How to Set Up Vehicle Maintenance Reminders

How to Set Up Vehicle Maintenance Reminders

How to Set Up Vehicle Maintenance Reminders

Never lose track of an important service date again.

Whether you're managing your family car, a work van or an entire fleet, keeping on top of maintenance is essential.

With Global Trackers, you can create maintenance reminders directly within your GPS tracking account, helping you organise servicing, MOT dates, inspections and routine maintenance.

You can schedule reminders by date, mileage or engine running hours, and choose how far in advance you want to be notified.

And the best part? Maintenance reminders are included in your existing Global Trackers subscription, with no additional platform charge.

Step 1: Open your vehicle's maintenance section

Log in to your Global Trackers tracking account.

  1. Select the vehicle you want to manage from the list on the left.

  2. Click Maintenance in the menu across the top.

  3. Click the orange Add Maintenance Item button.

A window will open where you can create your maintenance reminder.

Step 2: Give your reminder a name

Enter a clear title in Maintenance Name.

For example:

  • Annual MOT

  • Full vehicle service

  • Oil and filter change

  • Tyre inspection

  • Brake inspection

  • Plant machinery servicing

Use the Maintenance Description field to add any useful details, such as the type of service required or the garage you normally use.

Step 3: Choose when maintenance is due

Global Trackers gives you three different ways to schedule maintenance.

Option A: Date Threshold

Ideal for MOTs, annual servicing and inspections.

Tick Date Threshold and enter:

  • Target Date: The date maintenance is due.

  • Time: The time associated with the reminder.

  • Remind before: How many days' notice you want.

Example: If your MOT is due on 3 November 2027, you could request a reminder 14 days beforehand.

Option B: Odometer Threshold

Useful for mileage-based servicing and maintenance.

Tick Odometer Threshold and enter:

  • Target Odometer: The mileage at which maintenance is due.

  • Remind before: How many miles before that target you want to be notified.

Example: Schedule a service at 9,000 miles, with a reminder 600 miles beforehand.

Mileage reminders rely on the odometer information available to the tracking platform, so check that the reading is accurate.

Option C: Hours Threshold

Useful for plant, machinery and equipment where running hours are more relevant than mileage.

Tick Hours Threshold and enter:

  • Target Hours: The operating-hours reading at which maintenance is due.

  • Remind before: How many hours' advance notice you want.

Example: Schedule maintenance at 500 operating hours, with a reminder 25 hours beforehand.

Operating-hours reminders depend on the data available from your tracking device.

Tip: You can enable more than one threshold for a maintenance item. If you only need a date reminder, leave the mileage and hours options unticked.

Step 4: Set up recurring reminders

For maintenance that happens regularly, switch on Mark as recurring.

You can then choose between two options.

Recur automatically

The maintenance reminder repeats at the interval you've configured.

Recur only after it's marked as complete

The next recurrence is linked to the previous maintenance task being marked as completed.

Enter the appropriate interval in the Recurring every field.

For example:

  • Every 365 days for a routine annual service.

  • Every 10,000 miles for mileage-based servicing.

  • Every 250 engine hours for machinery maintenance.

These are illustrative intervals. Always follow your vehicle or equipment manufacturer's maintenance requirements.

For MOTs, check the actual legal expiry date rather than assuming a fixed 365-day recurrence will always be correct.

[Screenshot: Recurring maintenance options]

Step 5: Choose who receives notifications

Under Send notifications to, enter the email address of the person who needs to receive the reminder.

Click the + symbol to add the address.

You can add multiple email recipients.

This is particularly helpful for businesses where the driver, office administrator and fleet manager may all need to know when maintenance is approaching.

Check that the email addresses are correct before saving.

Step 6: Record maintenance costs (optional)

The Maintenance Cost section includes fields for:

  • Cost value

  • Cost description

These optional fields allow you to record relevant maintenance expenditure alongside the task.

Step 7: Save your maintenance reminder

Once you've entered your details, click the orange Save maintenance button.

Your maintenance item will be saved against the selected vehicle.

Repeat these steps for any other maintenance tasks or vehicles you want to manage.

Example: Setting up an annual service reminder

Let's say your van needs servicing on 3 November 2027 and you want 30 days' notice.

Enter the following:

Setting Example
Maintenance Name Annual Vehicle Service
Date Threshold Enabled
Target Date 3 November 2027
Remind before 30 days
Odometer Threshold Disabled
Hours Threshold Disabled
Notifications Your chosen email address

If you'd like the reminder to repeat, enable Mark as recurring and enter the appropriate interval.

Click Save maintenance.

That's it — your maintenance reminder has been configured.

Why use Global Trackers maintenance reminders?

For personal vehicles, reminders can help you stay organised and avoid overlooking important dates.

For businesses, they can also help you:

  • Plan servicing across multiple vehicles.

  • Keep drivers and managers informed.

  • Organise maintenance before it becomes overdue.

  • Reduce the risk of avoidable disruption.

  • Keep maintenance information associated with individual vehicles.

Rather than relying on separate diaries, spreadsheets or handwritten reminders, you can manage these tasks alongside your vehicle tracking.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to pay extra for maintenance reminders?

No. The maintenance reminder feature is included in the standard Global Trackers tracking platform subscription.

Can I set reminders for several vehicles?

Yes. Select each vehicle and configure its maintenance requirements.

Can more than one person receive reminders?

Yes. You can enter multiple email recipients.

Can I set mileage-based reminders?

Yes, provided the tracking platform has accurate odometer information for the vehicle.

Can I use maintenance reminders for plant machinery?

Yes. Operating-hours thresholds are available, subject to compatible device data and configuration.

Do reminders replace regular vehicle inspections?

No. Reminders are an organisational tool. Vehicle owners and operators remain responsible for maintenance, inspections and roadworthiness.

Want to know how maintenance reminders could save you money?

Keeping on top of servicing isn't just about staying organised. It can help you avoid unexpected repair bills, reduce vehicle downtime and manage running costs more effectively.

Read our blog: Why Vehicle Maintenance Reminders Could Save You Money →

Need a hand?

We're always happy to help.

If you're unsure how to configure a reminder or need assistance with your vehicle settings, contact the Global Trackers team.

Global Trackers — Smart tracking. Simple management. Real support.