DVIR form: driver vehicle inspection report
Updated · Reviewed by Israel Margulies, founder and CEO of High Point GPS
A driver vehicle inspection report (DVIR) form for trucks and trailers. It covers every item 49 CFR 396.11 names, has room for defects, and has the three signatures the rule asks for: the driver, the mechanic or carrier certifying the repair, and the next driver's review.
In the US, drivers of covered commercial motor vehicles prepare a written report at the end of each day's work for every vehicle they drove, listing any defect that would affect safe operation or cause a breakdown. Before the truck runs again, the carrier repairs those defects or certifies that a repair isn't needed, and the next driver reviews the report and signs it.
Drivers of property-carrying and passenger-carrying vehicles don't have to write a report on a day they find no defect and none was reported to them. Keep each report, its repair certification and the next driver's review for three months. This form follows the federal text; it isn't legal advice, and states can set their own rules for intrastate trucks.
Driver vehicle inspection report (DVIR)
Fields: Carrier · Carrier address · Date · Time · Truck / tractor no. · Odometer (miles) · Trailer no(s). · Location
Truck or tractor (49 CFR 396.11)
- Service brakes, including trailer brake connections
- Parking brake
- Steering mechanism
- Lighting devices and reflectors
- Tires
- Horn
- Windshield wipers
- Rear-vision mirrors
- Coupling devices (fifth wheel)
- Wheels and rims
- Emergency equipment (extinguisher, triangles, spare fuses)
Trailer
- Brake connections and brakes
- Lights and reflectors
- Tires
- Wheels and rims
- Coupling devices (kingpin, safety chains)
- Doors, tie-downs and landing gear
Also checked
- Air leaks or air pressure warning
- Oil, coolant or fuel leaks
- Windshield cracks
- Cargo secured
- Defects found. Describe each defect and where it is (which axle, which side). If none were found, write "No defects".
- Repair certification. Mechanic or carrier: tick one and sign. Defects corrected, or defects need not be corrected for the safe operation of the vehicle.
- Next driver's review. The next driver reviews this report and signs below. A signature is needed only when defects were listed and certified as repaired or not needing repair.
Fill it in the right way
- Fill in the carrier, the truck and trailer numbers and the odometer at the end of the day's work.
- Check each item on the truck and the trailer and mark it OK, Not OK or N/A.
- Describe every defect under Defects found, with where it is.
- Sign as the driver and hand the report in. On a no-defect day you can skip the report unless your company asks for one every day.
- The mechanic or carrier repairs the defects or certifies a repair isn't needed, and signs.
- The next driver reads the report, checks the certification and signs before driving.
Tips
- Write defects so the shop can find them: "left rear outer tire on trailer, bulge in sidewall" beats "tire bad".
- Keep reports for three months from the date they were written, together with the repair certification.
- A pre-trip walk-around every morning still pays off, even on a clean report: it's the last chance to catch a flat or a leak before the road.
- Look for the same defect showing up on one truck again and again. That's a maintenance problem, not a driver one.
Do it in FleetZap
- Put a QR label on each truck and trailer; drivers scan it to do the inspection on their phone without an account.
- Failing an item creates a repair work order for the shop and alerts the dispatcher.
- An odometer entered on the check updates the truck's meter, which drives mileage-based PM.
- Inspection procedures can include pass/fail, reading, photo and signature steps, with required steps that block closing.
- FleetZap records checks and repairs; it doesn't certify compliance.
Sources
FleetZap Maintenance
Work orders, PM, parts, compliance, assets and KPIs. Explore FleetZap Maintenance.
Frequently asked questions
What is a DVIR form?
A driver vehicle inspection report: the driver's record of a truck's condition at the end of the day, listing defects that would affect safety or cause a breakdown, with the repair certification and the next driver's review.
Is a DVIR required every day?
Under 49 CFR 396.11, drivers of covered commercial motor vehicles must prepare a report for each vehicle driven, but not on a day they found no defect and none was reported to them. Many fleets still ask for one every day.
How long do you keep DVIRs?
Keep the original report, the repair certification and the next driver's review for three months from the date the report was prepared.
What must a DVIR cover?
At least the service brakes including trailer brake connections, parking brake, steering, lights and reflectors, tires, horn, wipers, rear-vision mirrors, coupling devices, wheels and rims, and emergency equipment.