Compliance
Fleet Service Reminders for Van Maintenance
Fleet service reminders tell a depot when MOT, service and safety inspections are due, before a van is off the road or a DVSA visit finds the gap.
12 March 2024 · Zerity editorial team
Fleet service reminders are dated alerts that an MOT, a service or a safety inspection is due, sent before the date rather than after the van has failed. Each reminder names the vehicle and the item. The reminder does not choose the interval. The operator enters the date from the maintenance plan, the MOT certificate or the tax record.
Updated 25 September 2026. Intervals below are DVSA's, for operators the guide applies to. There is no single mileage at which every courier van must be serviced.
- Four clocks, kept apart
- The safety-inspection interval is the operator's
- A missed walkaround is not a missed service
- Frequently asked questions
Four clocks, kept apart
A depot that uses one "service due" flag will miss the clock that actually stops the van.
| Clock | What starts it | What the reminder does |
|---|---|---|
| MOT | In Great Britain, the third anniversary of registration, then every year. GOV.UK states a fine of up to £1,000 for driving a van without a valid MOT. You can book up to one month minus a day before expiry and keep the same renewal date | Names the van and the expiry, early enough to book the test |
| Vehicle tax | The tax expiry, which is not the MOT expiry. A taxed van can be sitting on an expired MOT, and the insurance position is then the urgent problem | A separate date from the MOT |
| Planned service | The manufacturer schedule or the workshop plan you actually use | Counts down to the date you entered from that schedule |
| Safety inspection | The interval in the maintenance plan, where an operator's licence puts you under DVSA's guide | Counts down to that planned date. It is not the plan |
Driver document tracking is where those dates sit next to the licence and the insurance certificate.
The safety-inspection interval is the operator's
DVSA's Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness tells operators to set safety-inspection frequency from the work, the age of the vehicle, the manufacturer's advice, the load, the terrain and the distance. The guide says a frequency would normally fall between 4 and 13 weeks, with shorter intervals for arduous work, and it indicates 6 weeks for vehicles and trailers 12 years or older. Experienced operators may tailor that, and they have to monitor whether the change still keeps the vehicle safe. Mileage-based plans still need a time equivalent.
That guidance is for the vehicles and operators the guide covers, typically those on an operator's licence. A UK-only van at or under 3.5 tonnes is often outside that licensing. Do not paste an HGV interval onto it without reading the operator licence guide. Where the guide does apply, the software only counts down to the date you entered. It does not file the interval with the Vehicle Operator Licensing service.
A missed walkaround is not a missed service
The morning defect check is a different failure from a missed MOT or a missed safety inspection. DVSA expects the walkaround before the vehicle is used. The record for that check is the vehicle walkaround check app. A reminder that fires on a Thursday does not prove anyone walked the van on Monday.
DVSA's walkaround notes point at the official daily check. Use them when you are writing the defect process. Use this page when you are writing the diary. The diary is one pile inside fleet compliance.
Frequently asked questions
What is a fleet service reminder?
It is a dated alert that an MOT, a service or a safety inspection is due, sent before the date rather than after the van has failed. The reminder names the vehicle and the item.
Does a reminder set the safety-inspection frequency?
No. The operator sets the frequency in the maintenance plan, using DVSA guidance and how the vehicle is used. The software only counts down to the date you entered.
Is tax and MOT the same alert?
No. Track them as separate dates. A taxed van can be sitting on an expired MOT, and the insurance position is then the urgent problem.
Written by
Zerity editorial team
The Zerity team writes about fleet management, compliance, and scaling logistics businesses, drawing from hands-on experience helping UK courier companies streamline operations.
