Everything you need to know about the DVSA Maintenance Provision Rating Scheme (MPRS):

The MPRS is a rating scheme for commercial vehicle maintenance which rates workshops on staff skills and facilities. It’s aimed to make finding skilled maintenance providers, to keep vehicles road-ready and safe to drive, easy for operators. Aswell as helping maintenance providers build their businesses and trust with clients, ensuring they are best suited to each other and are completely aware of the level of skills they hold.
How did the MPRS come about?
The MPRS was jointly developed by:
• IRTE (Institute of Road Transport Engineers)
• Logistics UK
• RHA (Road Transport Association)
• SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders)
• CPT (Confederation of Passenger Transport UK)
• NFDA (National Franchised Dealers Association
• BVRLA (British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association)
These organisations were supported by:
• Daimler Truck UK
• The Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMIF)
• The Officer of the Traffic Commissioner
• Department for Transport (DfT)
• DVSA
• UK Government
Essentially, this scheme is a program created by the Industry for the Industry, which enhances road safety and promotes best practice.

How Does it work?
The MPRS follows an 18-month pilot that operated Daimler Truck workshops as a standard for the marking criteria of facilities and competency levels. The single rating scheme uses comprehensive audits, which ascertains the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of an organisation’s operation, and collective evidence, to gauge the performance of the current facilities and workforce quality.
Each maintenance provider, once assessed, will be given a rating from level 1 to a level 5. Level 1 being ‘Qualified’, and Level 5 being ‘Platinum’. https://irtec.org.uk/resources/raising-the-bar-new-rating-scheme-set-to-revolutionise-workshop-standards.html
The ratings are as follows:

1. Qualified – providing essential maintenance and repair services using basic equipment. Staff competencies meet the minimum industry compliance standards.
2. Bronze – provides a vast range of services for example, aptitude for electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles. Their workshops would be equipped with advanced equipment and the staff would meet the industry standards.
3. Silver – A medium-sized workshop which offered comprehensive maintenance services. The qualification requirements for staff are more scrupulous and the equipment is of a high level to meet higher operational and safety standards.
4. Gold – They have a large workshop alternatively, they offer advanced services and uphold phenomenal standards in terms of staff capability and qualifications, available facilities and equipment along with excellent communication. They work with conventional and progressive vehicle tech which further emphasises their higher operational capacities.
5. Platinum – The most advanced level of facilities, staff and equipment, with the ability to fully comply with the most up-to-date industry standards. Best suited to operators with the most modern vehicle trends, such as hybrid and hydrogen-powered systems.
   
6. Why should operators use MPRS?
   There are numerous benefits to using the MPRS:
   • Improves safety as it forces accountability and improves overall maintenance standards as set out in the Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-maintaining-roadworthiness.
   • Increases the efficiency of operations as it will reduce ‘downtime’ which will ultimately lead to fewer delays caused by breakdowns for example and enhance service delivery. It is also more economic as greater maintenance standards, equal long-term economic benefits as it decreases the need for periodical repairs and replacements.
   Whether operators decide to use the Maintenance Provision Rating Scheme or not, they still must make sure that their vehicles are properly maintained and that the facility that they trust to ensure this, is properly equipped to maintain the vehicles effectively and help operators avoid prohibitions. This is why making sure, as an operator, they trust and have confidence that the level of work is adequate is extremely important. The idea of the MPRS is to make this crucial part of an operator’s job more straight forward and safe for themselves and other road users. Picking the right maintenance provider, is important but is only one of the many jobs operators have. The government suggest that the MPRS can guide operators in making informed choices and understand maintenance provider’s capabilities, which helps find a provider that suits them and their company’s needs which will differ for each operator.
   
7. Why should Maintenance Providers sign up to the MPRS?
   The UK Government encourages signing up to the scheme as they argue:
   • It boosts standards as the rating they get can be used as motivation to score higher and progress.
   • It gives the providers recognition which is validating and enhances credibility and their reputation within the industry.
   • It gives the providers structure for improvement, providing entry levels and clear information on the standard their company must be at to achieve a higher rating.
   • The Government also claims MPRS, will help build trust and loyalty as an increased rating by the MPRS will attract customers therefore boost business for those who choose to sign up.
   • Compliance to the scheme indicates an adherence to a scheme which is reliable and trustworthy consequently enhancing the overall reputation of the transport industry.
   Maintenance providers are able to demonstrate the quality of their service, regulatory compliance and commitment to continuous improvement through this scheme.
   How do you find out which application you qualify for?
   By following this link: https://mprs.org.uk/ This will take you directly to the MPRS website where you can go and take a quick and simple quiz, from this it will identify which application you qualify for. Following the same link, you can sign up and join the MPRS scheme.