analysers, Sicam Tyre Equipment and much more. All of which gained a huge amount of interest from the visitors.

If you were unable to attend the show, you can view all our garage equipment online at www.garage-equipment.co.uk.

Or if you would like to speak to our team, please feel free to contact us direct.

Call: 0208 498 1288

Email: sales@v-techuk.com

5 THINGS TO THINK ABOUT BEFORE BUYING A 2 POST LIFT

Posted on February 13, 2024 - 10:43 am by garage-equipment

5 THINGS TO THINK ABOUT BEFORE BUYING A 2 POST LIFT

1. SPACE

“Remember that garage equipment, like a 2 Post Lift requires designated space within your workshop. To ensure that it fits perfectly within your workshop plan, it’s best to first measure the space you have to work with to ensure that the 2 post lift you’ve sourced will fit. The last thing you want to do is purchase the equipment, only to find out later that it doesn’t fit within the space you’ve allocated for it.

If you speak to our team one of our Sales Representatives will be more than happy to come to your site to help you measure up and give you the best advice on which lift would suit your workshop space and needs.”

2. CAPACITY

Before buying a lift it’s important to understand your exact needs. This will help you to analyse which type of capacity you need your lift to hold. Whether that be 2.5 tonne, 4 tonne, 5 tonne or 6 tonne.

If you’re not sure of which type of capacity would suit your needs best, you can get a rough idea by our break down below.

Up to 2.5 tonne – Passenger vehicles only

Up to 4 tonne – Passenger vehicles and light commercial vans

Up to 5 tonne – Passenger vehicles and commercial vans

Up to 6 tonne – Passenger vehicles, light commercial vans and bigger commercial vehicles

3. QUALITY

A lot of the time, Workshop Owners tend to compromise on quality to get the best priced lifts. However, this should not be the case. There are lifts out there which are not only affordable, but which are of fantastic quality too. You can have it all when you shop at the right place. At V-Tech we take great pride in providing UK Workshops with some of the best value for money garage equipment. All our automotive equipment, including our 2 post lifts are manufactured in various countries within Europe, using only the best quality materials. We ensure that our lifts are a long-lasting part of your workshop.

4. PARTS

A lot of Workshop Owners tend to buy lifts from suppliers which are most competitive in price. We understand that price matters, however supplier support and convenience also matters too. In the likelihood that months or years down the line you may need to get hold of spare parts or consumables for the lift, it’s important to be able to rely on your original supplier for this. Unfortunately, not all suppliers are able to offer this. Therefore, this is something to bear in mind when purchasing a 2 post lift. If you have a lift which requires specific parts which can’t be found or bought anywhere else this could cause obvious issues for you and your workshop. Fortunately for our customers, we can supply a wide range of spare parts and consumables to make sure that our lifts are never out of action for too long.

V-TECH SPONSOR ‘RACE FOR LIFE’ RUNNERS

Posted on February 13, 2024 - 10:37 am by garage-equipment

V-TECH SPONSOR 'RACE FOR LIFE' RUNNERS

V-Tech are proud to announce that we have contributed towards saving the lives of those with Cancer. One of the employees, Chris Phipps, Head of Sales for V-Tech Group recently took part in the 5K Race for Life in Swansea, whereby several of our employees and the company donated money towards the fantastic cause.

‘Race for Life’ is held all around the nation on behalf of Cancer Research UK with one sole purpose, to raise money and awareness for Cancer. The events bring a variety of people together each year to come together to fund life saving cancer research.

As a business we take great pride in being able to support our employees and charities alike.

“A very good friend of ours had fought cancer and we believed he had won the battle. Unfortunately it came back so I decided to do the run. However sadly he passed away before the event which has made me more determined to do my bit. I had entered in 2020 but it was called off due to lockdown, so when it was announced that an event could take place I jumped at it. When you are on the run you have messages on your back of who you are doing it for, some of the messages are truly heart breaking and just further indorse (not that it’s needed) what a truly dreadful and undiscriminating disease this is. Best of all I set a target of £200.00 and smashed that by raising £260.00 Thanks to Friends, Colleagues and Family. May look at doing 10k next year but will defiantly be doing it again every little helps the fight!”- Chris Phipps, V-Tech Sales Manager

LONG-LASTING GARAGE EQUIPMENT FOR YOUR WORKSHOP

Posted on February 13, 2024 - 10:35 am by garage-equipment

Every year businesses create tonnes of waste due to discarded workshop equipment because they have had to replace units due to the software not being upgradeable. At V-Tech we supply high-quality, long-lasting equipment which usually has the option of being upgraded in various ways to prevent you from having to invest in more up to date units down the line. We also have the ability to upgrade most existing workshop equipment.

One of the most common units in a workshop which is thrown out due to not being able to be upgraded is an emissions analyser. However, what you should know is that with our V-Tech Combi that is not the case because as regulations change our units will help you stay connected through the ease of being upgradeable

Upgradeable V-Tech Combi

The V-Tech Combi has stood up to any new regulation introduced. Through software updates, we have been able to ensure all V-Tech Combi users are fully compliant with the latest DVSA requirements. This also provides a cost-effective solution and removes the need to replace equipment. Many customers have had the V-Tech Combi for over 10 years because of our premium components and excellent build quality

Benefits of our Opus Combi Emissions Analyzer:

– Perform a diesel test in 3 minutes!
– 5 years warranty
– Manufactured in Sweden
– Approved by the GEA and DVSA
– And of course, long-lasting!

Remember, if you require any new workshop equipment that is long-lasting, we can supply a huge range of quality products along with competitive finance and even professional installation (if required).

Contact us today to enquire

Call: 0208 498 1288

Or email our experts: sales@v-techuk.com

ASSISTANCE WITH OUR MOT BAY PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Posted on February 13, 2024 - 10:27 am by garage-equipment

V-Tech have made the process of becoming an MOT testing station easier. At present many businesses refer customers to other local garages because their workshop do not offer MOT testing . However, there are many downfalls to this. They lose customers, and revenue to competitors. As you probably know, there are a lot of regulations and hurdles to becoming a DVSA approved MOT testing station.

V-Tech can take the stress and pressure away from you, as we can assist you with the full MOT Bay project management from start to finish. Here’s how:

1. INITIAL ENQUIRY COMES INTO MOT PROFESSIONALS

Our team of MOT professionals deal with every MOT enquiry that comes into the office within a timely manner. With their years of expertise in this area, they can give you some of the best advice and options on what type of MOT Bay is best suited for your specific workshop space and design. At this stage our team will discuss the equipment in question and ensure that you are happy with the quote we have sent you. During this time, we will also speak to you about the flexible finance options if required. We’re proud to be able to offer many MOT configurations to suit your exact requirements.

2. IN-DEPTH SITE SURVEY

The next step will be for our team to visit your premises to carry out an in-depth site survey. This allows us to take the relevant measurements to ensure your choice of MOT Bay will fit within your designated space. We’ll also create a realistic CAD drawing for you so you can really visualise what your MOT bay will look like within your workshop.

8. ON-GOING UK AFTERCARE SUPPORT AND SERVICING

Once the DVSA are happy with the outcome of your MOT Bay installation you will officially become a DVSA approved MOT testing station. However, it’s important to ensure that you have a service plan in place. At V-Tech we can arrange a suitable service plan for you to assist with regular servicing, preventative maintenance, calibrations, emergency breakdowns and more.

Speak to our dedicated MOT professionals to discuss further.

Call: 0208 498 1288

Email: sales@v-techuk.com

V-TECH CELEBRATES 20 YEARS

Posted on February 13, 2024 - 10:23 am by garage-equipment

Throughout the last 20 years, V-Tech has grown to support a vast amount of garages across the country. This year, V-Tech is proud to pass a momentous milestone, celebrating 2 decades in the automobile industry!

Starting out in 2003, V-Tech launched, selling a wide range of garage equipment, ideal for start-up garages and established garages alike, catering to everyone! Throughout the years, V-Tech has grown into a mega-successful company, supplying equipment to garages nationally, all across the UK!

Within the last two decades, V-Tech has supported thousands of garages, supplying and installing a wide range of high quality garage equipment to places such as Birmingham, Preston, London and more!

With our wide range of products available, from Brake Testers and MOT Bays, to Headlamp Aligners and Tyre Equipment, we have something to offer every garage and business in the UK needing automotive equipment.

Supporting so many garages over the last 20 years has helped us to form some fantastic customer relationships with garage owners, fleet operators, haulage companies, and more.

Many of our customers return to V-Tech now we’ve become their ‘go-to’ garage supplier and installer, trusting our quality and process.

We’ve worked with not only a huge amount of diverse businesses but also many well-known famous companies like Aldi Distribution Centres, Biffa and Network Rail.

All of these have given us fantastic feedback on the quality of our equipment and the installation, carried out by our very own professional team of fully trained and qualified garage equipment engineers.

Over the years V-Tech has become a hub of knowledge, able to provide a vast amount of information to other garages, supplying them with their must-have garage equipment, installing all types of garage equipment and even assisting with the servicing and maintenance of such equipment.

We truly do have a genuine passion for the automotive industry and care about the type of garage equipment our customers are using, as well as how it’s installed and maintained. We always ensure our customers get the most out of their purchases with us.

The last two decades have taken V-Tech not only across the nation for the supply and install of equipment but to various places across the globe, travelling nationally to exhibitions such as NEC Birmingham, CV Show and more.

This has allowed us to expand our business relations and showcase our products to many like-minded professionals within the automotive industry.

But don’t just take his word for it, there are many of our customers who have been more than happy to have their say too! Take a delve into some of our fantastic reviews below!

‘I chose V-Tech to supply and install our new MOT Bay due to how professional and knowledgable they are’. – Stephen Clarke

‘I would definitely recommend V-Tech, our overall experience has been very good, and delivery was on time as promised’. – David McCallum