Preventive Maintenance (PM)

Preventive maintenance (PM) is the practice of servicing fleet vehicles on a scheduled basis — typically by miles driven, engine hours, or calendar time — rather than waiting for parts to fail. PM includes routine oil changes, tire rotations, brake inspections, air filter replacements, fluid top-offs, DVIR defect corrections, and federally-required inspections such as the annual FMCSA periodic inspection.

A consistent PM program is one of the foundational pillars of commercial fleet operations for three reasons. First, it is a federal requirement for carriers subject to FMCSA rules — vehicles with expired PM or unrepaired defects can be placed out of service at roadside inspections, directly impacting CSA Vehicle Maintenance BASIC scores. Second, it dramatically reduces unexpected breakdowns and the costly emergency repairs that follow. Third, documented PM records are a defense in liability cases: if a vehicle was properly maintained according to a written schedule, the carrier has a strong argument that it met its duty of care.

For NYC fleets, PM intersects with violation management through equipment-related tickets — failing plate lights, cracked windshields, missing commercial markings. Clear Plates tracks these equipment-related violations so fleet managers can fold the data into their PM program.