Fleet maintenance software that keeps the records right
Schedule preventive maintenance, record every repair, and keep the systematic inspect-repair-maintain records that 49 CFR 396.3 requires — retained while you operate the vehicle and for six months after it leaves your fleet, not a period you had to guess.
Complys is launching for US fleets.
A maintenance program you can prove
The federal rule is short and clear: systematically inspect, repair and maintain your vehicles, and keep the records (49 CFR 396.3). The word that trips carriers up is systematically — a stack of invoices in a drawer isn’t a program, and it isn’t evidence. Complys turns maintenance into a schedule per vehicle, a history that fills in as work is done, and a retention clock that keeps each record exactly as long as the rule requires.
PM schedule per vehicle
Define preventive-maintenance intervals by vehicle or type and see what’s due before it’s overdue.
Full repair history
In-house or outside-shop repairs, invoices and parts, all recorded against the vehicle.
Correct retention
Records kept while you control the vehicle plus six months after; the annual inspection kept 14 months.
Tied to DVIRs
A reported defect flows into repair and certification, so inspection and maintenance are one trail.
Annual inspection
The periodic DOT inspection recorded as its own document with its own clock.
Audit in minutes
Produce a complete maintenance history for any vehicle on demand.
The retention rule people get wrong
You’ll see “keep maintenance records for 12 months” or “18 months” repeated online. For the 49 CFR 396.3 maintenance records, that’s not the rule. The retention is tied to control of the vehicle plus six months after it leaves your fleet — so a truck you’ve run for five years has five years of records, kept six months past the day you sell it. The 14-month figure belongs to the separate annual-inspection report (49 CFR 396.21). Complys keeps the two on their own clocks so you never throw a record away early.
How to read these requirements
Complys keeps the distinction clear between what federal law requires, what a state adopts, what regulators guide, what insurers require, and what’s your own policy — so nothing is over-stated as a legal duty.
49 CFR 396.3(a). The duty is on the carrier, whether maintenance is done in-house or by a shop.
49 CFR 396.3(b): vehicle identification, an inspection/maintenance schedule, and a history of inspections, repairs and maintenance.
49 CFR 396.3(c). Not an arbitrary 12 or 18 months — the retention is tied to control of the vehicle plus a six-month tail.
49 CFR 396.17/.21. Preventive-maintenance records and the annual-inspection report are distinct and retained on their own clocks.
Following the manufacturer's intervals and running an A/B/C PM schedule is strong practice; the rule requires a systematic program and records, not a specific interval.
What’s ready, honestly
Complys is launching for US fleets and carriers. Here is exactly where the capabilities on this page stand — labeled at the feature level, never marketed as available before they ship.
Scheduled PM, repair history and evidence, retained while you operate the vehicle and for six months after it leaves your fleet (49 CFR 396.3). Included in Complys Self-Drive from launch.
One record per vehicle: registration and plates, annual DOT inspection, insurance, and documents with expiry dates. Included in Complys Self-Drive from launch.
Digital inspections with timestamped photos held against each vehicle. Included in Complys Self-Drive from launch.
Record defects and place a vehicle out of service until it is repaired and certified. 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
- • eCFR — 49 CFR 396.3 (inspection, repair, and maintenance)
- • eCFR — 49 CFR 396.17 (periodic inspection)
- • eCFR — 49 CFR 396.21 (periodic inspection report retention)
- • FMCSA — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
Last reviewed: 21 September 2026. This page describes current US federal requirements in general terms and is not legal advice; check the primary sources above and your state’s rules.
Fleet maintenance — FAQs
What does fleet maintenance software need to do for DOT?
Under 49 CFR 396.3, a carrier must systematically inspect, repair and maintain its vehicles and keep records for each one — the vehicle's identity, its inspection and maintenance schedule, and a history of what was done. Complys holds that schedule and history against the vehicle so the program is evidenced, not just intended.
How long do I keep maintenance records?
While you operate (control) the vehicle, and for six months after it leaves your fleet (49 CFR 396.3(c)). That's the actual rule — not a flat 12 or 18 months, which is a common misquote. The separate annual-inspection report is kept for 14 months. Complys applies each retention period for you.
Is preventive maintenance legally required at set mileage intervals?
The rule requires a systematic program and records; it does not fix a specific interval. Good practice is to follow the manufacturer's service intervals and run a structured PM schedule, which Complys lets you define per vehicle or vehicle type.
Does it cover the annual DOT inspection too?
Yes — the annual (periodic) inspection is recorded as its own document with its own 14-month retention, alongside your preventive-maintenance history, so an auditor sees both without you hunting through folders.
Can maintenance be done by an outside shop?
Yes. The duty to maintain and to keep records stays with the carrier whether the work is in-house or at a shop. Complys records outside repairs and their invoices against the vehicle so the history is complete.
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