Rego due? We service the trailer properly before you take it to a pink slip station — brakes stripped and serviced, bearings repacked, lights, tyres, coupling and chassis — so the things that fail a safety check are already fixed when you get there. $400 single-axle, $580 dual-axle, at your place.
In NSW, most light vehicles more than 5 years old need a yearly safety check — the pink slip — before you can renew registration. Trailers and caravans count as light vehicles up to 4.5 tonnes ATM. Trailers with a tare weight under 251kg and no brakes are exempt, as are caravans under 411kg tare, so a small braked trailer still needs one even though a bigger unbraked box trailer may not. The check happens at an Authorised Inspection Scheme (AIS) station, and the report is valid for six months. If the trailer fails, you leave with a list of defects, get them fixed, and go back to be re-assessed.
For most owners, the practical issue is two-fold. First, AIS stations charge a fee whether you pass or fail. Second, the only way to know if you will fail is to take the trailer there and find out. If you have a trailer that has not been serviced in a few years, the odds of failing first time are high.
We come to your trailer, mechanically inspect everything an AIS inspector will check, and fix what would fail on the day. You then take the trailer to a pink slip station with confidence it will pass, paying the inspection fee only once.
We work through the same mechanical items an AIS inspector assesses. We simply cannot issue the certificate, because we are not AIS-accredited — and a mobile operator cannot be, under the current framework. Check your renewal notice for whether your trailer needs an inspection this year; it states the requirement.
Same scope and price as our standard trailer service — this is that service, booked against a rego deadline. Consumables are included. Parts that need replacing (brake shoes, bearings, globes, a plug, a tyre) are charged at cost and quoted on the spot before we fit anything.
In rough order of how often we see them:
About 90 minutes to 2 hours for a single-axle trailer in good condition. Up to half a day for a dual-axle or anything that turns up needing fixes (you want us to fix the things we find, not just list them). For neglected trailers, we might recommend a second visit if major brake or bearing work is needed.
Take the trailer to any AIS-authorised inspection station and pay for your pink slip. The Service NSW website has a directory of AIS stations. You can also use a Service NSW mobile vehicle inspection where the inspector comes to a fixed inspection bay, but they still need the trailer brought to them.
Bring your previous rego papers and the receipt from us (we send an email summary of the work done) so you have a record of recent mechanical work if the inspector queries anything.
Authorised Inspection Scheme accreditation is granted by Service NSW to specific licensed inspection premises. The accreditation requires a fixed location with calibrated equipment that has been inspected and certified. A mobile operator cannot meet the fixed-premises requirement under the current rules. This is the same reason national mobile mechanic chains like Lube Mobile do not issue pink slips. We can do the mechanical work; we cannot issue the certificate.
Two reasons. First, you save the cost of failing an inspection (the AIS station charges whether you pass or fail, plus a re-inspection fee). Second, you save the hassle of dropping the trailer off, picking it up, returning to a fixer, picking it up again, going back to the AIS station. Booking us is one visit, at your location, after which you take a passing trailer to the inspection station once.
Most petrol stations and tyre shops are AIS-accredited for light vehicles. Trailer-specific inspections are usually done at any AIS station that does cars and light commercials. The Service NSW website has a search tool by postcode. Look for "Authorised inspection scheme" on their site.
Heavy vehicles go through a different inspection process (HVIA - Heavy Vehicle Inspection Authority). We service trailers up to 4.5 tonnes ATM. Above that, you need a heavy vehicle specialist with HVIA accreditation.
An unregistered trailer needs a Blue Slip inspection (formally an Unregistered Vehicle Inspection Report) rather than a Pink Slip. The Blue Slip is also issued by an AIS station, but with stricter criteria including a VIN/chassis check. We can still do the mechanical work that brings the trailer up to standard before you take it for the Blue Slip.
Not necessarily. We just need access to the trailer (driveway, storage yard, depot) and a power point and water tap within 20 metres. If you cannot be there, leave a key for any locks or have the trailer accessible. We send photos and an emailed summary of what we found and what we did.