Staying on top of the health and maintenance of all your fleet vehicles is crucial to ensure zero accidents. A DVIR or driver vehicle inspection report is a document that lets you identify and record mechanical issues within your fleet. Besides maintaining compliance, DVIRs help streamline fleet management operations and reduce downtime.

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Article Roadmap

• What Is a DVIR?
• Importance
• Process
• When Is It Required?
• Checklist
• Primary Benefits
• Penalty for Violations
• Electronic DVIRs
• FAQs
• Next Steps

What Is a DVIR?

A DVIR is a formal inspection report that a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver files after inspecting their vehicle both before and after the trip. The DOT mandates CMV drivers to complete inspection reports daily for each vehicle to ensure safety.

Drivers perform pre-trip and post-trip vehicle inspections and record mechanical issues or defects they encounter. Filing these findings in a report also helps inform the management about these issues. They can then fix identified problems before accidents or other safety-related incidents occur. DVIRs promote road safety, fleet maintenance and regulatory compliance.

Who needs to file a DVIR?

DVIR mandate applies to most CMV drivers, including:

• Drivers who handle vehicles transporting more than 16 passengers.
• Vehicles with a gross weight rating of 10,001 lbs.
• Vehicles carrying hazardous materials.

Who’s exempt from the mandate?

• Private vehicles or non-business motor carriers.
• Motor carriers who operate only one motor vehicle.
• Driveaway-towaway vehicles.

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Importance

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Organization (FMCSA) mandates drivers to file and review DVIRs for every CMV they operate daily under U.S. Federal Law CFR 396.11 and 396.13. This mandate aims to reduce the number of accidents due to mechanical faults and boost public road safety.

In Canada, different provinces have different inspection regulations, and there’s no country-wide rule on DVIRs. However, U.S.-based drivers in Canada must file DVIRs. Canada also accepts reports from the previous day but they must not be more than 24 hours old.

Additionally, thorough inspections and reporting help identify and address mechanical and maintenance issues early on, preventing unexpected delays, breakdowns and severe accidents.

Traffic accidents and resulting injuries can cost you thousands of dollars and potentially damage your company’s reputation. Reporting your vehicle’s status both before and after every trip can minimize the risk of accidents and save you these costs.

Process

Completing a DVIR involves five primary steps:

1. Inspect the Vehicle

Firstly, conduct a thorough walkaround inspection of the CMV you’re about to drive. Ensure you check under the hood, examine lights and brakes, look for visible damages, and verify the condition of parts recently repaired or replaced.

2. Report the Issues

Now, report all identified mechanical defects or issues that could affect the vehicle’s performance, impact safety and lead to breakdowns or accidents.

3. Sign Off

After writing the report, submit it to your manager or carrier company and sign off. In cases where multiple drivers operate a single CMV, only one driver needs to sign the report. However, all drivers must reach a mutual agreement regarding identified defects.

4. Fix the Issues

The most important aspect of a DVIR is to identify your vehicle’s mechanical issues and fix them as soon as possible. Make sure your company takes corrective measures to address all the problems before authorizing another driver to operate that vehicle.

5. Get Repair Certifications

Collect repair certifications and store them within the vehicle, making them readily available to present to officers during surprise roadside inspections. The carrier must also certify parts that have undergone repairs or confirm those that don’t require further attention on the DVIR.

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When Is It Required?

Before the Trip

Federal law 49 CFR 396.13 deals with this aspect of vehicle inspection and maintenance. Drivers must begin their day by carefully reviewing the post-trip inspection report from the previous day and checking for any remaining defects. They need to review each defect and sign off.

Then, they should perform a thorough pre-trip inspection to ensure the vehicle is in good condition and the risk of breakdowns and safety-related incidents is minimal.

After the Trip

Federal law 49 CFR 396.11 mandates that after trip completion, the driver must perform a walkaround inspection of their CMV to confirm its readiness for the next day’s trip. If they find any issues, they must inform fleet managers so they can take necessary actions and fix identified issues.

Following the implementation of the no-defect rule in 2014, paper forms are no longer required if the driver doesn’t find any issue or defect during their inspection. If there’s a defect report, federal law requires fleet companies to retain these records for three months.

Checklist

According to CFR 396.11, a DVIR must include an evaluation of the following:

• Brakes and air system
• Steering mechanism
• Lights and reflectors
• Tires, wheels and rims
• Windshield wipers
• Rearview mirrors
• Coupling equipment and fifth wheels
• Safety and emergency equipment

Primary Benefits

Conducting thorough inspections and promptly reporting issues helps identify problems quickly before they escalate into severe accidents. Here are some advantages of a DVIR:

• Maintain Compliance: Compliance is one of the most vital factors in the fleet business. Failure to meet public and driver safety requirements can result in hefty fines and even decommissioning. Several DOT compliance systems also feature an automated DVIR filing system.
• Improve Safety: Knowing which problems require attention before starting the trip helps minimize the chances of road accidents and unexpected downtimes.
• Reduce Costs: Accidents and downtimes can impose financial burdens on your business. Also, failure to comply with regulations can lead to costly penalties. Avoid all these expenses by ensuring proper inspections and reporting.
• Streamline Communication: Sometimes, the distance between drivers and fleet managers can create communication gaps. Drivers might notice some issues with the vehicle and not get to inform the manager about it. DVIRs document issues and allow drivers to effectively convey them to managers or maintenance staff.
• Enhance Decision-Making: You can archive your vehicle’s history, condition and maintenance records through DVIR. This robust tracking record can be helpful in case of audits or vehicle-related incidents.

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Penalty for Violations

MCSAP (Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program) inspectors conduct sudden roadside DOT inspections to ensure compliance. Failure to maintain proper DVIR records, falsifying reports and committing other fraudulent activities can result in steep fines. While the federal officer decides the exact fine amount, it typically ranges between $1200 to $16,000.

Violations and non-compliance may also lead to your vehicle’s temporary or permanent decommissioning. In addition, it can place the driver out of service for a sustained period. These unexpected downtimes can cause serious loss of revenue for your business while significantly reducing your CSA scores and damaging your company’s reputation.

Electronic DVIRs

Electronic driver vehicle inspection reports (e-DVIR) are paperless inspection reports that drivers can submit electronically through a smartphone or computer while physically inspecting the vehicle. Some argue that this transition away from paperwork not only simplifies the process but also encourages drivers to focus more on conducting comprehensive inspections.

Electronic DVIRs are becoming more popular due to the advantages they offer. Besides reducing paperwork, they streamline reporting and operations, minimize time, and ensure better storage. They’re now a part of modern fleet management solutions, and you can also integrate them into your existing software.

FAQs

Why do drivers use DVIR?

Drivers use DVIRs to inform their carriers or fleet managers about the vehicle’s mechanical issues or missing parts so they can get them fixed right away. These reports also contain repair certifications that drivers can present to officers during roadside inspections.

Which inspection is necessary to complete a DVIR?

You must perform both pre-trip and post-trip inspections to complete a DVIR. Performing inspections twice daily serves the dual purpose of certifying the vehicle’s safety for the upcoming journey and its continued reliability.

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Next Steps

A DVIR is crucial in ensuring safety, compliance and smooth operations. However, filling out inspection reports on paper can be daunting, expensive and environmentally harmful. That’s why you must consider adopting fleet management software offering the e-DVIR module.

If you need help selecting the right fit for your business, check out our free comparison report. It offers actionable insights into the best vendors, top features and user reviews.

So, what benefits of a DVIR did we miss? Did you face any challenges associated with DVIRs? Let us know in the comments below!