VGP tracking software so you never miss a deadline

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.

Reminder: what VGP inspections are

VGP (vérification générale périodique) inspections are periodic thorough inspections of lifting equipment and accessories. In France they are governed in particular by the ministerial order of 1 March 2004 (arrêté du 1er mars 2004). They must be carried out by a competent person or inspection body.

The usual interval is 12 months. It is 6 months in particular for equipment used to lift people, including aerial work platforms (MEWPs), and for certain mechanically powered equipment. The interval that applies depends on the machine and the texts in force: check it with your inspection body or in the relevant regulations.

The problem with tracking VGP inspections in a spreadsheet

With a handful of machines, a spreadsheet is enough. With a fleet of aerial platforms, excavators and road-rail vehicles, dates drift. One machine is out on hire, another is being repaired, a third has had its identifier changed.

The risk is simple: discovering an overdue VGP inspection just as the machine is due to go out to site. Tracking software for periodic inspections exists to let you see these deadlines coming.

There's also the question of evidence. After the inspection body's visit, you need to know which defects were noted and whether they've been fixed. When this information is scattered across emails, PDFs and binders, it becomes hard to respond quickly.

VGP software: for the operator or for the inspector?

The term "VGP software" covers two different jobs. Some software is built for inspectors and inspection bodies: it's used to carry out the inspection on site, fill in the questionnaire and produce the report.

Other software is built for the operator — the company that owns or hires the equipment: a rental company, a construction firm or a rail works contractor. Their need is different: knowing when each machine is due, preparing it, making it available on inspection day, then dealing with any defects found. Trackary is built for this side.

• Deadlines for the whole fleet in a single list, sorted by date
• An adjustable interval per machine or per category (6 months, 12 months...)
• Reports from the inspection body stored on the machine's record
• Defects noted turned into faults, tracked through to repair
• Other fleet inspections in the same place: maintenance, EQ, RFN

How Trackary tracks your VGP inspections

You configure the inspections to track and how often they're due, machine by machine or by category. Trackary calculates the next deadlines and shows compliance status on each machine's record.

The fleet manager sees, on one screen, the VGP inspections coming up over the next few weeks. They can schedule preparation work, assign a technician and track progress. Once the inspection is done, the new date is used to calculate the next deadline.

• Configurable deadlines: VGP, EQ, RFN (rail approval)
• List of deadlines to prepare for, with alerts
• Compliance status visible on each machine's record
• Faults noted are tracked through to resolution, with major and minor defects
• Reports and history attached to the machine

VGP tracking for aerial platforms: a common case

Aerial work platforms are often subject to a VGP inspection every 6 months. Across a fleet of several dozen MEWPs, that's a lot of dates to track. Trackary lets you filter the machines concerned and schedule preparation work before the inspector arrives.

When the inspection body notes a defect, you can log it as a fault. It stays visible until a technician deals with it and writes up their report.

The same principle applies to road-rail vehicles. On top of VGP inspections, you track EQ and RFN in the same tool, with the same view of deadlines.

What Trackary does, and what it doesn't do

Trackary helps you know your deadlines, prepare for inspections and keep a record.

Trackary does not carry out VGP inspections. It doesn't certify that a machine is compliant and doesn't replace the inspection body. Nor does it replace the operator's responsibility. The intervals you enter must match what the regulations require for each machine.

Trackary is quote-based, after a 30-minute video demo, with no commitment. A 30-minute video demo lets you see VGP tracking applied to your own fleet.