Run DVSA PMIs on any tablet or PC

For HGV, PSV and trailer workshops, the Preventative Maintenance Inspection is the moment roadworthiness is signed off — and the first document a DVSA examiner reaches for. DDIR Workshop replaces paper checklists and clunky PDF templates with a structured, tablet-based workflow built around the Categorisation of Defects and the DVSA Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness.

It runs in the browser on any tablet, iPad or PC — nothing to install — so a mechanic can inspect on the bay and a supervisor can sign off at the office desk. Every inspection comes out structured, evidenced and audit-ready, at just £1 per PMI started.

The PMI workflow, end to end

DDIR Workshop mirrors the way a thorough PMI actually runs — from logging the vehicle in to the final roadworthiness decision — so nothing is skipped and every result is captured the first time.

1. The digital inspection sheet

A complete DVSA-style inspection sheet covers the full Preventative Maintenance Inspection: brakes, steering, suspension, wheels and tyres, lighting, body and chassis, the cab and driving controls, exhaust and emissions, the road test and the trailer coupling. Each item is marked with the 4-state S / M / R / NA code (Serviceable / Monitor / Repair / Not Applicable), and the app computes the roadworthiness outcome automatically from those marks — no mental arithmetic, no missed fail item.

2. Brake-test result capture

Brake performance is the part of a PMI examiners scrutinise hardest, so DDIR Workshop captures it in full and keeps it attached to the inspection:

• Roller brake test (RBT) — record per-axle figures and the calculated service, secondary and parking brake efficiencies straight onto the sheet. See our roller brake test guide for what the numbers mean.
• Decelerometer — log road-test brake readings where an RBT is not available or appropriate.
• EBPMS — capture electronic braking performance monitoring data so trailers and vehicles on a performance-based regime keep a continuous evidence trail.

3. Tyre & component checks

Tyre and wheel detail is recorded at the level a defect notice would demand — tread depths, condition, pressures, wheel-nut and security checks, and matched fitments across axles. Component-level checks for steering play, suspension, brake wear, lighting and emissions are all part of the sheet, with free-text notes and photos against any item that needs them.

4. Defect → rectification → sign-off trail

When an item is marked for repair, DDIR Workshop opens a defect record that carries through to closure. The mechanic logs the fault and photo, the work is recorded against it, and a closure photo plus a second confirmation evidences that the defect was actually rectified — the documented chain from defect raised to repair done to signed off that the DVSA expects to see.

5. Two-stage sign-off & e-signatures

Inspections finish with a two-stage sign-off: the mechanic completes and signs the inspection, then a supervisor reviews and authorises it. Both e-signatures are embedded in the record, giving you a clear, attributable trail of who inspected and who approved.

6. Audit-ready PDF output

Every completed inspection generates a clean, audit-ready PDF containing the roadworthiness decision, a "REPAIR REQUIRED" table, the brake-test figures, embedded photos and both signatures — ready to email to the operator, print for the maintenance file or hand to an examiner. Because inspections sync live across devices, a mechanic can start on the bay tablet and a supervisor can finish on the office PC, and nothing is lost if the wifi drops.

Who it's for

DDIR Workshop fits any operation that signs off PMIs — whether you maintain your own vehicles or inspect other operators' fleets for a living.

• In-house fleet workshops — keep your own HGVs, PSVs and trailers roadworthy with a consistent, paperless inspection record that plugs straight into your maintenance system and the wider operation. Every PMI builds the DVSA-grade evidence that protects your Operator Licence.
• Commercial & contract workshops — run PMIs for multiple operator clients with each client's vehicles, inspections and PDFs cleanly separated. Hand over a professional, signed PDF after every inspection and demonstrate a tighter, more auditable service than a paper sheet ever could.

Simple pricing — £1 per PMI

No setup fee. No per-seat licence. No annual contract. You bill only for the inspections you run, when you run them — and the first 30 days are free.

Ready to try it? Start your 30-day free trial and run real PMIs on your own vehicles before you pay a penny.

Part of the DDIR family

DDIR Workshop is the workshop side of the DDIR fleet management & driver walkaround app. The two are built to work together: drivers raise daily walkaround defects in the fleet app, and those defects flow to the workshop where mechanics rectify them and sign them off on a full PMI — closing the loop from the roadside report to the repaired, inspected vehicle.

Run as a pair, they give you an unbroken compliance record: the driver's daily defect report, the workshop's rectification and the scheduled PMI all sit in one DVSA-grade evidence trail. Workshop alone is perfect for a standalone or commercial workshop; add the fleet app when you want driver checks, defect alerts and Andre, the AI Virtual Transport Manager, joined up with your inspections.

Run your next PMI on DDIR Workshop

30 days free, nothing to install, and £1 per PMI when you are ready. Start your free trial, or book a demo to see the full inspection workflow in action.