Maintenance and Planning

A maintenance planner is only useful if it matches the live fleet, the inspection intervals and the work being done today. For operator licence holders, the planner is a control document. DVSA and the Traffic Commissioner expect a clear system showing when each vehicle and trailer is due for inspection, what was completed, what defects were found, how repairs were closed and who reviewed the evidence.

Our maintenance planning review checks whether your planner, PMI records, brake test evidence and contractor controls prove roadworthiness compliance in practice. It is designed for HGV, PSV and restricted licence operators who need a clean, auditable maintenance system before a DVSA visit, desk-based assessment, audit or licence review.

Request a maintenance planning review or use our transport services assessment to explain your fleet, workshop arrangements and any current DVSA or Traffic Commissioner concern.

What a maintenance planning review checks

The review starts with the live fleet list and follows the evidence through to the planner, workshop diary and completed maintenance records. A planner can look tidy on screen and still fail if vehicles are missing, dates are moved without explanation or brake test results are not returned to the operator.

“When I sit down with an operator I do not start with the planner. I start with the V5s and the fleet list, then work forward into the planner and back from the most recent PMI sheets. If those three sources do not agree, the system is not as compliant as the planner suggests, no matter how neat it looks.”

Liam Gafoor CMILT IOSH, transport compliance adviser

When operators usually need help

Maintenance planning problems often appear after a change in the business. The fleet grows, the contract changes, a new workshop is appointed or trailers are added without the planner being rebuilt. The risk is not always that the work has been missed. The risk is that the operator cannot prove the right work was planned, completed and reviewed.

• The planner was created when the fleet was smaller or simpler.
• Inspection intervals have not been reviewed after annual test failures or repeated defects.
• Workshop records, PMI sheets and operator files do not use the same vehicle identifiers.
• Brake tests are not booked in advance or are not retained with the inspection record.
• Trailer maintenance is controlled less tightly than tractor unit maintenance.
• Overdue inspections are corrected, but the reason for the overrun is not recorded.
• The Transport Manager cannot quickly show what has been checked and when.

A common pattern is a restricted operator adding two trailers after winning a new contract while still using the old planner. The tractor units appear compliant, but the trailer PMIs are missing, brake tests are not booked and the maintenance contractor assumes someone else is tracking the dates. That type of gap is preventable if the planner is treated as a live control document rather than a calendar.

Inspection intervals and brake test planning

The current GOV.UK guide to maintaining roadworthiness explains that safety inspection intervals should be risk-based and kept under review. Many operators start from a six-week inspection cycle, but that is not a fixed answer for every fleet. Vehicle age, mileage, operating conditions, annual test history, defect trends and the quality of previous inspections all matter.

Older vehicles, intensive work, construction use, quarry work, heavy haulage and poor test history may justify shorter intervals. Longer intervals need evidence, not convenience. If the operator cannot explain why the interval is safe, the safer position is to review and tighten the schedule.

Brake testing needs the same planned control. The review checks whether laden roller brake tests are built into the planner, whether brake performance reports are kept with the PMI file and whether weak or unusual results trigger repair, retest or management review. A pass figure on the printout is not enough on its own. The result must read across to vehicle condition, the inspection sheet and any follow-up work.

Record retention, OCRS and audit readiness

Safety inspection records, defect reports and brake test results must be retained for at least 15 months. The review checks that the planner can demonstrate this retention period across the whole fleet, including disposed vehicles, hired units and trailers that have left the operation. Missing or fragmented records weaken the operator’s position at any DVSA encounter and feed directly into the Operator Compliance Risk Score (OCRS).

For desk-based assessments and Traffic Commissioner correspondence, the planner should produce a clear audit pack within minutes: vehicle list, current inspection dates, last PMI, brake test, defects raised, repairs completed and TM review signature. If pulling that pack takes a week of chasing the workshop, the system is not yet defensible.

Contractors do not remove operator responsibility

Using an external maintenance provider does not transfer the operator licence duty. The operator still needs a written maintenance arrangement, complete records, timely defect repair evidence and a system for checking that the contractor is delivering what the licence requires.

We look at whether the contractor agreement states the inspection standard, expected record format, return times, brake test arrangements and escalation route for missed or delayed work. Where several suppliers are involved, the planner should still create one clear maintenance file for the operator.

Documents to prepare before the review

Before starting, gather the records that show how the system works in practice:

• Current vehicle and trailer list.
• Live maintenance planner or PPM schedule.
• PMI sheets for a representative sample of vehicles and trailers.
• Brake test reports and roller brake printouts.
• Annual test results and failure follow-up notes.
• Maintenance contractor agreement or service schedule.
• Driver defect reports from the last three months.
• Transport Manager checks, meeting notes or compliance review records.

The output is a practical action list: missing vehicles, unsupported intervals, overdue inspections, weak brake evidence, contractor record issues and management checks that need improving.

Operator Licence Ltd can help review this evidence, identify the gaps and connect you with the right specialist support for maintenance planning and PMI control.

Maintenance planning FAQs

How far ahead should the maintenance planner show inspections?

A planner should show upcoming safety inspections far enough ahead to control workshop booking and vehicle availability. Many operators keep at least six months visible, then update the planner when vehicles join or leave the fleet, intervals change, or inspections are moved.

Can an operator use longer than six-week inspection intervals?

Sometimes, but the interval must be justified by evidence. Vehicle age, mileage, work type, inspection history, defect trends and annual test results should all support the decision. Longer intervals without supporting evidence are difficult to defend at a DVSA visit.

What should a contractor return after a PMI?

The operator should receive a completed inspection sheet, defect and repair evidence, brake test results where relevant, and any notes that affect the next inspection date. Records should be easy to match to the vehicle, trailer and planner.

How long must maintenance records be kept?

Safety inspection records, defect reports and brake test evidence must be retained for at least 15 months. Keeping them for longer is sensible where annual test history or Traffic Commissioner correspondence may need to be referenced.

Start your maintenance review

Relevant guidance: GOV.UK: Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness. This page provides general guidance only and does not constitute legal or regulatory advice.