Will I get fined by the vehicle inspection if I make my own pickup truck bed cover?

Many original pickup models do not have a bed cover, if added, it must be inspected.

According to the inspection centers, cars participating in traffic are divided into several main groups including: passenger cars, trucks of all kinds, and specialized vehicles. In which, pickup trucks are classified as trucks. Therefore, the inspection cycle, fees, inspection fees, and road maintenance fees are calculated as trucks with equivalent permitted weight.

After the first inspection for a pickup truck to be put into circulation, the next inspection cycle is 24 months; the next inspection cycle is every 12 months. After 7 years from the date of manufacture, the periodic inspection cycle is every 6 months and also applies a usage period of no more than 25 years.

Currently, the pickup truck segment is very diverse, with many models, priced from several hundred million to more than 1 billion VND. The difference between pickup trucks and other types of vehicles is that there are models that are allowed to carry 4-5 people and have a cargo bed.

Regarding the structure of the trunk, some original models of the manufacturer do not have a trunk cover. Therefore, car owners who need to make a cover must buy an additional genuine one or make an additional fixed cover.

Regarding the issue of adding a fixed cover to the pickup truck bed, according to the inspection centers, before installing it, the procedures for modifying motor vehicles must be followed, otherwise the inspection agency will "blow the whistle".

Mr. Nguyen Van Thai, Director of Inspection Center 29-14D explained: “If the vehicle design file does not have a cover, if the vehicle owner wants to add a solid cover, he must follow the same procedure as for motor vehicle modifications. Specifically, there must be a file with the cover design, approved by the Department of Transportation or the inspection agency. After installation according to the design, the inspection center will accept it, issue an inspection certificate and keep the vehicle management file."

According to Mr. Thai, failure to carry out the above procedure is a violation of regulations on vehicle quality management, will not be granted a periodic inspection certificate and may be fined by the authorities for arbitrarily changing the structure of the car.