A truck or trailer that gets looked at on a schedule breaks down less often at the wrong moment. In BC, part of that schedule is the law: a daily trip inspection, chains on board through the winter, a periodic inspection every 6 or 12 months, and records to prove it. The rest is the maker’s service schedule and a good look underneath when the seasons turn.
This guide puts it in order, from every day to every year, with checklists you can tick and print. When something needs fixing, request a repair on our service and repairs page.
Every day: the trip inspection
Before the first trip of the day, the driver, or someone the carrier names, has to be satisfied the vehicle is safe by checking at least these twelve items: service brakes (with the trailer brake connections and adjustment), parking brake, steering, lights and reflectors, tires, horn, wipers, mirrors, coupling devices, wheels and rims, emergency equipment and load securement devices.1
- Write it up. For the vehicles the periodic inspection covers, the driver writes a trip inspection report before the first drive of the day: the plate, the unit or trailer number, each defect or that none was found, the date and a signature. Two-axle vehicles of 14,600 kg licensed GVW or less, and units rented for a single trip, are among those left out.1
- Fix before you drive. A defect that may affect safe operation is repaired, or certified as not needing it, before the vehicle is driven again.1
- Check again at day’s end. After the last trip of the day, inspect again and note any defects on the report.1
Every day
Daily trip inspection
BC’s pre-trip list (MVA Regulations s. 37.60), then the national standard’s other items. Before the first trip of the day; write up the report if the unit is in the inspection program.
26 items to check.
Sources checked 5 Oct 2026. The official sources govern; check them before you rely on a row.
Every service: the maker’s schedule
Oil, filters, grease points, the air dryer, the aftertreatment: the intervals belong to the truck, engine and trailer makers, and they’re in the owner’s and service manuals. Follow those rather than a rule of thumb, and shorten them where the work is hard on the unit.
BC’s Safety Code expects a carrier with a safety certificate to keep, for each vehicle, the records of its inspections and maintenance, every defect notice received from the vehicle’s maker with proof the defect was fixed, and any scheduled maintenance plan it runs.1
Worksheet: your numbers
When is the next service due?
Use the interval from your own service manual. Your numbers stay in your browser.
Your result
Kilometres to the next service
—
Due at
—
Weeks to go, at your usual pace
—
Fill in your numbers to see the result.
A reminder tool, not a schedule: the maker’s manual sets the interval.
Fall: ready for chain season by October 1
From October 1 to April 30, anyone driving a commercial motor vehicle, one over 5,000 kg, has to carry chains on BC highways. The Lower Mainland south of Horseshoe Bay and west of Hope is exempt, and some routes, Highway 1 between Highway 9 and Highway 97 among them, need none from April 1.2 A truck that runs out of Surrey to the Coquihalla, the Fraser Canyon or the Interior needs them on board.
At a licensed GVW of 11,794 kg or more, only steel chains count, unless the ministry has authorized a traction device in writing. With one trailer and a tandem drive, that means chains on two tires on each side of one drive axle, or on one tire on each side of both drive axles.2
Chain season, 2026–27
Chain season starts
Commercial vehicles over 5,000 kg carry chains on BC highways outside the Lower Mainland.2
- Today, Oct 7, 2026
Some routes ease off
On the routes the regulation lists, Highway 1 between Highway 9 and Highway 97 among them, no chains are needed from April 1.2
Chain season ends
Last day to carry chains for this season. Spring load restrictions may already be posted where roads are thawing.25
Chain season starts again
Every year, October 1 to April 30.2
MVA Regulations s. 7.1635, BC Laws (current to September 29, 2026); checked October 5, 2026.
Fall
Fall prep: chains, tires and the cold
Before October 1. The chain and tire rows are BC’s rules; the rest is what the inspection manual and the cold will find.
11 items to check.
Sources checked 5 Oct 2026. The official sources govern; check them before you rely on a row.
Spring: after the salt and the thaw
Coming out of a BC winter, the damage is underneath. Road salt and grit work into frame rail joints, crossmember ends, air tank brackets and the back of mud flap hangers. Wash the undercarriage properly, let it dry, and go underneath with a light.
The inspection manual is a fair guide to what matters. Some rust on exposed metal is normal; rust that visibly thins the metal is where structural trouble starts, and a frame or crossmember that is cracked, perforated by corrosion or rusted deep enough to weaken it fails.4
Check the load restrictions before you load
During spring runoff, the ministry restricts roads weakened by water in the road base, only where and when they need it, so there are no set dates. Breaking a posted restriction can mean a $345 fine, and you can be made to cut the weight or reroute on the spot.5 The current restrictions are posted by service area.6
Spring
Spring check: after the salt and the chains
April and May. The rows follow the inspection manual’s “reject if” lines where it has one.
16 items to check.
Sources checked 5 Oct 2026. The official sources govern; check them before you rely on a row.
Every year: the inspection and the paperwork
Most trailers and semi-trailers need a periodic inspection (a CVI) every 12 months, and trucks over 17,300 kg licensed GVW every 6.3 A spring or fall check a few weeks before the decal runs out finds the faults while there’s time to fix them. Our CVI guide has the full rules and a checklist from the inspection manual, and the compliance centre can put the due date, registration renewal and chain season in your calendar.
Maintenance records BC asks you to keep
| Keep for | Rule | |
|---|---|---|
| Trip inspection reports | At least 3 months | MVA Regulations s. 37.65 |
| Inspection, replacement and repair records for each vehicle | The last 3 years you own it, and 6 months after you sell it | s. 25.18 |
| Defect notices from the vehicle’s maker, with proof they were fixed | The calendar year made and the next 4 | ss. 37.67 and 37.68 |
| Any scheduled maintenance plan you run | The calendar year made and the next 4 | ss. 37.67 and 37.68 |
Motor Vehicle Act Regulations, Divisions 25 and 37, on BC Laws (current to September 29, 2026); checked October 5, 2026. The Safety Code’s record rules apply to carriers that need a safety certificate.
Selling a unit? With the buyer’s consent you can hand its inspection and repair records over with it, and the buyer keeps them from then on.3 Buying one, ask for them: a full history is worth more than a fresh coat of paint.
Guide · 12 min read
CVI inspections in BC: who needs one, how often, what’s checked
Who needs a BC commercial vehicle inspection, how often, what the inspector checks, and a checklist to get a truck, trailer or…
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The rules for your truck, trailer or chassis in BC, worked out for your unit, with the official source for each one.
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Bring your truck or trailer to the yard. Tell us what’s wrong and when you need it back.
FAQ
Maintenance questions
Is the daily trip inspection required in BC?
Yes. Before the first trip of the day the driver, or someone the carrier names, checks the vehicle’s brakes, steering, lights, tires, coupling devices and the other items in MVA Regulations s. 37.60, and writes a trip inspection report for the vehicles the periodic inspection covers (s. 37.61).
When do I need chains on a commercial truck in BC?
From October 1 to April 30, on BC highways outside the Lower Mainland south of Horseshoe Bay and west of Hope, if the vehicle is over 5,000 kg. At 11,794 kg licensed GVW or more, only steel chains count unless the ministry has authorized a traction device in writing. Some routes need none from April 1 (s. 7.1635).
What counts as a winter tire in BC?
At least 3.5 mm of tread, and either the three-peaked mountain and snowflake symbol or the letters M and S on the sidewall (s. 7.162).
How often should a truck be serviced?
As often as its maker’s schedule says for the work it does. The intervals are in the owner’s and service manuals; harder work usually means shorter intervals.
How long do I keep maintenance records?
Inspection and repair records: the last 3 years you own the vehicle and 6 months after you sell it. Trip inspection reports: at least 3 months.
Can you fix what my inspection finds?
Tell us the unit and what’s wrong on our service and repairs page. It’s a request: we call you to book a time.