Free download
Free printable DVIR form
A driver vehicle inspection report with every part the rule names, pre-trip and post-trip on a single sheet. Print it, keep it in the cab.
The part most carriers get wrong
A driver is not required to prepare a report on a day when no defect or deficiency is found. 49 CFR 396.11(a)(2)(i) says so plainly. Plenty of carriers require a report every day anyway, which is allowed and is often the easier habit to run, but a missing no-defect report is not by itself a federal violation. What is required is a report whenever something is found, signed by the driver, and repaired and certified before the vehicle goes out again.
The eleven parts the report must cover
49 CFR 396.11(a)(1) says the report covers at least these, so the form lists exactly them, in the regulation's order, with blank lines for anything your own policy adds:
- 1.Service brakes, including trailer brake connections
- 2.Parking brake
- 3.Steering mechanism
- 4.Lighting devices and reflectors
- 5.Tires
- 6.Horn
- 7.Windshield wipers
- 8.Rear vision mirrors
- 9.Coupling devices
- 10.Wheels and rims
- 11.Emergency equipment
What happens after a defect is written down
The carrier repairs any defect or deficiency listed that would be likely to affect the safety of operation, before requiring or permitting a driver to operate the vehicle.
The carrier or its agent certifies on the report that the defect was repaired, or that repair was not needed.
The next driver reviews the previous report and signs to acknowledge it, which is the second signature line on each block of the sheet.
Questions about DVIRs
- Do I need a DVIR every day even with nothing wrong?
- Not under the federal rule. A report is required when a defect or deficiency is discovered or reported. A no-defect report is optional federally, though many carriers require one as policy, and some customers and auditors expect to see one. Follow your carrier's policy, which may be stricter than the rule.
- How long does the carrier keep it?
- The carrier keeps the original report, the certification of repairs and the driver's review for three months from the date the report was prepared.
- Is a pre-trip inspection the same as a DVIR?
- No. The pre-trip inspection is the driver's duty to be satisfied the vehicle is in safe operating condition before driving, and it includes reviewing the last report. The DVIR is the written report at the end of the day's work. This sheet carries both, because in practice a driver wants one piece of paper.
- What about trailers and intermodal equipment?
- A report covers each vehicle operated, and the sheet has a line for the trailer number alongside the tractor. Intermodal equipment tendered by an intermodal equipment provider is handled under a different rule, 49 CFR 396.12, not this one.
- Does an electronic DVIR replace this?
- Yes, and for most fleets it is the better record: it timestamps the inspection, attaches photos to a defect, routes it to maintenance and proves the next driver reviewed it. Paper is the fallback when the app or the device is down, and the blank form is the thing nobody has in the cab at that moment.