Vehicle Maintenance
The FMCSA BASIC category covering the equipment side of roadside inspections. Brakes, tires, lights, mirrors, windshield, load securement, fuel and exhaust systems, suspension, frame, and the rest of the truck and trailer beyond the driver. Violations are weighted by severity and out-of-service status; an out-of-service Vehicle Maintenance violation takes the unit off the road on the spot.
Why it matters
Vehicle Maintenance is typically the busiest BASIC by violation count for most carriers — equipment defects are common and observable in seconds at roadside, where driver-side issues take more inspection time to surface. High Vehicle Maintenance percentile signals a preventive maintenance program that isn't catching defects before they roll, a driver pre-trip culture that isn't enforced, or a fleet age and mix that's outrunning the maintenance budget.
Where it appears in a Hoffman Report
The Safety record table shows the carrier's three-year weighted Vehicle Maintenance score against cohort. The Inspection and violation record shows total Vehicle Maintenance violations and the share that resulted in out-of-service orders.
Related terms
Vehicle Maintenance scoring weights and inspection severity codes are public on the FMCSA SMS website.