Published 10 Jul 2023
What is a Vehicle Maintenance Log?
A vehicle maintenance log is a historical record of the condition and repair work performed on an individual vehicle. It is used by commercial fleet owners ranging from small businesses to large transport operators for preventive maintenance, safety, and record keeping purposes. Vehicle maintenance logs can be used to document both maintenance work/ costings as well as general vehicle inspection checks.
In this article
- How Can I Check My Car Maintenance History?
- Which is a Reason to Use a Vehicle Maintenance Log?
- 3 Tips for an Effective Vehicle Maintenance Record-keeping Program
- How Can I Keep Track of Car Maintenance?
- Vehicle Maintenance Log Templates
How Can I Check My Car Maintenance History?
You can check your car maintenance history by taking a look at the vehicle maintenance log. In it, you will find the necessary information such as mileage, vehicle identification number, and documentation of previous repairs. These details can help you understand the possible issues with the car and how to properly maintain it for longer use.
Which is a Reason to Use a Vehicle Maintenance Log?
A vehicle maintenance log can help you keep track of your car maintenance schedule. Sending your vehicle for maintenance on time can help prevent it from malfunctioning unexpectedly. Using a vehicle maintenance log also helps you identify defects and performance issues early. This leads to better management of vehicle downtime and can reduce maintenance costs in the long term.
3 Tips for an Effective Vehicle Maintenance Record-keeping Program
An effective vehicle maintenance recordkeeping program can help businesses reduce critical downtime, promote driver safety, manage maintenance costs and support insurance claims. Here are 3 tips that can help your business implement an effective vehicle maintenance record-keeping program:
1. Capture critical information only
Make vehicle maintenance records easy to navigate by indicating important vehicle details such as car make and model, insurance information, and vehicle identification number. Document inspections, maintenance, and repairs in detail by indicating the person who conducted it, date of completion, and mileage numbers. You can also make reminders such as getting brakes checked or air filters changed. In the event of a vehicle getting involved in an accident, take note of all damages, cost of repairs and replacement parts.
2. Schedule periodical maintenance
Scheduling frequent vehicle maintenance inspections is important to ensure information is gathered regularly. Create a register of all vehicles in your fleet and prepare a maintenance schedule for each vehicle including frequency of inspection and person assigned to complete the inspection. Ensure you communicate with the relevant persons assigned to perform the inspection.
3. Take lots of photo evidence
Photos can give you visibility of your vehicle’s condition. Photo evidence helps support required repair work and cost estimates. Photos also help support insurance claims in the event of poor maintenance or repairs performed in your vehicles. Ensure all photo evidence is referenced to the specific vehicle and the time the inspection was performed.
How Can I Keep Track of Car Maintenance?
SafetyCulture (formerly iAuditor) is a car maintenance app that helps businesses around the world keep track of their vehicle maintenance inspections, repairs, and scheduling. SafetyCulture is also available as a web-based platform that businesses can use to streamline their record-keeping.
Mobile Inspections
- Paperless vehicle inspections and logs on any hand-held device (works offline)
- Take photo evidence of defects, less time spent writing
- No more paperwork and emails – all inspections are automatically saved online
Cloud-based Record-keeping
- Online dashboard to easily access all vehicle maintenance inspections
- Easily export all reports in PDF or Word format
- Real-time sharing of vehicle/car maintenance reports
Vehicle Maintenance Schedule Software
- Automatically receive reminders on commercial vehicle maintenance schedule and other tasks assigned
- Online scheduling features to let you know who is not completing their inspections
- Never lose another inspection repair and maintenance record form as the scheduled notification makes it readily available
To help you get started, we have created 3 best vehicle maintenance log templates you can download and customize for free.
Vehicle Maintenance Log Templates
Truck Maintenance Log
Use this truck maintenance log to record maintenance works done on heavy vehicles. Fleet owners can use this checklist to ensure that they are in compliance with the standard operating procedure in vehicle maintenance.
Vehicle Maintenance Form
Vehicle maintenance forms are used to document any defects and mechanical issues. The inspector should perform a walk around and operation of the vehicle to identify and log any issues found. Using this as your vehicle maintenance template, assign corrective actions to responsible teams for immediate resolution. Check the following key areas and take photo evidence of defects:
- Brake system
- Coupling devices
- Engine operation
- Fuel system
- Lighting devices
- Safety equipment
- Steering
- Wheels & Tires
Truck Maintenance Checklist
This truck maintenance checklist is used to ensure the safe operation of fleet vehicles. Use this checklist to log in vital vehicle fluid levels and condition and take/ attach photos of the vehicle with its ID number. Carry out preventive maintenance in a vehicle's exterior lighting, exterior body and glass, tires, brakes, interior, under carriage, and safety equipment. Complete this maintenance log with the required documentation and digital signatures.
