The guide itself outlines the regulations, requirements and industry best practice for maintaining your commercial vehicles, including daily checks, inspections, maintenance and record keeping.

Updated sections

There is additional advice on:

• safety inspections and repair facilities – your responsibility if you choose to outsource maintenance
• wheels and tyres – information about refitting road wheels
• parking brake performance – using an electronic brake performance management system (EBPMS) 
• brake performance assessments – information on carrying out temperature checks with decelerometer tests

New information on brake testing

From April 2025, there will be an expectation that every safety inspection will include a laden brake performance assessment.

New sections include:

• risk assessment when not carrying out a laden brake assessment
• acceptable reasons for not carrying out a laden brake assessment
• laden brake testing and risk assessment examples

It is your responsibility to keep your vehicles in a roadworthy condition, regardless of operating conditions, fleet size or vehicle type. Please read the complete guide to Keeping commercial vehicles safe to drive.