# Geotab DVIR: How Digital Vehicle Inspection Reports Work A DVIR is the pre- and post-trip inspection record the US and Canadian rules require. In Geotab Drive it is a checklist on the driver's phone, tied to the vehicle and the day, with defects routed to the shop and a sign-off trail an auditor can read. Here is how it works end to end. Source: https://www.highpointgps.com/resources/geotab-dvir-digital-vehicle-inspections By Stefano Mazzone, IT Technical Support Specialist — published 2026-09-18, updated 2026-09-18 ## What a DVIR Has to Contain Under the US regulation, a driver of a commercial motor vehicle must prepare a written report at the end of each day's work on each vehicle operated, listing any defect or deficiency that would affect safe operation, and the carrier must repair the defect and certify the repair before the vehicle is dispatched again; the driver on the next trip reviews and signs. Canada's rules require a daily inspection with a report and a schedule of defects, major and minor, and a similar chain of reporting and repair. In both, the paper form is what most fleets used for decades, and the paper is what goes missing. A digital DVIR is the same record kept where it cannot be lost: filed from the driver's phone, attached to the vehicle and the day, with the defect, the repair and the next driver's review as three linked entries rather than three pieces of paper. ## How Geotab Drive Runs the Inspection The driver completes the inspection in the same app used for hours of service, so there is no second login and the inspection is naturally tied to the day's log. The checklist is defined by the fleet in MyGeotab — a default list for trucks, trailers or the vehicle class, edited to the fleet's own items — and the driver walks it, marking each item passed or defective, with photos and notes on defects. The driver then declares whether the vehicle is safe to operate and signs. Defects marked critical in the fleet's list stop the vehicle from being declared safe until they are repaired, which is how the regulation's 'do not dispatch' requirement becomes something the app enforces rather than something a dispatcher has to remember. Every inspection is stamped with driver, vehicle, time and GPS position, so 'the driver never did the pre-trip' and 'the pre-trip was done in the yard at 06:10' are both things MyGeotab can show. ## Defects, Repairs and the Shop A reported defect appears in MyGeotab for the maintenance side to act on. The repair is certified there — who fixed it, when — and the vehicle's status updates for the next driver, who sees the open or repaired defects at the next pre-trip and confirms them. That is the full chain the regulation asks for, kept automatically. Because inspections and engine data live in one platform, the DVIR also feeds maintenance. A defect a driver reports and a fault code the engine reports arrive in the same place, and a fleet running maintenance rules in MyGeotab can turn a recurring defect into a scheduled work order rather than a series of surprises. ## What an Auditor Sees Every inspection, defect, repair certification and driver review, per vehicle, per day, retained for the period the regulation requires and exportable on request. Missing inspections stand out as gaps rather than as a question about whether a form existed. For a fleet that has ever been asked to produce three months of DVIRs for a specific truck, that is the difference between an afternoon and a filing cabinet. ## FAQ ### Is a digital DVIR accepted by inspectors? Yes. The regulations require the report, the defect list, the repair certification and the driver review; they do not require paper. Geotab Drive keeps all four, with time and location stamps, and the record can be shown or exported on request. ### Can I customize the inspection checklist? Yes. The defect list is configured in MyGeotab per vehicle type, and items can be marked critical so a vehicle cannot be declared safe to operate until they are repaired. ### Does a DVIR need to be done every day? A post-trip report is required at the end of each day's work on each vehicle operated in the US, and Canada requires a daily inspection; most fleets also require a pre-trip. Geotab Drive supports both and shows open defects from the previous inspection. ### What happens if a driver reports a critical defect? The vehicle cannot be declared safe to operate in the app until the defect is repaired and certified in MyGeotab. The next driver sees the repaired status at their pre-trip. ## Sources - [FMCSA: 49 CFR 396.11 Driver vehicle inspection report](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-396/section-396.11) - [Transport Canada: Commercial vehicle daily inspection](https://tc.canada.ca/en/road-transportation/commercial-vehicle-safety)