Heavy Vehicles

Mandatory Mechanical Maintenance

Every 6 months – at least – owners must have their heavy vehicles undergo mechanical maintenance to ensure their safety.

In brief

In order to monitor the mechanical condition of their heavy vehiclesVehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 4,500 kg or more, as indicated on the compliance label., owners must set up a mechanical inspection plan and make any corrections required in order to avoid potential mechanical defects. Mandatory maintenance includes all planned interventions intended to maintain a heavy vehicle in good working condition. Owners can do their own servicing or contract the work out to the establishment of their choice. In any case, it remains the owner's responsibility to see that maintenance is done correctly and at the proper intervals.

Frequency of mandatory mechanical maintenance

Vehicle maintenance must be carried out at least once every 6 months.

Important: Mandatory mechanical maintenance is no substitute for the mandatory periodic mechanical inspection.

Vehicles subject to mandatory mechanical maintenance

  • Road vehicles with a gross vehicle weight ratingA vehicle's weight, including its maximum load capacity, according to the manufacturer's specifications. (GVWR) of 4,500 kg or more
    • Trucks
    • Road tractors
    • Trailers
    • Semi-trailers
    • Equipment transport vehicles
    • Emergency vehicles (ambulances, fire trucks, emergency response vehicles)
  • Tow trucks
  • Vehicles transporting dangerous substances requiring the display of safety marks
  • Combinations of road vehicles where each vehicle that is part of the combination has a GVWR of less than 4,500 kg and transporting dangerous substances requiring the display of safety marks
  • Heavy vehicles used during a disaster

Buses and minibuses: mechanical maintenance is also mandatory

Since buses and minibuses are considered to be heavy vehicles, their owners must have them undergo mechanical maintenance.

Vehicles exempt from mandatory mechanical maintenance

  • Tool vehiclesA road vehicle, other than a vehicle mounted on a truck chassis, designed to perform a task and having a workstation integrated into the cab. A truck chassis is a frame fitted with the mechanical components found on a vehicle made for the transportation of passengers, freight or equipment.
  • Farm tractorsA motor vehicle that is a truck, pick-up truck or minivan owned by a farmer (a person holding a registration card issued by the Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec, or a person who is a member of an association certified under the Farm Producers Act) and used mainly for the transportation of farm produce or material required in its production.
  • Farm machinery
  • Farm trailers, as defined by regulation, with a GVWR of 4,500 kg or more

Maintenance sheet

The following information must appear on the maintenance sheet:

  • a description of the vehicle
    • the vehicle identification number (serial number)
      OR
    • the licence plate number
      OR
    • the unit number appearing on the registration certificate
  • the odometer reading
  • the date of servicing
  • a list (based on the class of vehicle) of every item to be checked, with spaces provided to check off each item as either "compliant" or "not compliant"
  • the required repairs, if any
  • for heavy vehicles with a GVWR of 7,258 kg or more, the brake lining measurements, or, in the event that the brake lining cannot be measured, the camshaft rotation measurements, if those measurements are not indicated on another document
  • the signature of the person who carried out the mandatory mechanical maintenance

Sample maintenance sheets

We recommend certain maintenance sheet models, which can be used as is or modified to suit your needs, provided that they meet the requirements.

Retention period for maintenance sheets

Maintenance sheets are part of the record of each vehicle. The owner must keep them in the vehicle record for the period covering the last 2 years during which the vehicle was in use and they must be kept for 12 months after disposing of the vehicle.

Brake and tire measurement record

Every 6 months, owners of heavy vehicles with a GVWR of 7,258 kg or more must measure the brakes of their heavy vehicles and record the measurements in the Registre de mesures de freins et de pneus (PDF, 97.3 ko) (Brake and Tire Measurement Record – in French only).

Tire measurements are optional.

Recording brake and tire measurements in the Registre de mesures de freins et de pneus, instead of on the maintenance sheet, makes it possible to monitor wear from one inspection to the next and detect any abnormal wear before a breakdown occurs.

If any mechanical defects are detected

The owner must ensure that the necessary repairs listed on the maintenance sheet are made.

Proof that the items found to be non-compliant were repaired must be kept in the vehicle maintenance record.

Major mechanical defects

A vehicle with a major defectA mechanical defect that poses an immediate threat to the safety of road users, including that of the driver. The vehicle may not be driven or put into operation until the defect has been repaired. is prohibited from being driven or operated. The vehicle may not be driven until it is repaired.

Minor mechanical defects

Any minor defectA mechanical defect that does not pose an immediate threat to the safety of road users but that may deteriorate rapidly. The defect must be repaired within 48 hours of being detected and entered in the pre-trip inspection report. detected must be repaired within 48 hours otherwise the heavy vehicle may not be operated.

For more information on minor and major mechanical defects

Consult the Road Vehicle Mechanical Inspection Guide (PDF, 7.9 Mo)

Last update: May 17, 2022