Fleet and commercial vehicles (UK)
A list of checks and obligations with their cadence, ready to add to your agenda.
For UK businesses with commercial vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, buses, trailers, taxis or company cars. Covers the annual HGV, PSV and trailer test, the periodic safety inspections required by the operator licence, the annual MOT for vehicles used for hire or reward from the first year, driver licence checking, tachograph data downloads and tachograph calibration. Does NOT cover dangerous goods (ADR) duties or private car use, which is in the consumer kit.
Questions about this product?
Ask what is in the manuals, how often the maintenance is due and what it takes to do it.
What it already has at hand
- No manual on this page
- 7 planned checks, the most frequent every month since the last job
Planned checks
Informative summary verified on 11/09/2026. It does not replace legal advice: the regulation cited prevails. If you spot an error, report it.
Some checks are only mandatory in certain countries: pick yours and the list follows.
In Italy this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In France this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Germany this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Switzerland this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Austria this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
- 01
First HGV or PSV annual test 12 months after registration
Heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches must take their first annual test 12 months after first registration with the DVLA, while trailers are tested 12 months after they were first sold or supplied. The test takes place at a DVSA test centre or an authorised testing facility and evidence is the annual test certificate issued on passing. Applies to goods vehicles over 3,500 kg, buses and coaches with more than eight passenger seats in addition to the driver, and trailers over 1,020 kg unladen weight; light commercial vehicles up to 3,500 kg follow the class 4 or 7 MOT at three years.
every 12 months from installationLegal obligationRoad Traffic Act 1988 s.49; Goods Vehicles (Plating and Testing) Regulations 1988 (SI 1988/1478)United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 02
Have the tachograph calibrated every 2 years
Digital and smart tachographs must be recalibrated at a DVSA-approved centre at least every 2 years, and in any case after any repair or when the vehicle's characteristics change, such as different size tyres, axle ratio or registration; analogue tachographs must be inspected every 2 years and recalibrated every 6 years. The installation plaque must show the date of the last calibration and evidence is the calibration certificate. Applies to all vehicles required to have a tachograph: the 24-month interval set here is for digital and smart tachographs, which are fitted to every vehicle registered from 2006 onwards.
every 24 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationAssimilated Regulation (EU) No 165/2014 art. 23 (ispezioni regolari almeno ogni due anni); DVSA guidance 'Drivers' hours: goods vehicles - responsibilities of vehicle operators'United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 03
Check driver licences at least once a year
An employer who provides vehicles to employees must satisfy itself that drivers are licensed and not disqualified, using the DVLA Check a driving licence service with the driver's permission, a check code generated by the driver that is valid 21 days and usable once, and the last 8 digits of the licence number, or the postal form D888/1. HSE and DVSA guidance suggests at least an annual check, more often and up to every six months for drivers with penalty points, and obtaining the data without permission is an offence; evidence is the driver licence check register, retained under UK GDPR only as long as necessary. Applies to all employers with drivers, including grey fleet where employees use their own car for work, for which the private vehicle's insurance and MOT must also be checked.
every 12 months since the last inspectionRecommendedHealth and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 s.2 and s.3; HSE/DfT guidance INDG382 Driving at workUnited Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 04
Renew the annual HGV, PSV and trailer test
After the first test, heavy goods vehicles, buses and trailers must be tested each year, by the last day of the anniversary month. Operating without a valid test attracts penalties and affects the operator's repute with the Traffic Commissioner, who also uses the first time pass rate as an indicator; evidence is the in-date annual test certificate for each vehicle. Applies to all vehicles and trailers subject to the annual test regime after the first year.
every 12 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationRoad Traffic Act 1988 s.49; Goods Vehicles (Plating and Testing) Regulations 1988 (SI 1988/1478)United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 05
Carry out periodic fleet safety inspections
The holder of an operator licence undertakes to have every vehicle and trailer inspected at the regular intervals declared on the licence: the DVSA Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness states that an inspection frequency would normally range between 4 and 13 weeks depending on age, mileage and severity of use, that is 10-13 weeks lightly loaded, 6-10 weeks general haulage, 4-6 weeks arduous work, 4 weeks off-road and a minimum of 6 weeks for vehicles and trailers over 12 years old. The inspection covers brakes, steering, tyres, lights and structure, is recorded on a sheet following the DVSA template, and maintenance records must be kept for at least 15 months. Applies to holders of a goods or passenger operator licence, including hired and leased vehicles: the declared frequency is recorded in the vehicle operator licensing service (VOL) and is binding, and changing it requires updating VOL and informing the Traffic Commissioner.
every 3 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationGoods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995; DVSA Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness (operator licence undertakings)United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 06
Download tachograph and driver card data
The transport undertaking must regularly download data from the vehicle tachograph and from the driver card, analyse it to verify compliance with drivers' hours rules and keep it. Current DVSA guidance requires the vehicle unit to be downloaded at least every 90 calendar days and the driver card at least every 28 calendar days, with records producible to enforcement officers for 12 months, while for mobile workers' working time purposes the data must be kept 2 years; evidence is the digitally signed files and the infringement analysis report. Applies to goods vehicles over 3,500 kg and vehicles carrying more than nine people subject to the EU drivers' hours rules or the GB domestic drivers' hours rules, with some activities exempt such as non-commercial use, specialised vehicles and limited-radius operations.
every month since the last jobLegal obligationAssimilated Regulation (EU) No 165/2014 art. 33; DVSA guidance 'Drivers' hours: goods vehicles - responsibilities of vehicle operators' (90 giorni vehicle unit, 28 giorni carta conducente)United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 07
Annual MOT from one year old for taxis, ambulances and vehicles over eight seats
Section 47(3) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 brings the first MOT forward to the first anniversary of registration, with renewal every 12 months thereafter, for three categories: motor vehicles adapted to carry more than eight passengers in addition to the driver, licensed taxis, and ambulances constructed or adapted, and primarily used, for carrying people to medical or dental treatment. All other vehicles keep the three year period, and evidence is the in-date MOT certificate plus any local licence certificate. Applies to vehicles carrying more than eight passengers (MOT classes 5 and 5A for 13-16 seats and over 16 seats, class 4A for 9-12 seats), licensed taxis and ambulances; private hire vehicles up to eight seats stay in class 4 with a first MOT at three years, but local licensing authorities almost always impose more frequent checks and the licence condition prevails.
every 12 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationRoad Traffic Act 1988 s.47(3)United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026
In Spain this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Portugal this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In United States this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Other country this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
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