What Are Preventative Maintenance Inspections (PMIs)?
What Are Preventative Maintenance Inspections (PMIs)?
Preventative Maintenance Inspections, or PMIs, are routine, scheduled checks designed to ensure that every vehicle in your fleet remains safe, roadworthy, and compliant. These inspections help identify and address minor defects before they escalate into serious safety risks or costly repairs. PMIs aren’t limited to vehicles — they can also apply to other types of work equipment.
Under current regulations, PMI records must be kept securely for at least 15 months. Using a digital fleet management system is the most efficient way to store and manage these records.
What Does a PMI Involve?
For HGVs, trailers, and PSVs, a comprehensive PMI includes both internal and external inspections. Common checks typically include:
Oil and filter changes
Suspension components
Brake systems
Seat belts and safety restraints
Indicators, headlights, and other lighting
Electrical and wiring systems
Whether inspections are carried out by your in-house maintenance team or an external garage, the use of a comprehensive checklist is essential. While paper checklists are still in use, they can be easily misplaced or damaged. Switching to a digital checklist not only reduces administrative burden but also ensures secure, real-time access to inspection results through a central database.
Benefits of Preventative Maintenance
Implementing regular PMIs offers a range of operational advantages:
Improved road safety
Extended vehicle lifespan
Reduced downtime and repair costs
Better compliance with DVSA requirements
Higher customer satisfaction due to fewer service disruptions
It’s important to distinguish preventative maintenance from corrective maintenance. While preventative maintenance focuses on spotting and resolving issues before they become problems, corrective maintenance deals with repairing faults that have already impacted the vehicle's safety or performance.
