Ensuring vehicle roadworthiness is a legal requirement for commercial transport operators.
The Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness, issued by the DVSA, sets out the legal obligations for maintaining commercial vehicles such as HGVs, buses, and other fleet vehicles.
Below, we summarise the key aspects of a compliant fleet maintenance system, ensuring legal compliance and DVSA-approved standards.
Walkaround checks
- A daily vehicle walkaround check, recorded in writing, is legally required to ensure HGV roadworthiness.
- Any identified vehicle defects must be rectified before the vehicle is used, with rectifications recorded in writing.
- Defect reporting compliance: Drivers’ defect reports must be kept for 15 months.
- Transport operators must ensure drivers are trained and provided with clear written instructions on their responsibilities under the law.
First use inspections
- These are essential for fleet operators who lease, hire, or borrow vehicles to ensure legal roadworthiness.
Periodic Maintenance Inspections (PMIs)
PMI sheets must be:
- Legally compliant
- Regularly completed and on time
- Completed by a competent and qualified person, using suitable equipment
Fully completed PMI sheets must be documented, and any repair work must be fully documented and signed off.
A roadworthiness declaration must be signed and the PMI report must be received before the vehicle returns to service.
PMI records must be monitored and analysed and retained for 15 months as per DVSA regulations.
Intermediate safety checks must be undertaken where necessary, and operators must have a system to ensure that unroadworthy vehicles are removed from service and documented as Vehicle Off Road (VOR).
Any changes to PMI arrangements must be updated on VOL (Vehicle Operator Licensing system).
Brake testing compliance
All fleet operators must have access to an approved method for measuring brake efficiency, ensuring compliance with HGV brake testing legal requirements.
Maintenance contracts and legal obligations
Transport operators using external maintenance providers must have a written contract in place, ensuring legal liability is clear.
Forward planner for inspections
A forward maintenance planner must be in place, showing at least six months of future inspections, ensuring compliance with DVSA maintenance standards.
Legal considerations for transport operators
Failure to comply with vehicle maintenance legal requirements can result in serious legal consequences, including operator licensing revocation, fines, or even criminal liability.
Ensuring full compliance with the Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness and traffic commissioner maintenance standards is important for all fleet operators.
For expert legal advice on transport compliance, including HGV maintenance regulations and fleet management legal obligations, contact Jared Dunbar today.