VGP · software
Free VGP tracking software: what actually exists
Free VGP tracking software comes in two forms: a spreadsheet or an online calculator, which give you the due date, and a tracking tool like Trackary, which adds alerts and a mobile app. The spreadsheet suits a small fleet tracked by a single person. Software that tracks deadlines should be distinguished from the software used by the body that actually carries out the VGP inspection itself.
Many companies look for free VGP tracking software before considering a paid tool. Here is what actually exists, where these free solutions stop, and the important difference between tracking a VGP deadline and carrying out a VGP inspection.
Trackary is fleet management and maintenance (CMMS) software for construction equipment, aerial work platforms, forklifts and road-rail vehicles. It tracks VGP inspections, schedules maintenance and jobs, and lets the field report faults. It runs in the browser, on desktop as well as on a phone; the offline-capable mobile app is not yet published on the App Store or Google Play. It is quote-based. It does not carry out inspections and does not grant certification.
Two very different kinds of VGP software: don't mix them up
Behind "VGP software" lie two very different needs. On one side, the owner or user of a piece of equipment wants to track deadlines: knowing when each machine's last VGP inspection took place, and when the next is due, so as not to fall behind.
On the other side, the approved inspection body that carries out the VGP inspection needs inspection report software: a tool for writing and archiving the inspection reports themselves, with the detail of the points checked.
Trackary sits only on the deadline-tracking side, for equipment owners and managers. It does not carry out the VGP inspection and does not produce a technical inspection report: that work remains with the approved inspection body.
Why the confusion between the two kinds of VGP software is common
The word "VGP" refers at once to the regulatory obligation, the inspection itself, and the deadline to meet. It is therefore no surprise that a search for "VGP software" or "VGP app" returns very different results depending on whether they are aimed at an inspection body or at a company that owns equipment.
Before choosing a tool, it helps to ask which side of the fence you are on: if the goal is to know when to schedule the next inspection and not miss it, deadline-tracking software like Trackary meets the need. If the goal is to carry out the technical inspection itself and produce the regulatory report, that is a completely different kind of tool, reserved for approved bodies.
Free options for tracking a VGP deadline
Several free tools let you track a VGP deadline without paid software.
- A free VGP tracking spreadsheet, with one row per machine (last VGP, frequency, next deadline)
- An online VGP frequency calculator, to quickly get the next due date from the date of the last inspection
- A fuller equipment fleet tracking spreadsheet, which includes VGP alongside other deadlines (maintenance, other inspections)
The limits of free VGP software
A free spreadsheet or calculator covers calculating the date, but not everything that surrounds day-to-day tracking.
| What a free tool does | What it generally lacks |
|---|---|
| Calculate a deadline from a date and a frequency | No automatic alert sent before the deadline |
| Centralise a list of equipment with their last VGP | No mobile app to check or update from the field |
| Work for a single user | Fragile as soon as several people need to edit it |
| Stay free and simple to use | No history linked to the machine's anomalies or interventions |
When to move from a spreadsheet to tracking software
A free spreadsheet is enough as long as a single person is tracking a limited number of machines and remembers to check it regularly. Moving to tracking software is worthwhile mainly once a VGP deadline has already been missed for lack of an alert, once several people or several sites need to share the same information, or once VGP is just one deadline among several to track for each machine (maintenance, safety equipment, and for road-rail the equipotential bonding test and RFN approval).
Trackary lets you configure a VGP deadline per machine, with an alert to set up ahead of the due date, alongside the fleet's other inspection and maintenance deadlines. Trackary is quote-based, after a 30-minute video demo, with no commitment.
VGP inspection frequencies to know
The applicable frequency depends on the type of equipment and the relevant regulatory text. For lifting appliances covered by the order of 1 March 2004 (arrêté du 1er mars 2004), article 23 sets an inspection every twelve months, reduced to six months in particular for mobile elevating work platforms (aerial work platforms, MEWPs), forklifts, mobile cranes, and earthmoving equipment fitted for lifting.
For earthmoving equipment not fitted for lifting, the order of 5 March 1993 (arrêté du 5 mars 1993) applies, with a frequency of twelve months. A piece of earthmoving equipment fitted for lifting (for example an excavator with a handling attachment) can therefore fall under both texts at once, with the shorter frequency, six months, applying.
These frequencies are general regulatory reference points: if in doubt about a specific machine, it is recommended to check with your inspection body or to consult the texts cited as sources directly.
| Type of equipment | VGP frequency |
|---|---|
| Aerial work platforms, MEWPs (mobile elevating work platforms) | 6 months (order of 1 March 2004, arrêté du 1er mars 2004, art. 23) |
| Forklifts | 6 months (order of 1 March 2004, arrêté du 1er mars 2004, art. 23) |
| Mobile cranes | 6 months (order of 1 March 2004, arrêté du 1er mars 2004, art. 23) |
| Earthmoving equipment fitted for lifting | 6 months (order of 1 March 2004, arrêté du 1er mars 2004, art. 23) |
| Earthmoving equipment not fitted for lifting | 12 months (order of 5 March 1993, arrêté du 5 mars 1993) |
What Trackary does not do
Trackary does not carry out VGP inspections itself and certifies nothing: that check remains carried out by an approved body, with an inspection report that Trackary does not produce. It does not handle billing, hire or contracts, and does not offer GPS or geolocation, QR codes, or parts stock management.
Trackary lets you configure and track your VGP deadlines alongside your fleet's other inspections: request a 30-minute video demo. Request a demo →