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Vehicle maintenance log
A vehicle maintenance log is the running service history of one vehicle: every repair, service and inspection with its date, odometer reading, engine hours, parts and cost. Fill in a line each time the vehicle is serviced, add your company name and logo, then print it or save it as a PDF.
What you type stays in this browser. Nothing is sent to us.Done? Save as PDF ↓
Vehicle maintenance log
Vehicle
Service history
| Date | Odometer (km or mi) | Engine hours | Work done | Parts used | Done by | Cost | Next due |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Service intervals are left off this log on purpose: take them from each vehicle's manufacturer maintenance schedule, and write the next due date, odometer or engine hours on each line.
Rule cited: FMCSA, 49 CFR 396.3(b) and (c), Inspection, repair, and maintenance (law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/396.3). Checked November 5, 2026.
Why each vehicle needs its own maintenance log
A preventive maintenance checklist covers one service and a work order covers one repair. The log ties them together: one sheet per vehicle that shows everything done to it, in order, so you can see what is due next and what keeps coming back for repair. In the United States, FMCSA rule 49 CFR 396.3(b) requires most motor carriers to keep, for each vehicle they control for 30 consecutive days, an identification of the vehicle, the nature and due date of inspection and maintenance operations, and a record of inspections, repairs and maintenance with their date and nature.
Odometer and engine hours without the guesswork
High Point GPS tracking records each vehicle's odometer and engine hours from the engine, so every line on the log starts from a real reading. FleetZap, our own maintenance software (fleetzap.com), keeps each vehicle's maintenance history and work orders in one place and schedules preventive maintenance by engine hours or kilometres.
Get a quoteFour tips for keeping a maintenance log
Start one log per vehicle and keep it in that vehicle's file, not in a shared binder.
Write the odometer and engine hours on every line, even for small jobs. They show how far apart services really are.
Fill in the next due column every time, by date, odometer or engine hours, from the manufacturer's maintenance schedule.
Note the work order or invoice number in the work done column, so the details are easy to find later.
Questions about vehicle maintenance logs
- What should a vehicle maintenance log include?
- Identify the vehicle at the top: unit number, year, make and model, VIN and plate. Then add one line per service or repair with the date, odometer reading, engine hours, the work done, the parts used, who did the work, the cost and when the next service is due. Keep adding lines for as long as you run the vehicle.
- How long must maintenance records be kept in the United States?
- Under FMCSA rule 49 CFR 396.3(c), the records must be kept where the vehicle is housed or maintained for 1 year, and for 6 months after the vehicle leaves the motor carrier's control. The rule applies to motor carriers, except private motor carriers of passengers (nonbusiness), for each vehicle they control for 30 consecutive days.
- How is a maintenance log different from a PM checklist or a work order?
- A preventive maintenance checklist records what was checked during one scheduled service. A work order records one repair: the problem, the labour and the parts. A maintenance log is the running history of one vehicle, one line per service or repair, so you can see everything done to it over time. Many fleets use all three together.
- Is anything I type sent to High Point GPS?
- No. The log runs entirely in your browser, and nothing you type is sent to us. Your entries stay in this browser on this device until you clear them. When it is done, print it for signatures or save it as a PDF, and clear the form if you use a shared computer.
- How does GPS tracking help keep a maintenance log?
- Tracking records each vehicle's real odometer and engine hours, so you do not have to read them off the dash or guess. FleetZap, our own maintenance software, keeps the maintenance history and work orders for every vehicle and schedules the next service by engine hours or kilometres. High Point GPS provides and supports the tracking, in English and French.