Speedier service for US trucks
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• US truck devotees could find it cheaper and easier to buy Macks, Kenworths and Peterbilts after April. That is when the Vehicle Certification Agency, which awards Type Approval to imported marques, opens an office in Detroit. The move means that American manufacturers can deal direct with an official from the VCA to arrange changes to their models to make them suitable for Europe.
At present, VCA employees have to fly to the States to arrange Type Approval. Although the cost is borne by the manufacturer, it is often passed on to the UK importer and the end user. Vehicle builders have to employ staff to keep abreast of TA requirements and develop components and systems to make their trucks suitable for foreign markets, explains Rick Roberton, director of Western Truck, the Leyland-based Mack importer. This is a "costly business" which the operator ends up paying for, he says.
The procedure is complicated by the fact that manufacturers have to win TA for components and the completed product. "Obtaining Type Approval is not a simple matter of taking a vehicle to a test centre for examination and collecting a certificate 20 minutes later," says Roberton.