Vehicle inspection software with the evidence to back it
Daily trip inspections (NSC Standard 13) with photo evidence and a clear defect-noted, repaired and certified cycle, plus your periodic-inspection records — held against each vehicle, and province-aware because inspection programs and frequencies differ across Canada.
Complys is launching for Canadian carriers.
The trip inspection isn’t the form — it’s the loop
A trip inspection only does its job if a reported defect actually closes: someone repairs it, someone certifies the repair, and the next driver can see it was done before the wheels turn. That loop is what NSC Standard 13 describes, and it’s where paper and generic checklists fall down. Complys treats a defect as a state that has to be resolved, not a box that was ticked.
Report a defect
The driver logs a defect against the province’s minor/major schedule, with timestamped photos.
Repair & certify
The repair is recorded and certified, so the fix is evidenced — not assumed.
Confirm before driving
The next driver reviews the last inspection and confirms the vehicle is safe within the 24-hour window.
Two inspections, and they’re provincial
Canadian commercial-vehicle inspection has two distinct parts, both administered by the provinces under the National Safety Code:
The daily trip inspection (NSC Standard 13) is completed by the driver within 24 hours before driving, with a province-specific schedule of minor and major defects; a major defect means the vehicle doesn’t go. It is called a trip inspection in Canada — not a DVIR.
The periodic (mandatory) inspection is a province-run program — Ontario’s annual safety inspection and semi-annual for buses, Alberta’s CVIP, British Columbia’s inspection program, Québec’s mechanical inspection. Frequency depends on the vehicle and the province, so Complys is built to be province-aware rather than quote one national interval.
General information, not legal advice; frequencies and defect schedules are set by each province — check yours.
How to read these requirements
Complys keeps the distinction clear between what a standard sets, what a province requires, what regulators guide, what insurers require, and what’s your own policy — so nothing is over-stated as a legal duty.
Based on NSC Standard 13 as adopted by each province. The inspection is completed within 24 hours before driving, against a province-specific schedule of defects.
Provincial defect schedules distinguish minor from major defects; a major defect takes the vehicle out of service until it is repaired.
Retention is set by each province. In Québec, circle-check reports are kept for 6 months. Retention periods elsewhere vary — check your province's requirement; Complys applies the period you're subject to.
A province-run program — Ontario's annual safety inspection (semi-annual for buses), Alberta's CVIP, British Columbia's inspection program, Québec's mechanical inspection. Frequency depends on the vehicle and the province.
Some shippers or insurers require documented daily inspections beyond the provincial minimum — contractual, not law.
What’s ready, honestly
Complys is launching for Canadian fleets and carriers. Here is exactly where the capabilities on this page stand — labelled at the feature level, never marketed as available before they ship.
Digital inspections with timestamped photos held against each vehicle. Included in Complys Self-Drive from launch.
Daily trip-inspection reports with the defect-noted, repaired and certified cycle and a province-configurable defect schedule; the underlying inspection records and audit trail are in the first release. Being built now; arriving in the release after launch.
Record defects and place a vehicle out of service until it is repaired and certified. Included in Complys Self-Drive from launch.
One record per vehicle: registration and plates, inspection dates, insurance and documents with expiry. Included in Complys Self-Drive from launch.
Every action recorded with who did it and when; export the evidence on demand. Included in Complys Self-Drive from launch.
Sources
- • CCMTA — National Safety Code (Standard 13 — trip inspection)
- • Ontario — Commercial vehicle safety requirements
- • Ontario — Safety inspection for a commercial vehicle
- • Alberta — Commercial Vehicle Inspection Program (CVIP)
- • British Columbia — CVSE vehicle inspection
- • Québec (SAAQ) — Heavy-vehicle record keeping
Last reviewed: 21 September 2026. This page describes current Canadian requirements in general terms and is not legal advice; check the primary sources above and your province’s rules.
Vehicle inspection — FAQs
What is a trip inspection?
The daily record a driver makes of a commercial vehicle's condition before driving, based on NSC Standard 13 as each province adopts it. It's completed within 24 hours before driving, against a province-specific schedule of minor and major defects. In Canada it's a 'trip inspection' — not a US-style DVIR.
Does the driver file a trip inspection every day?
Yes — a trip inspection is a daily obligation for commercial vehicles, and the driver must not operate with a major defect. Complys records the inspection with timestamped photos, and treats a reported defect as a state that has to be repaired and certified, not a box that was ticked.
How long do I keep trip-inspection reports?
Retention is set by each province. Québec keeps circle-check reports for 6 months; other provinces vary, so we apply the period you're actually subject to rather than quoting one national number. Complys retains each record for its jurisdiction's required period.
Is the periodic inspection the same across Canada?
No. The periodic (mandatory) inspection is a province-run program with its own name and frequency — Ontario's annual safety inspection and semi-annual for buses, Alberta's CVIP, British Columbia's program, Québec's mechanical inspection. Frequency depends on the vehicle type and the province, so Complys is province-aware rather than quoting a single interval.
Is this an ELD?
No. A trip inspection is a condition record, not an hours-of-service log. ELDs record driving time and, in Canada, must be third-party certified; Complys is a system of record for inspections, maintenance and evidence. The two sit alongside each other.
When does the trip-inspection workflow launch?
The inspection records, photo evidence and audit trail are in the first release. The full NSC Standard 13 defect-to-repair-to-certify workflow with a province-configurable defect schedule is launching next — labelled honestly on the readiness panel rather than implied to be available today.
Explore Complys fleet & vehicle compliance in Canada
The Canadian hub — vehicles, inspections, maintenance and evidence in one province-aware system of record.
NSC, CVOR, PEVL, SFC and provincial carrier requirements — one authority page, resolved by province.
Preventive maintenance and the records the National Safety Code expects you to keep.
Run car and vehicle rental with Canadian identity, consent-based abstract and condition evidence.