So, you receive your six-weekly Preventative Maintenance Inspection (PMI) sheet back from your maintenance provider.
The vehicle is signed off as roadworthy and you file it away, job done. But is it?
Few operators realise that there’s much more work required when it comes to PMI sheets than simply moving on to the next job.
The PMI sheet provides you with more information that you might think and much of it is highly useful to your continued operational abilities.
A checklist of questions to ask yourself about your PMI sheets
There is a litany of questions you’ll need to ask yourself as an operator of HGVs when you receive your PMI sheets.
The first set relates to the compliance aspect of things:
- Did you get the sheet back before the vehicle went back out on the road or did you wrongly get it a week later with the invoice?
- Is the PMI sheet that’s been used the latest version or are they using old, out of date sheets?
- Have you checked the vehicle was inspected on time?
- Have they followed the Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness best practice?
- Have you received the roller brake test (RBT) print out?
- Is the maintenance providers stamp on the PMI sheet?
Then, once you have asked yourself these, there are further questions to be tackled on the actual maintenance side:
- Have you checked to see the defects which have been reported have actually been signed off as repaired, with the rectification work recorded?
- Have tyre ages and tread depth and pressures been recorded on the PMI sheet?
- How have the brakes been checked? For instance, was the brake test completed in a laden condition?
- Have you analysed the printout information?
- Have you documented all the actions listed above in case you need to evidence the steps you’ve taken?
- Are there any items which required ongoing monitoring?
And there are even further questions relating to your drivers
- Have you cross referenced any driver reportable defects found on the PMI sheet with the driver’s defect sheet?
- Did you need to hold an investigatory meeting?
- If things have been missed by a driver, what action have you taken?
- Have you disciplined the driver or retrained them?
- Do you need to issue a warning memo to all drivers?
- Do other drivers need more refresher training?
At every turn, the Transport Manager (or Directors) should be thinking “if this ends up in court, will I be able to prove to someone that I completed all reasonable endeavours to ensure we were compliant?”
PMI sheets and compliance strategies
The best way to prove you followed protocol and regulations at a public inquiry – or any other legal proceeding – is through written records.
That’s why it’s so important to thoroughly check over your PMI sheets once you receive them, rather than just filing them in some cabinet at your office.
In fact, there are PMI review sheets currently available on the market which will help lead you through the process of checking your PMIs.
As a solicitor specialising in the sector, we often provide links to these review sheets for our clients and can give you further guidance on the sorts of questions you need to ask once a PMI has been completed.
Remember, PMIs are as much about maintaining compliance as they are in maintaining the vehicles you operate, so it’s essential you get this side of things right.
For further information on PMIs and your compliance requirements, please contact us on 01829 773 100.