For a small depot testing preventative maintenance (PM) workflows, the best “free” fleet maintenance options are usually the ones that are either:

• actually free for a small team with useful core features, or
• open-source/self-hosted if you can handle setup.

Here are the strongest options to look at:

1) Odoo Fleet

Best for: small teams that want a polished UI and room to grow

Why it’s good

• Tracks vehicles, odometer readings, services, and expenses
• Easy to pilot PM reminders and service history
• Part of a larger system, so you can later add inventory, approvals, purchasing, etc.

Free angle

• Odoo has a free/open-source community edition, but some features are paid depending on how you host and what apps you use.

Downside

• Not as fleet-specific as dedicated CMMS tools
• Can feel heavy if you only want simple PM scheduling

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2) OpenMAINT

Best for: maintenance-focused workflows, especially if you want asset/PM discipline

Why it’s good

• Designed for asset and maintenance management
• Good fit for scheduled maintenance, work orders, checklists, and asset records
• Better than generic tools if your main goal is testing PM process

Free angle

• Open-source/self-hosted

Downside

• Setup and configuration can be more technical
• UI is not as simple as SaaS tools

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3) ERPNext

Best for: small depot wanting an all-in-one free system

Why it’s good

• Open-source ERP with asset and maintenance modules
• Can track vehicles as assets and build PM workflows around them
• Supports work orders, maintenance schedules, spare parts, and approvals

Free angle

• Open-source if self-hosted

Downside

• More of an ERP than a fleet-only tool
• Requires some implementation effort

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4) Fleetio free trial / limited free options

Best for: if you want a very smooth fleet-specific user experience and are okay with a trial

Why it’s good

• Very strong fleet maintenance UX
• Easy PM reminders, inspections, service logs, and vehicle history
• Excellent for testing workflows quickly

Free angle

• Typically trial-based rather than permanently free

Downside

• Not a true free long-term option for ongoing use

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5) Limble CMMS / Fiix / UpKeep free trials or freemium tiers

Best for: testing maintenance workflows in a CMMS-style environment

Why it’s good

• Strong PM scheduling, work orders, and checklist workflows
• Easy for a small depot to test how technicians would actually use it

Free angle

• Often trial-based or limited freemium, not fully free forever

Downside

• Fleet-specific features may be limited
• Free tier may be too restricted for meaningful testing

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6) Airtable / Google Sheets + automation

Best for: very small depots that want the fastest zero-cost pilot

Why it’s good

• Quick to set up
• Easy to model PM intervals, odometer triggers, due dates, and service logs
• Can simulate workflow before buying software

Free angle

• Free tiers available

Downside

• Not true fleet maintenance software
• Weak reporting, notifications, audit trail, and technician workflow compared to real tools

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Best choices by use case

If you want true free/open-source

1. ERPNext
2. OpenMAINT
3. Odoo Fleet (depending on deployment/features)

If you want the easiest PM workflow pilot

1. Fleetio trial
2. Limble/Fiix/UpKeep trial
3. Airtable or Sheets for a quick proof of concept

If you want fleet-specific but simple

1. Odoo Fleet
2. Fleetio trial

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What to test in your pilot

For preventative maintenance workflows, make sure the software can handle:

• Vehicle/asset list
• PM intervals by date, mileage, or engine hours
• Work order creation and assignment
• Service history
• Inspection checklists
• Parts/labor tracking
• Reminder notifications
• Status tracking: due, overdue, completed
• Basic reporting

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My practical recommendation

For a small depot testing PM workflows, I’d shortlist:

• ERPNext if you want a real free system and don’t mind setup
• OpenMAINT if maintenance workflow is the main focus
• Odoo Fleet if you want a cleaner interface and broader ERP growth path
• Fleetio trial if you want the fastest and nicest workflow test before committing

If you want, I can also give you a side-by-side comparison table of these options with:

• cost,
• ease of setup,
• PM scheduling strength,
• mobile support,
• and best fit for a small depot.