Truck maintenance checklist and PM schedule builder

By Solomon Wiesen, editor. Updated October 2026.

Federal rules say every carrier must “systematically” inspect, repair and maintain its trucks and keep a record that shows what is due and when, but they do not set intervals. Your engine and truck manuals do. Enter your truck, how it runs and when it was last serviced, and this tool lays out your next PM-A, PM-B and PM-C services and your annual inspection date. The checklists for each level are below the tool, ready to print.

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PM-A, PM-B and PM-C checklists

Most fleets run preventive maintenance in levels: a short service at every interval, a longer one every second time, and the deepest one every fourth. The lists below are a starting framework built around the items the federal inspection standard checks. Add the fluid and filter intervals from your own manuals.

PM-A: every service

• Change engine oil and filter to the manual’s specification.
• Check and top up coolant, power steering fluid, washer fluid and DEF.
• Test every light, reflector, horn, wiper and mirror.
• Tires: pressure, cuts, bulges and tread depth. The inspection standard fails a steer tire under 4/32 inch and any other tire under 2/32 inch.
• Wheels: loose or missing lug nuts, rust streaks from the studs, cracked rims.
• Brakes: pushrod stroke within the readjustment limit, lining thickness, audible air leaks, automatic slack adjusters working.
• Air system: drain the tanks; check governor cut-in and cut-out and the low-pressure warning.
• Belts and hoses: cracks, glazing, soft spots and leaks.
• Grease the chassis and the fifth wheel.
• Battery terminals, cables and hold-downs.
• Exhaust leaks, above all forward of or under the cab.
• Write the date, odometer, work done and next due date in the vehicle’s maintenance file.

PM-B: every second service, adds

• Fuel filters and the fuel and water separator.
• Air filter restriction; replace when the gauge says so.
• Air dryer cartridge at the manual’s interval.
• Steering: free play, tie rod ends, drag link and kingpins.
• Suspension: U-bolts, spring hangers, leaves, air bags and shocks.
• Wheel bearings: end play and seal leaks.
• Coolant test for freeze point and additive level.
• Driveline U-joints and center bearing.
• Read fault codes and check aftertreatment (DPF and SCR) status.

PM-C: every fourth service, adds

• Transmission and axle fluids at the manual’s interval.
• Coolant service.
• Measure brake drums or rotors against the discard limits.
• A full Appendix A inspection. If a qualified inspector does it and writes it up, it can serve as the annual inspection; our DOT inspection form covers the report.
• Valve adjustment, DPF cleaning and other engine work the manual schedules by mileage or hours.

Daily checks between services

The driver has to be satisfied the truck is in safe condition before driving it, and must review the last driver vehicle inspection report if it listed defects (396.13). A walk-around covering brakes, steering, lights, tires, horn, wipers, mirrors, coupling devices, wheels and emergency equipment matches the items the end-of-day report covers. Most defects that put a truck out of service at the roadside, such as a flat tire, a light out or an air leak, show up on a walk-around days before a PM would find them.

Why NYC stop-and-go counts as severe service

Engine and truck manufacturers publish shorter intervals for severe or vocational duty: frequent stops, short trips, long idling, heavy loads and dust. A box truck making deliveries in Manhattan fits most of those conditions even if it covers few miles. Low annual mileage can also mean the time limit, not the mileage limit, decides when oil and coolant are due, which is why the tool tracks both and uses whichever comes first. Use the severe-service table in your manual, not the highway one.

The maintenance records FMCSA requires

For each vehicle you control for 30 days or more, 49 CFR 396.3 requires:

• the vehicle’s identification: company unit number, make, serial number and year, and the owner’s name if you do not own it;
• a way to show the nature and due date of each inspection and maintenance operation;
• a record of inspections, repairs and maintenance with their dates and what was done.

Keep the records where the vehicle is housed or maintained for one year, and for six months after the vehicle leaves your control. A printed schedule from this tool, with the work recorded against it, covers the second requirement. Separately, 396.5 requires every vehicle to be properly lubricated and free of oil and grease leaks.

Budgeting for repairs and downtime

A PM program spreads maintenance cost evenly; a breakdown lands all at once and stops the revenue the truck brings in. Many small carriers set aside a fixed amount per mile into a separate account for tires, brakes and major repairs. When a repair is bigger than the reserve, compare the cost of the options on our NYC trucking financing page before taking a fast offer, because a daily-debit advance on top of a repair bill is how many small fleets fall behind.

Questions

How often should a semi truck get preventive maintenance?

It depends on the engine, the oil specification and the duty cycle, so the manufacturer’s manual decides. Long-haul tractors often go much farther between services than trucks in city delivery work, which most manuals treat as severe service with shorter intervals.

Does the FMCSA set maintenance intervals?

No. It requires systematic inspection, repair and maintenance, records showing what is due and when, and an annual inspection. The intervals come from the manufacturer and your own program.

Can a PM inspection count as the annual DOT inspection?

Yes, if it covers every item in Appendix A to Part 396, is done by a qualified inspector, and is documented in a report that meets 396.21.

Default intervals in the tool are planning placeholders, not manufacturer specifications. Regulatory references are to 49 CFR Part 396 as published on eCFR on October 14, 2026. This page is general information, not professional advice.